Travel essentials for children

On Saturday we are going to France for a couple of months.  We are flying from Manchester to Bergerac and then it will be about an hour drive to the gite we are renting. The flight back however is longer, we are flying to Exeter then have 4 hours waiting around until our flight to Manchester. Lucas and I have been getting his hand luggage ready over the last couple of days, making sure we have some good toys for travelling and travel games to keep us occupied whilst we are hanging around at the airport

Starting off with the suitcase, Lucas has a Trunki and a Skip Hop suitcase. I thought he would want to take the trunki as he can pull it along or ride on it. It’s also very hard wearing with it being a hard shell rather than soft but he has decided to take the Skip Hop giraffe suitcase instead.

Potwells cosy, ultra-toasty, luxury long hot water bottles are fab if you are going camping this summer for when it gets chilly overnight. They lovingly offer children (big and small) warmth and comfort, every day of the year. The lovable characters, Ursula the unicorn, Dustin the dinosaur and Zavi the zebra, bring a touch of magic and comfort at bedtimes, whether they are home or away on holiday.

Perfect for little explorers, the child-friendly binoculars promote STEM-based scientific observation of nature, animals and more, encouraging children to get outside and explore the world around them. Audio amplification will encourage children to use both sight and sound to explore their world. Take a look at this review for more information on the GeoSafari Jr Kidnoculars Extreme

I’ve also packed some small reading books, colouring books and crayons as well as a learning to write work book and learning to count work book

We got Grabolo about a year ago and love it. It is such a simple game and Lucas has so much fun playing with it. It’s a fab size for taking out with you and we often have it in Lucas’ bag for days out. ‘A roll of the dice determines the combination of colour and shape playing pieces that you have to grab, so react quickly. Once you’ve grabbed a piece, put it behind your back and don’t look at it. If you roll the dice and the piece isn’t there and someone has grabbed it before, be the first one to shout out who has it to either keep it (if you already have it) or steal the piece from another player.’ We don’t actually play it like that, we take turns to get whatever we roll, if the other person has the piece then we take it and the first person that has 10 pieces wins. This makes it easier for 3-4 years olds to play it and encourages them to learn to take turns.

Silly Safari is one of our newest games. The wild and wacky card game for all the family. How exciting to be on safari and trying to find all your favourite animals! ‘Hang on one of them has wandered off’ Be the first to spot the missing animal in this fun and frantic card game of observation and matching. The cards are double sided, one for an easier level and one for a harder level of play

Did you know that children school children aged between 4 and 14 lose, on average, seven weeks’ worth of knowledge retention in maths and English over the summer holidays? UK-wide that’s 70 million learning hours lost each year due to ‘summer learning loss’. If you would like an educational app for their tablets. Doodle has created four educational apps – DoodleMaths, DoodleEnglish, DoodleSpell and DoodleTables – using in-built intelligence and algorithms to construct work programmes unique to each child. Based on a child’s individual level, strengths and weaknesses they target a learner’s Zone of Proximal Development – the narrow band between what a learner can do with and without help – and continually adapt to set work at just the right level for them.

I have a Tesalate quick dry, sand free towel so I was looking to get Lucas one. I found this brand that I hadn’t heard of before and bought a poncho for Lucas in their clearance sale. Dock and Bay towel ponchos compact and lightweight, perfect for around the pool and at the beach. They are meant to dry 3 times faster than normal cotton towels and have mesh bottom pockets so the sand stays on the beach instead of returning with you. They also come in a backpack so the little ones carry carry them themselves when they aren’t wearing them. They even come with a 12 month warranty!

Lucas loves listening to his Amazon music and playing games on his tablet so wireless headphones are great for this and not disturbing anyone else around us. The Sudio headphones are collapsible meaning easy storage for travelling. To get 15% discount on the Sudio website use the code chillingwithlucas

I’ve bought Lucas some pool shoes from Lidl. They have extra grip on the bottom and should protect his feet if we are on a rocky area at the beach and prevent him from slipping around the pool

I’ve got Lucas a few sets of swimwear. I love Splash About and have bought UV sun and sea suits from them since his first holiday abroad. Designed in the UK and manufactured using the highest quality UPF50+ fabrics for that ultimate protection from the sun, the Splash About range of swimwear is fashionable, functional and super comfortable.

If you are planning a road trip, a decent car seat is definitely top priority. The Apramo EROS group 1/2/3 car seat is a multi-stage car seat that grows and adapts with your child. Suitable from 9 months, this forward- facing seat can be installed using the ISOfix points or with a belt. It has a top teether strap when used in the group 1 mode. It comes with a 5-point harness, features four recline positions and an easily adjustable headrest for comfort. There is superior side impact protection by EPS in the head support and the seat shell. It is incredibly plush too on the inside, making Lucas very comfortable.

This stylish, reusable 750ml Stainless Steel Water Bottle, is a sustainably sourced WAKEcup with an airtight, no leak, bamboo screw top to prevent accidental spills. It keeps drinks cold for 8 hours and can be handwashed or popped in the dishwasher. Purchase this WAKEcup and 10% of profits will go directly to our eco-charity partners The Marine Conservation Society, who campaign tirelessly to prevent the devastating effects of single use plastic pollution on our shared oceans and marine wildlife. I will also be taking my WAKEcup bamboo travel coffee mug which keeps drinks hot for an hour and cold for a few hours!

Lucas loves using a tablet cushion, it stops the tablet from falling on him when he’s lying down and not holding properly. It’s also great for when he’s on the plane and can watch something on his knee. The polystyrene beads mould and securely support your device allowing you to find your most natural and comfortable position. Made out of soft to touch velvet, giving a premium feel which also protects the screen. There are a variety of patterns and colours to choose from. If needed it can also double up as a head cushion!

Love them or hate them, tablets are great at keeping children occupied. Lucas got the Amazon Fire for Christmas. He’s got a variety of games on it, educational apps and listens to Amazon music. You can set parental locks on it so you know exactly what you’re child can get onto and is safe from the internet

Enjoy all the excitement of the classic BBC gameshow, Pointless, in a scaled-down, mini version ideal for travel and camping trips. The compact set includes all you need, with question cards, answer sheets, pencils and an answer sleeve, but without any need to find a table to play. Suitable for ages 12+ and for 2 to 5 players, this mini version of Pointless is a great way for family and friends to pass the time in between adventures. If you would like the chance to win the Pointless travel game, enter below x

Pointless travel game