My top 8 tips for train rides with toddlers!!

by - 06:00:00

8 tips for traveling with toddlers]
We are regulars to the train, 3 days a week and 6 trains the girls and I know exactly what we are doing now! Keeping them occupied on the longer journeys can be a nightmare though. At 3 years old Kairi is pretty good at staying still, but at 1, Naminé is not and don't even ask them to sit next to each other! Below I'm sharing my top 8 tips to make riding the train a smoother process!

1. pack food! (and lots of it!)
Fruit, train mix, a sweat treat, lunch and a drink. These are all great tools to keeps toddlers busy, you can pack their lunch (if travelling over meal time) and use this to keep them occupied. A wide varity of smaller sized snacks works a lot better than bigger snacks and less of them. Trail mix and crisps seam to work especially well with younger children.

2. Technology!
Whether you ban it at home or limit it to certain times, there is no denying that technology has a hold over toddlers! An app on the iPad, a kids kindle or watch Disney life on my phone can usually get me at least 30 mins of relaxing train time! Split it up at different points over the journey and you can soon rack up the hours!

3. Animal spotting.
Trains are great fun, especially if you are traveling through the countryside. Make up plenty of games such as spot the sheep (for younger children just start with birds because they're everywhere and easy is best!) If you are traveling through a rural area, try to find a garden with a slide, a house that's painted a slightly different colour to the rest (pink/green) or airplanes! Windmills, tractors, strange shape buildings and rivers are also fun to spot!

4. Pack comfy!
Depending on your journey and your child, nap time could be coming your way, make sure you leave familiar items such as blankets, teddys and dummy's towards the top of your bag so you can quickly grab them when needed. Also wear layers (trains get hot!) and something thats easy to sleep in will be helpfull too!

5. Pack extra!
Always pack extra, you never know how long you are going to be! (I have a delay every other week usually ranging between 2 minuites and 2 hours!) Grab an an extra nappy (for toilet training toddlers an extra pair of underware and tight/trousers). If your child is particulaly messy, an extra set of clothes for mum/dad too if you can. Don't forget your portable potty either!

6. Wipes!!
Pack wipes (even if you no longer use them) and then make sure they're at the very top of your bag! They're great for unhygienic serfaces in toilets, wiping train tables down and of course cleaning sticky hands and faces (which you'll need after point 1!)
When you're hot you'll love having a wipe handy and they're great for cleaning up spills and stains too!

7. Drinks Cups
Too many times have I decided to grab a drink on the way and not had enough time. Fill a drinks bottle (Flip top/Spill Free) the night before your journey and stick it in the fridge to grab in the morning before you leave. Remember to make sure the lid is closed and don't get distracted! I gave Naminé a fruit shoot on the Eurostar and when I turned to look at her she had poured the whole bottle all over her clothes... big mistake!!

8. Toys and Books
Let your children pack something of their own a toy that they'd like to play with, a colouring pack and a book all work really well and can really help pass the time. Wrap little toys (like cheap cars) in wrapping paper and pass on every 30 minutes for something new and exciting. We did this on our first trip to Disneyland Paris and it worked so well!

Do you have a top travelling tip? If you need packing ideas, then check out my packing post or How I stay organised or head on over to our youtube channel where you can find plenty more ideas!

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