Be it long haul or short, traveling with children can be a nightmare so here are some key products to help keep that pain at bay and your journey stress-free
The Foot Rest Pillow (£14.99)
Probably one of the best things we’ve ever traveled with (for children and adults). As the title suggests the footrest pillow can fit in the footwell of any car, train or plane and gives a great opportunity to relax with your feet up, however using it for the kids is when it really comes into its own. The Pillow when inflated fully fits the exact height on the width of most airplane footwells meaning when you couple it with the seat itself it can act as a bed for your child. We recommend it for children between 1 and 3. If you’re lucky enough to get a whole row on the plane, buy three of these, stick the armrests up and have yourself a full bed! Super portable, The pillow is also very easy to inflate and deflate too and we had it up and running within around 3 minutes. This is a must-have.
Pro dad tip: Spend a bit more if needs be and book overnight flights at your childs usual bedtime at local time.
Trunki carry-on Suitcase (£39.99)
Since its appearance on Dragons Den in 2006, Trunki has gone from strength to strength and has since gone on to sell over 3 million units. If you haven’t seen a Trunki before (where have you been?!) but its essentially a carry-on suitcase your child can ride on which you can pull with a leash. Each suitcase has a name and there are a wide variety of ‘characters’ to choose from. It puts the fun into packing, keeps children entertained and makes it easy for them to move around the airport.
Pro dad tip: Don’t let a tired child ride a Trunki for obvious reasons.
Children’s Headphones and USB adaptor (£12.99)
As simple as it sounds, These a must-have for your child’s carry on. Airplane standard-issue earphones simply do not cut the mustard, they’re often poor quality, don’t fit and don’t work. The last thing your kids needs to see is a movie they cant watch.
These headphones from “Mpow” were a reasonably priced purchased from Amazon based on reviews. They’re comfortable but there are two features in particular we like. The 3.5mm wire is not hardwired and if you catch it on something you can plug it back in without breaking the headphones. There is also a volume limiter you can use on the wire to prevent your child from listening to high volumes even if they turn it up themselves on devices.
Pro dad tip: Always double check, but a lot of new phones and tablets may not have a headphone jack or 3.5mm out, so it’s worth investing in an adaptor which are cheap and can be found here
Tablet or iPad (Galaxy Tab A – £159.00)
A tablet or iPad is perfect for the car, plane and generally sitting around waiting in airports. Not only is it great for movies there are tonnes of games you can download and play and they can also be very educational. We don’t condone any more screen time than needed but definitely use your tablet to get creative. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A is a great choice for only £159
Pro dad tip: Download jigsaw puzzle games for good two-player problem solving and if you’re getting movies and TV shows, ensure to download them so they’re available offline and can be viewed without internet access.
Tablet Holder and Charger
A perfect device for the back seat of the car. This innovative tablet holder can be mounted for single viewing (back of the seat) or multiple viewing (middle of both seats) so both children can watch the tablet. Ideal for long journeys and will keep your children entertained for hours. You can also fit phones and a Nintendo Switch.
Pro dad tip: Most cars have a rear cigarette adaptor charging port. Utilise this to keep your tablet/iPad charged at all times by turning it into a USB port. You find a bunch of them here.
Headphone Splitter (£3.49)
Sharing is caring. Rather than buy two tablets or more, you can split the audio with this device 5 ways that your children can all watch and listen to one tablet, laptop or phone. If they’re up for it they can even mix in their own music and enjoy being DJ’s for the day.
Nintendo Switch (£355.00)
The Nintendo Switch was born to Travel. Whilst it does have the ability to work as a console on the big screen, its true capabilities come into play when portable. Its large screen, excellent battery life, well-designed controls make it the perfect travel companion for kids. Being Nintendo, it also has a vast variety of children’s games in its library too including the addictive Mario Kart. The Switch is also geared up for multiplayer straight out of the box. Simply remove the side control sticks and they become smaller individual control pads for 2 player action.
Pro dad tip: The Nintendo Switch game cartridges are TINY. Similar to a standard-sized SD card. We recommend setting up a Nintendo account and downloading these games to the device beforehand so they’re available offline and your kids cant lose them. Also, a screen protector may be a good idea too.
Water Magic Colouring Books (£5.00)
Water magic colouring books are brilliant. It’s a no-ink and no-pen alternative to colouring and great for travelling. Simply fill the magic marker with water and the colours will magically appear on the page when wet and disappear again when dry. As a result, the pages can be used over and over again and come in a variety of different topics.
Pro dad tip: Try and teach the kids to ‘paint’ rather than ‘draw’ with the pens as the bristles may damage over time.
