10 Essential Tips For Travelling With Kids with Holidaysafe & Win A £50 Selfridges Gift Card

 

Summer is here.  Hip hip hooray. I literally want to punch myself in the head for writing that but bear with me, I have 2 kids under 7!

Seriously,  I’m excited, our holiday is booked for August and already my mind is filled with the image of a sun-soaked beach and the sound of waves crashing beside me. Book in one hand, cocktail in the other. The boys playing happily in the sand. Sounds like bliss right?

But then suddenly, I remember. The journey to paradise can be tough-going. It means boarding a flight with kids. Eek!

To be fair, the long haul flight to Jamaica last year was actually pretty smooth running. I’ve had worse experiences getting the kids to York, 15 minutes away in car- but I’m not sure whether it was a fluke or not.

Either way, I’m terming myself a travel expert now (!) and I’ve teamed up with the award winning family travel insurance provider, Holidaysafe to share my top tips for travelling with kids.

And as an added bonus, Holiday Safe are offering one lucky Honest Mum reader the chance to win a £50 Selfridges gift card – perfect for picking up those luxe holiday essentials!

I hope you enjoy and I’d love to hear your own travel hacks in the comments.

‘Insure’ peace of mind

Travelling with kids means you already have a million and one things to worry about so make sure that your insurance policy isn’t one of them! This is why I always opt for Holidaysafe’s stand out specialist family policy.

Developed with families in mind, this policy guarantees you’ll receive the best possible medical care whereever you are in the world with no bills whatsoever. Plus, it covers all the family essentials such as buggies, car seats and strollers. You can read all about Holidaysafe’s specialist policy here.

 

Buy a child locator

Holidays equal excitement and excitement equals giddy kids on the hunt for their next adventure.

Children have a tendency to stray off wanting to explore their new surroundings, so keep track of your pint-sized explorer with a lightweight, wearable child locator. It works by setting off a sound alarm if your child exceeds a certain distance, allowing you to track them down.

 

Share Your Digits

And if your kids do manage to wander, make sure your name and phone number are clearly visible so you can be reached immediately. You could also write details on a child locator bracelet.

 

Avoid the Sugar

Sugar fuelled, hyperactive kids + small confined space = (you you’ve guessed it…) DISASTER! Keep blood sugars steady with slow releasing carbs and quality protein!

Which leads me to-

 

Snacks, snacks and more snacks

There is only one thing worse than a child pepped up on sugar and that’s a ‘HANGRY’ kid. An empty belly is enough to turn your toddler into Mariah Carey (sorry Maz)!

Replace sugary sweet treats with naturally sweetened snacks such as fruit, or the Mary Berry’s amongst you might want to check out my recipe for sugar-free honey biscuits here!

Don’t forget to keep kids hydrated with plenty of water too and add milk to a pack lunch box with a cooler inside as food can go off quickly in the heat.

 

Don’t forget the iPad

An iPad or tablet is the perfect travel companion. Lightweight yet able to store 1000s of games, apps and videos to keep your sprog entertained for hours. If flying, don’t forget to bring a portable charger as plug sockets are few and far between.

 

Start a family travel project 

Get creative with a holiday diary where kids write and draw their journey and holiday.

When I was younger I used to love documenting and re-living my travels once home, and this is a tradition I’ve passed down to my sons, Oliver and Alexander.

A journal is also a brilliant way to keep kids entertained whilst travelling, ensuring you capture all those amazing moments of your holiday, in a stimulating way.

 

Remember The Medicine 

A well stocked first aid kit is a holiday essential. You can either buy a pre-prepared kit or make your own that can be tailored to your holiday. For example, if you’re planning on doing lots of outdoor activities, then pack lots of band aids and antiseptic cream is a must too.

First aid kits basics include antihistamines, kids aspirin, Calpol, re-hydration solution, travel sickness pills, tweezers and support bandages.

 

Check your passports 

Regular readers will know that I had to learn this lesson the hard way when we realised at the last minute that my eldest’s passport had expired last year, meaning he and my husband Peter couldn’t join us on a family trip to Spain.

Children’s passports only last 5 years and remember they take around 6 weeks to replace.

 

The early bird catches the…plane

Kids are time raiders. Everything takes twice as long! Always leave plenty of time to get to catch your train or plane as there’s nothing worse than rushing around with both kids and luggage in tow.

If you’re flying and haven’t pre-booked your seats always check in early to increase your chances of all sitting together.

So those are my top 10 tips, I’d love to read yours.

Not to enter the competition to win £50 to spend at Selfridges c/o Holidaysafe, enter below.

UK only.

Ends July 25th 2016.

No cash alternative.

If the winner does not respond within 7 days of the email being sent, a new random winner will be selected.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Promoted on Prize finder, BritMums, Loquax, Super Lucky, Umeandthekids and Competition Database.