This is surely a summer like no other! With restricted travel and lots of uncertainties, many of you might choose to spend the holidays in their own countries.
Like many others, our family's summer plans have changed and we will be off on a lovely UK road trip to explore places we haven't visited before. The good news is that I will be able to pack much more luggage comparing to a plane travel allowance! Considering this and the many hours we will be spending on the road inspired me to create this blog post...
Therefore, I started to thing of toys and activities for Daniel to keep him occupied during the long trip. Sure enough, being 6 years old, he will be having his own selection with few top-ups from mum. But in this post I will share with you my favourite Beesybox products to take on a trip, many of them tried and tested by me!
In the car / plane
Children are active creatures and being tied to a car or plane seat is not easy for both - kids and parents. I always like to be prepared with appropriate activities and of course, lots of snacks!
1. Magnet toys
No one likes to look for small pieces on the floor of a moving car, bus or plane. This is why magnetic toys and games are ideal for a journey. Obviously they are designed to stick together so loosing parts is less likely. Example is Haba Magnetic Game Box The Seasons. It has 4 backgrounds and 90 pieces to create seasonal scenes. All parts are stored in the box with its size being perfect for the children to keep on their laps while creating their magnetic pictures.
Haba Magnetic Game Box 1,2 Numbers & You is the alternative for number lovers.
Haba Magnetic Game Dress-Up Doll Lilli is another great option to stimulate creativity and imagination. The box contains 4 backgrounds and 54 magnetic pieces of clothes, hairstyles and accessories for Lilli.
2. Art and Craft
Depending on the length of your journey, being prepared with more than one activity might be a good idea. In this case I always keep a hardback notebook in my bag and a set of pencils or crayons ready to use whenever needed. The hard cover provides enough support for comfortable drawing on the go and crayons/pencils are great to avoid upsetting husbands with permanent art in the car. Okonorm 6 Beeswax Crayons or OkoNorm 12 Beeswax Crayons are both great options. Made with a minimum of 25% pure beeswax and other non-toxic, food grade ingredients they have beautiful colours with high covering property and good abrasion.
For younger children I'd recommend OkoNorm Beeswax Crayon Blocks and OkoNorm Chubby Mini Beeswax Crayons as their size and shape makes them easier to grip.
Coloured pencils are Daniel's favourite. OkoNorm Natural Coloured Pencils are a very good option, especially if you are into eco art supplies.
Long plane flight?
I would not take it on a car journey, but play dough is simply perfect for the plane. It saved me on quite a few flights with Daniel over the years. A pot or so, few small tools and the tray table on the seat back is all you need for at least half an hour entertainment.
OkoNorm Eco Play dough - 4 colours set is great for the purpose. It is available in 6 colours set as well but even 1 pot would do the job. Kind advice: more children-more pots, let's not get into sibling fight 😃
OkoNorm Eco Modelling Clay is the space-saving alternative. This small pack weights only 220 gr and contains 10 colours. This clay is slightly harder than the play dough but its 'never drying' properties can save you on many journeys to come!
3. Books
An old favourite or a new one, a never seen or a forgotten book could work wonders. Prepare some books, ideally relevant to the place(s) or activities you are going to experience and you will be surprised of that extra excitement. Have a look at our Collection of books here for something interesting and age appropriate.
And of course the classics: singing, quizzes and fun games, e.g. 'I spy' or our version 'Spy I' as called by Daniel. Simply name something you expect to come across on the way and whoever spots it first grabs a point. For example: Watch out for the next pink car/blue truck/lake, etc. and get the point if you see it first. Try it, it's fun!
Congratulations, you reached your destination!
You all did great during your journey and happily reached you final stop! Let the fun begin!
On The Beach
I prefer to pack sand toys even if we travel by plane. It's always easy buying new when we get there, but let's not add to the plastic pollution problem and use the set we already have. (I totally realise that it is not always possible to fit everything in a suitcase or two but trying won't harm and you might be surprised!)
Talking plastic, at Beesybox we offer a great alternative - Glückskäfer Metal Bucket Set. It is sturdy, feels much nicer and will definitely last long, plus it is great for the garden too!
Add Glückskäfer Metal Sand Moulds Set for extra fun. I like how this set of moulds could be used in the mud or play kitchen too!
In case you only need some tools, Glückskäfer 3 Piece Metal Garden Tool Set could be used for sand play too, mind the handles are a bit longer. Or Goki Metal Sand Shovel if you are looking for compact metal shovel.
For explorers
We have a great range for little explorers! Terra Kids is the outdoors collection by the German brand HABA. They offer an extensive variety of toys and activities from child size tools to camping equipment. Bellow are my favourites to take on a holiday (clicking the photo will take you to the product's page)
What if it rains...heavily?
We are set for the North of the UK this summer so rain is highly possible. Nonetheless, we are determined to embrace the weather and make the most of our travel in any conditions. In case of heavy rain we might have to spend few extra hours than planned in the hotel but I will prepare few toys to use in such occasion. Well, that's the beauty of travelling by car - you can always fit something extra! Here comes the open - ended play. One toy - many play opportunities. Glückskäfer All-In-One House for example, is an extremely space saving dolls house. All furniture fit neatly together under the roof to form this great stacking toy. It's available in red, green and natural colours.
Have a look at our Glückskäfer collection for more stacking open-ended toys.
All Toobs by Safari Ltd are perfect travel size too. They are collections of small figurines stored in recyclable plastic container. Great for small world play and learning activities. Have a look at the Safari Ltd collection here.
Finally, check out our Outdoor play collection in case I missed something that you would like to have for your holiday ahead or just to add some more fun to the daily life.
Thank you for taking time to read this article. I hope you found this little guide helpful! Enjoy the rest of your summer and try to make the most of it!
Stay safe and happy!
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