I know this is a topic that will have been discussed many times but here we go anyway!
What toy's/games do you take for the little ones? We have all the usual stuff for indoors, coloring books, pens and board games and the like. What other bits do you lot get up to in the great outdoors?
I am struggling with an 18month old at home at the moment ( doing the grandma thing) my word i have forgotten how much time they need you to give them...
If possible I would take a bike, a kite, a raincoat and some of her favorite little toys...
Swingball for definite, we have one of the ones in 2 boxes that makes a volleyball net with a volleyball/football and shuttlecock, all the games in one. Usually take boules too but they never seem to get played with. Bikes if I can find the room.
Our girls are 4 and 7 and like to explore the sites, play with new friends etc. We bought a set of walkie talkies from Maplins with a 3km range so wherever they are we can keep in touch with them (and they can tell us where they are going for a yes or no).
------------- HelenD
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We must be experts - we are out standing in our chosen fields!
I bought my two a Playmobil camper van for last holiday, and it was a huge sucess. (You can`t be too anal about losing bits though.)
I find a Walkman or CD player each plus story tapes/cds invaluable. A football, digging things if you`re going anywhere with sand, box of general lego, couple of dolls/stuffed animals etc. I`ve amassed some pretty good camping things for our Barbies!
If you`re on a long trip and have EHU, consider an in-car DVD player that you can also use inside the tent. I have a deep disapproval of this sort of stuff on camping holidays but for rainy evenings it has no equal, alas.
Just don`t take bubbles. You`ll be lynched...bubbles settling out on canvas ruins the waterproofing.
Seriously, one thing that works really well with ours is walkie-talkies. You can get quite simples ones, which mean they can have a wander (mine are 8 and 10) and still keep in touch with base... or just play spies, secret agents...
------------- Big Bunny
Robens Valley Lodge & Cabanon Pyramide 6 "... kids you distract the bear, while I run to the car...."
We were away last summer and the wee boys in the next tent had a police dressing up outfit with walkie talkies, truncheons, handcuffs etc.
Not a toy I would have thought of for my 3 girls but they had a blast - all the kids on the site were playing cops and robbers from 3 year olds to 11 year olds. The wee guy took it serious as he even had a real german shepherd pup!
It was a great trip they met pals and were amused for hours - till it was too dark to catch the robbers! It was a must as a christmas pressie this year and will be first thing in the toy bag on our next trip. Kids get on well if there are new friends to meet, in case there are no other kiddies around a good old football or bats and balls never goes wrong, something you can all play.
In the camper van I have an overhead storage compartment which is jam packed with things for the kids. Usual like crayons, colouring books, games, frisbee, cricket bat and ball, fold up basket ball net, craft kits (to make bracelets, etc). Also take bikes, scooters, rollers skates.
To be honest though - all of these things rarely get used as my kids just go and play either with other kids, on the play area or with their own imagination which is a far better toy than anything I can pack in the van!
------------- Smoke me a kipper ............ I'll be back for breakfast!!!!!
dependant on age, travel games and a pack of cards, connect 4, guess who, cluedo etc are great. We take a lap top to watch dvds before bed if it is cold, wet, dark.crayons and loads of paper are great. If it nice weather they tend to amuse themselves outside. Books to read, puzzles to make or colour as well. Small soft ball to play with so they cant cause damage near the tents. Little lad likes small figures or animals to play out in the grass. Last year got a pocket kite for a £1, had loads of fun with it.
We only went away for the weekend I took swing ball, that kept my 2 amused they were 5 and 1.
This year we are going away for a fortnight so going to take board games, swing ball, football, plus various other bits. I'm hoping that they will make some friends and not get bored too easy
last summer at howgill lodge, my 2 and my nephew made friends with 2 other boys, they played each other at swingball, fish with playing cards, travel monopoly and on gameboys. Used everyone's toys, shared very well and had a great few days.
Play dough (plus a mini rolling pin, mini board and shape cutters) and the plastic 'shapes' (mouths; noses; ears; legs; arms; hats; etc} that you can buy to create people, animals, monsters etc. If you can't find the playdough brand hats & features etc, then buy Mr Potato Head pieces.
A pair of 'sticky' mits and ball [the ball sticks to the mit so little persons can play tennis without annoying other nearby campers!]
Bubble maker
Story tapes/CDs are invaluable in the car [from the library or try the charity shops]
Last couple of holidays we had great success with taking scrap books/colouring pens/glue/glitter/bits and pieces for sticking. First thing in the morning or when it rained we'd get the kids to draw pictures/write about what they did yesterday, sticking in bits and pieces they had picked up the day before. Their Grandma brought them a digital camera each for Christmas so I'm hoping that will add to it as well.
Otherwise books, colouring books, MP3 players loaded with children's stories (MP3 players seem to start at a tenner these days), board games (hard to find ones that are suitable but junior monopoly, snakes and ladders and candy land are faves with my two) are good for rainy days/early mornings. Finally we have a toolbox full of the more useful Lego that goes to all our holidays.
For outside play they have a football, a phlat ball, a nerf pocket howler thingy, and we take their bikes or scooters depending on space.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Keeping little ones amused...
