22 March 2015
Holidays are a time for fun and relaxation, but unfortunately no-one told the children that! Boredom is the bane of most parents’ lives and can even strike during an otherwise enjoyable family holiday, swiftly transforming even the most placid toddler or child into a screaming nightmare.
Plan ahead and be prepared with these great tips for staving off boredom on holiday.
Bring treats
Bribery works! And as holidays are treat times, relaxing the rules a little shouldn’t impact on behaviour at home in a regular routine. When travelling, carry a few favourite snacks and games, and maybe even download some TV programmes or educational games onto a tablet or smart phone. When you feel the boredom kick in just whip out the goods to placate fidgety children!
Ensure you’re staying at a toddler friendly cottage
Renting a toddler friendly cottage will give you the freedom to create a home-like and comfortable environment to reduce stress for everyone. It will also give the children space to play and you the opportunity to relax in private, along with the flexibility to eat in when you want to and remove the worry of impending public tantrums.
Obtain toys to use on holiday
Plan carefully and bring toys or activities for the holiday. If you’re taking a beach holiday bring or pick up inflatables, balls and buckets. For a countryside break a kite is a great way to entertain little ones for an afternoon. For city breaks bring plenty of colouring books, reading books and small quiet toys to keep children happy in restaurants.
Research family friendly activities in the area
All the toddler and child friendly holidays listed on Parent Friendly Stays include details of a range of family friendly activities in the nearby area including beaches, country parks, heritage railways, museums, theme parks, farms and more. Plan some days out in advance so when the kids start tiring of the on-site facilities you’re never short of somewhere new to visit.
Encourage a new hobby or project
Before you set off, teach the children a new hobby to keep them happy throughout the trip. Knitting or cross-stitch are great options for older children, or why not learn a new sport or get a blank book and have them fill it with a story and illustrations?
Kids clubs
If you are visiting a resort it is likely to have kids clubs or a creche. Not only will this help keep the kids happy and tire them out, but it’ll also give mum and dad a chance to catch up on some quiet rest and relaxation time.
Make it a group trip
Talk to other families with kids and see if they want to combine a holiday – the kids will keep each other entertained, you can split babysitting duties and you get to go on holiday with friends! Group holidays can be great fun with the right people.
There are few things that can’t be avoided on holiday but boredom is definitely not one of them.
The Parent Friendly Stays team