"We're going on a staycation to Suffolk" sounds much more exciting than "We're going to Suffolk for a few days", doesn't it? But whether you're going for a couple of nights or a couple of weeks going away with children usually ends in over packing!
This blog will guide you through some easy mistakes that we all make, how to avoid them and what WE choose to bring with us when we go away. Lets get started!
Less is more
Going away is the perfect time to scale back if you're beginning to be overwhelmed with toys, books, clothes, screen time or the general stuff that comes with having children. It's amazing how much entertainment kids can get from a small amount of toys (or no toys at all if you're feeling extra brave!).
Check what is available where you staying
Depending on where you are staying there will likely already be entertainment available for the children.
Hotels are usually entertainment in themselves. The excitement of exploring the corridors for your room, the possibility of a swimming pool, maybe even a play area on site! Familiarize yourself with what is available on site before you go, a quick search on the website should tell you but a quick phone call to find out things like what TV channels are available is always helpful.
Holiday homes can be really hit and miss. We've found that more modern sites like Air B&B offer less in the way of children's items within the homes however more traditional places or private holiday lets are better equipped. They might not be stated on the listing but many will have an assortment of puzzles, board games and DVD's to play and watch. if you're staying somewhere coastal we have found these places usually have an assortment of buckets and spades, crabbing nets and occasionally even bikes etc available to use. If in doubt call or send a message to the owner to find out exactly what is available for you to use so you can pack as light as possible!
What's available when camping will vary greatly depending on the campsite but in our experience many of the family friendly sites have play areas available! If you're staying somewhere rural or farm based there may also be opportunities to interact with the animals and possibly help with feedings depending on time of year.
Spend time outdoors so you don't have to bring as much
Weather dependent (although I'm a firm believer of there believer that there's no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing choices) try to stay outdoors as much as you can! It really is as simple as it sounds. If you aren't inside the kids aren't going to be asked to be entertained as much or feel like they're twiddling their thumbs when the world is their oyster outside!
Here's how we pack entertainment when we go away.
Firstly I give each of the children a small bag and tell them to choose what they want to play with. By a small bag they either get a small backpack each for a longer trip away or a medium freezer bag.
Back packs are perfect for longer trips. They can't hold a huge amount and I also make it clear that THEY will be the ones carrying it. This stops any heavy or bulky toys from being brought along. It also means the children have their own special bag to bring on trips our for any snacks or toys they want to bring.
Hear me out on the freezer bag! I wouldn't usually condone the use of a plastic bag for single use storage BUT they are so useful for packing with kids!
They're small which means they can't pack too much
They're see through so you and the kids can see exactly what they've packed
You can make a rule that it has to close. When we have the handle bags they have to be able to tie it, when we have the zip bags it has to be able to zip closed.
Less likely to lose things when you can see what you started with. I always find that if the kids have their backpacks that we can't see inside some toys we didn't know about sneak in. Having the see through bags eliminates the risk of losing a special toy!
Allow the kids to have pretty free rein over this. You can encourage to make better decisions like "maybe don't bring the most special robot figure made out of old tins and bottle caps that your great grandma brought back from Thai Land when you were born that can't be replaced" or "You already have 2 fidget toys like that. Do you want to add a different kind too?" Or "It looks like you're nearly out of space. Is there anything else you would really love to bring?". Otherwise let them choose. If it IS a really bad choice and you can see that then it will be a great learning experience for them (but also we're moving on to the next step)
I move onto MY picks for them!
I will always pack something that I KNOW will get a lot of play.
Creativity tends to come out on holiday. Kids are allowed to relax, they're seeing a lot of new things and those experiences and emotions want to come out. Paper and something to draw with are a must. Bring some crayons, pencils, felt pens or watercolor paints if you're feeling adventurous! I always tend to go with plain paper rather than coloring books for the freedom it offers to express yourself.
Plain paper also doubles up as board games for rainy days! Hangman, mad libs, monster creating, paper plains you name it!
After the arts and craft items I'll bring one more toy to share If we're taking the car and weight isn't an issue magnetic tiles are my go to toy to bring. I won't pack them all but enough to make some great creations and keep any sharing issues at bay! Double this up with some paper doll making and you have a portable dolls house at your finger tips!
When we're trying to pack lighter I go for Lego. Now that we are out of the mouthing phase Lego is a perfect for a lightweight, versatile toy. I go back to the trusty freezer bag, fill it up with handfuls of pieces (I don't choose anything specific as this adds to the fun) and then throw it in the suitcase. As well as building I like to have some healthy Lego based competition.
We each get to pick X number of pieces to make our creations with (15, 20 etc). Decide on categories that you'll be marked on (most colorful, best story telling, most useful etc) Take it in turns picking piece by piece until everyone has that amount. Build! Once everyone is finished building take it in turns to tell everyone about your creation and then vote for your favorites in each category. This is such a fun family activity and perfect to keep rainy day boredom at bay.
If I know where we're going doesn't have any board games and we have space I'll also pack either family board game or card game to keep us going if all else fails.
Books are always a must for us too. I'll let the kids choose 1 book each. My eldest has learnt that it's best to bring a big book of stories to keep things interesting whilst my youngest is still content to hear the same story over and over again. If we have time and I know we're not likely to lose/misplace we'll head to the library and choose a couple together but usually it will just come from our selection at home.
Magazines are also a wonderful way to keep kids entertained for hours on end. Most magazines are filled with things to do, cut, stick, color, puzzle and of course read. If you're in a rush or have forgotten any of the other activities it's also so easy to grab a magazine on the way to your destination or even when you get there as an extra treat.
Outdoor toys can be a tricky one to gauge what you might need. It's very much weather dependent, location dependent and what is already available to you dependent!
Coastal = Beach toys but what will you actually need? I highly recommend if you are going to a beach if they have a toy library. The past several beach trips we have gone on we've taken buckets, spades, frisbees etc and ended up not needing them because the beaches have had toy libraries with all of the above and more that have been left behind by past beach goers! These have all been located next to cafes or beach hut shops so make sure you have a look beforehand to save yourself hauling it all down if you won't need it!
If you're heading more off the beaten track then I highly recommend investing in Scrunch buckets. These are made from silicone and fold up easily into bags or even pockets depending on the size and have a great range of toys available. Scrunch are available from Yes Bebe and can be found HERE (rainbows10 will save you 10%)
Another great addition is a crochet frisbee/flying disc. They take all the pain out of frisbee as they're super soft, are incredibly lightweight, fit in your pocket and are very easy to use at any age. Ours is from Rainbow Life and can be found HERE.
Microfibre towels if you plan on getting wet are also very handy. They dry very fast which means you only need 1-2 and are super lightweight and compact anyway so if you did decide you need more it doesn't add much to what you're carrying.
The last thing that I really recommend are wetsuits for the kids. You will get to have so much more time in the water with a wetsuit and that's hours of free entertainment right there! it also adds a layer of protection from the sun and jellyfish if you're unlucky enough to encounter them.
I've attached a free download with a staycation checklist which I hope will be helpful for you before your break!
What are your staycation essentials? Leave a comment
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