The best tips & tricks for travelling with kids

When doll arms and teddy bear legs stick out of the suitcase and half of the important things are still lying next to the suitcase, then it's about time for our tips and tricks for a relaxed journey with your child.

It doesn't matter whether you're going on a longer journey by plane with your bag and baggage or by car or train to see relatives for a few days. The following tips are guaranteed to simplify any trip with your little ones.

A kids suitcase makes the journey easier - in the most literal sense of the word

A trip with your own piece of luggage is twice as much fun. Everything you need for your big adventures fits into the Affenzahn suitcase. A suitcase especially for your child and its toys has a number of advantages. If, for example, your youngster is allowed to pack his or her own suitcase, they will feel integrated, learn to take responsibility, and their current favourite picture book won't get lost either. At the same time, the children's suitcase sets natural limits and prevents long discussions as to whether the entire picture book shelf and all the cuddly toys might not be able to join in on the adventure.

In addition, every little lady and little gentleman of the world is as proud as Punch when, just like the grown-ups, they can pull their suitcases behind them. So the little ones are happy and busy, and you have to carry less. Win-win!

With little surprises, the journey becomes more pleasant for everyone

How about a small "travel advent calendar" that shortens or sweetens the travel time? Instead of opening a little door every day, your child can expect a little surprise every half or full hour of the journey - for example a mini book, a lollipop or a small toy, which he or she can of course put in the suitcase afterwards. This way, your child will be particularly motivated, gets variety and can better appraise when you will finally arrive. (Probably you will also notice yourself that the time seems to pass faster for all fellow travellers.)

Time management is key

Alternatively, you can plan your trip based on your child's sleeping times. Because a sleeping child is a satisfied child. So if you have a good sleeper, try to plan the trip in a way that you leave by car or plane in the evening after an action-packed day. With a little luck, your offspring will slumber all the way through the trip and you'll arrive at your destination extra quickly and relaxed.

If it's not possible to time the departure by car so that it falls into the sleeping time of your child, it is best to plan regular and extensive breaks. You may even be able to plan in advance where you will stop and consider small activities to stretch your legs properly.

Eating helps with pressure equalization, it can fight nausea and brings variety

Especially small children often have problems with the pressure equalization in the airplane. Drinking a bottle, chewing hard wine gum or chewing gum for older children during take-off and landing can work wonders. The same applies if the children get sick while driving. Ginger drops can also help here.

Various snacks also help to bring some variety into the journey. Simply pack up a few snacks as finger food, such as different types of fruit and vegetables in bite-sized pieces, nuts, rice crackers and other delicacies. The stainless steel lunchboxes from Affenzahn can be used perfectly here, because even more delicate items such as wholemeal sandwiches or berries are safely stored in them. So you can always conjure something new out of your suitcase for the child and also have something suitable for every mood.

The ideal travel toy is space-saving or multifunctional

Of course, neither the favourite stuffed animal nor the bedtime story of the night should be missing in the children's suitcase. But when it comes to pure activity, toys that consume little space and can be used for as long as possible or in different ways are in the limelight.

A selfmade Lego travel set, for example, provides a lot of fun: Use hot glue or double-sided adhesive tape to glue a Lego base plate cut to fit into the lid of a rectangular box. You then fill the box itself with coloured Lego bricks. Et voilà - your travel set for little builders is ready to go.

Who doesn't know it from the past? Probably the most suitable game as soon as you go on holiday: "I pack my bags and take with me..." - This game is not only fun, but also trains the memory (of the kids and the parents) 😉

Particularly space-saving and suitable for the time in the car or airplane, are for example a collection of window stickers. Painting templates, such as the colourful friends of Affenzahn, can be used at holiday destinations, service stations or airports. And if your own suitcase, backpack and toiletry bag can be built into a game at the holiday destination, whole game landscapes can be created. It's almost as if your child took three suitcases full of toys with it.

We hope there were some useful tricks for your next trip with bag and baggage. Have fun trying them out and have a great holiday!