Holidays with children: how many toys do you need to take with you?
The whole family is really looking forward to the holiday, but unfortunately it always involves a lot of effort. Everything needs to be well organised, prepared and of course packed. Especially when it comes to toys, many parents are unsure how many of them they actually need to take with them. Here we give you valuable tips for packing toys.
No matter where the family travels, children would like to take half their room with them on vacation. In most cases, the toys at home are boring on holiday, after all there are so many new things to discover!
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ToggleToys on vacation: what to bring with you?
We asked two mothers and one father and these are their packing lists.
Anna packs for her daughter (6):
- Comforter and cuddly toys (no more than three!)
- Favorite toy (not too much either)
- Books to read aloud (for the evening ritual)
- Coloring books, pens, CDs (for traveling and for holidays)
- Music cubes and headphones (for on the go and on vacation – THE rescue sometimes)
Sarah packs for her son (2):
- the current favorite stuffed animal
- small toy : a couple of cars (one big, two small)
- two or three books
- a ball
- Depending on the holiday destination: balance bike , sand toys (bucket, shovel, molds), pens, paper
- In addition, we always get a new small toy, a book or a CD for the journey there/back , depending on what is suitable for the trip (bus, train, plane, car) to keep him busy.
Johnny is packing for a beach vacation with his son (almost 3) and daughter (1):
- Sand toys: Must not be missing under any circumstances. If you have a huge sandbox in front of you every day, you don’t need that much.
- Balls: soccer ball, rubber ball, volleyball, football, … There is so much space to shoot and the back and forth makes them pretty tired too!
- Favorite cuddly toys and comforters: help the children to relax because everything is so different and unfamiliar on holiday.
- Small toys : For our son some cars that he likes to play with. Although they were only used on rainy days, we were pretty happy to have taken them with us. We also took up to five different little things for our daughter.
The following toys are also always at the top of the list in Internet forums, where parents quickly ask for advice and tips before setting off on a trip:
- the favorite stuffed animal
- Books and CDs for the evening ritual or for travel
- Coloring supplies (pens, coloring books, …)
- Travel games (small and handy)
- and if it’s going to the beach, sand toys , of course
More tips for packing toys
- The toy should be space-saving. For example, if you are going on holiday to a hotel or holiday resort, you can ask there in advance whether there are bobby cars or other vehicles for children. Then these bulky children’s favorites can safely stay at home.
- Make sure that most toys are replaceable whenever possible . In the stress of vacation or the hustle and bustle on the beach, it can happen that toys get lost.
- In the best case, the toys you take with you are not too small . So you don’t have to look for lost small parts on the aircraft floor later…
Basically, it always seems to be packed according to the motto “Less is more – the main thing is that your favorite cuddly toy is with you”. “I always tell my daughter that we have everything we need on site and that she doesn’t have to take the whole nursery with her,” says Anna. In addition, many toys can also be bought at the holiday location if necessary – such as sand toys. Sarah agrees. Her tip : “Many accommodations have a surprising number of toys on offer. But I would check and clarify that beforehand.” Also helpful: Involve the child in packing. So it knows exactly which toys are included – and which ones have to stay at home if the suitcase gets too full. By the way, we show you a great selection of children’s suitcases in this article.
Hand luggage: Everything with you on the go
Toys from home may rarely be used on vacation itself. It is just the right thing on the outward journey or on the go as a small distraction maneuver or comforter. That’s why it’s wise to always have a small toy , your favorite cuddly toy or comforter and/or a travel game in your hand luggage . Other things that should not be missing in your hand luggage when on holiday with children:
- ID cards or passports of all family members (you can find all information about applying for a children’s passport here)
- driving licenses
- Health insurance cards and other important insurance cards (ADAC, …)
- All necessary tickets
- Wallet with small change (for small emergencies in between or the urgently needed ice cream on the beach) and credit or debit cards
- Snacks and drinks (for babies, if required, corresponding jars and bottles)
- Wet wipes and handkerchiefs (for sticky or dirty hands)
- Sunscreen You can read here which sunscreen is suitable for your child . In this article, we explain what you need to look out for when choosing sunscreen for your baby .)
- change of clothes
- For babies: diaper bag including wipeable changing pad
You’re packing for your family vacation, but you’re not sure if you’ve really thought of everything? We’ll help you with that. Simply compare your packing list with our “Checklist for Holidays with Children” and our “First Aid Kit” checklist !