In a COVID-19 world, it’s hard to know where you can and can’t go for family outings, day trips, and afternoons out with the kids.
I’ve been investigating the different options in and around West London (less than 1hr from Ealing) and have compiled a list below of recommendations (and their current lockdown restrictions), accurate at as 16/07/2020.
The Gruffalo Trail was a big hit
Coronavirus sucks
I’ve already written here about how coronavirus has impacted our lives, and the struggles we’ve had to endure as parents (not to belittle the struggles non-parents have also been through), so I won’t repeat myself, other to say that all parents are awesome considering what they’ve been through this year.
Our lives are made harder at the moment as it’s so hard to know where you can go for mornings out, and what restrictions are in place, so I’ve compiled a list for lockdown-friendly family trips.
Tree climbing has become the activity of choice since the playgrounds closed
Where to go this Summer 2020
It’s Summer 2020. We’re still in lockdown… sort of. In England, playgrounds have been open since the 4th of July, but many families may be avoiding such places for various reasons (reducing exposure risk, to shield family members, etc.).
Luckily, there are still PLENTY of options for family days out and afternoon activities (some activities will have links to longer reviews and photos from our own visits):
Currently OPEN with restrictions (as at 16/07/2020)
Horsenden Farm car park closed, but parking opposite Ballot Box pub available. Parking also available on residential roads south of the canal.
Copas Farm, Iver & Langley Park
Pre-booked fruit-picking slot essential. Parking, cafe, playground and toilets now open at Langley Park (which is just down the road from Copas Farm, Iver)
Rickmansworth Aquadrome
Cafe open for takeaways only. Toilets closed at cafe, but open near the Waterski Club. Car parks open.
Cliveden House (National Trust)
Pre-book for entry. Gardens, woods, kids play trail, and toilets open. Cafe open for takeaway only. Bookshop, maze and playground all closed. Main car park is open, but woodland car park is closed.
Runnymede (National Trust)
Car park open, but on a first-come-first-served basis. Cafe closed.
Museum of Water & Steam
Garden open only, 16th July – 29th August Thursdays-Saturdays only, 11am-3pm. Free entry.
Ham House (National Trust)
Pre-book parking. Gardens, toilets and cafe open, manor closed.
Virginia Water / Windsor Great Park
Pavillion, toilets and playground closed. Some takeaway catering available. Recommended to park at Savill car park first. Parking closed at Valley Gardens. Pre-book for entry to Savill Garden.
Black Park
Parking, cafe, playground and limited toilets now open.
Odds Farm
Pre-booking essential for entry, with designated timeslot.
Lego Land
Pre-booking essential for entry. Running at reduced capacity, so blessedly short queues.
Windsor Liquid Leisure
Pre-booking essential for entry.
Still CLOSED (as at 16th July 2020):
Natural History Museum
Open from 5th August for pre-booked timeslots.
Science Museum
Open from 19th August, pre-book only, including separate pre-booked tickets for Wonderlab.
V&A Museum
Selected galleries reopening from 6th August, Thursdays-Sundays only, 11am-3pm.
No confirmed reopening dates as yet (16/07/2020):
London Transport Museum
Hounslow Urban Farm
Ravenscourt Park paddling pool
London Sea Life Centre (aquarium)
Shrek’s Adventure
Shepperton Lakes
Searching for the right social distance…
Obviously the usual social distancing rules apply to any family trip out of the house; keeping your distance from others, washing hands, using hand gel, sneezing and coughing into tissues, minimising use of public transport, facemasks if wanted/required, etc… Of course, this is all on the basis that you’re not presenting any symptoms.Please keep up-to-date on latest guidelines using the government website.
Follow my (mostly positive) adventures with Biggie, Middlie and Littlie as I attempt to turn being a stay at home mum into a rewarding and challenging career.
Welcome to my crazy adventures with my brood as I attempt to turn being a full time mum into a rewarding and exciting career!
Having previously gone back to my accountancy job after my first two children (Biggie and Middlie), I’ve now taken the decision not to return to work following baby no. 3 (Littlie).
I’ve been in ‘stay at home mum’ mode for a few months now and I must admit that I’m loving it – I’ve jumped in with both feet and last week was a shining example of my life for the foreseeable future… After dropping off Biggle and Middlie at school, I went to my favourite playgroup. Littlie had a blast with the toys, but – even better – I had several cups of tea with the many friends I’ve made in the area who either work part time or not at all.
It was heartening to see that I knew over half the grownups there and had proper catchups rather than just making endless small talk (especially considering my overarching worry about full-time parenting was the loneliness). Wow, if every day could be like that! 😉
Showing them the world…
Secondary note: I’m now not posting photos of my kids on social media. Facial recognition algorithms, etc. So when you only see the backs or silhouettes of my children, that’s why…
Follow my (mostly positive) adventures with Biggie, Middlie and Littlie as I attempt to turn being a stay at home mum into a rewarding and challenging career.
We had a socially distanced visit to Horsenden Hill in search of the Gruffalo trail…
The Gruffalo Trail is one of these lovely activities that isn’t massively well advertised. It doesn’t have it’s own website, for example, but it’s a treat for the right age-group of children.
Horsenden Hill park itself is lovely regardless of the age of your kids, with woods, pasture, sometimes cows, a bit of history and fabulous views if you make it to the top.
Getting there
The main car park at Horsenden Farm is closed, however there is official parking opposite the Ballot Box pub, and also some parking spaces on the residential streets just South of the canal (a shorter walk to the Gruffalo trail if that’s your specific goal).
You can also find the Lower Thrifts Field playground just south of the canal, and lovely views of the the canal as you cross the Ballot Box bridge. (Note, there’s also a fab pirate ship playground by the Horsenden farm car park, north of the canal. I’m guessing it’s closed as the car park is closed, but I may be wrong.)
Where is the Gruffalo Trail?
The trail itself is a small area towards the south of Horsenden Hill park. It’s a circular loop, so doesn’t necessarily have a starting or finishing point.
All the characters from the beloved Julia Donaldson book can be found here, in fantastic wooden sculptures true to Axel Scheffler’s original illustrations. Each character is found with a placard giving information on the animals themselves and the habitats in which they live.
Lots of fun for fans of the book. So, everyone.
What else is there to do in the area?
On top of the previously mentioned playgrounds, Horsenden Hill park is extensive, with woods, open meadow and grassland. For the tree climbers out there, there’s a fabulous oak climbing tree next to the snake sculpture on the Gruffalo Trail.
It’s also worth noting that a large area of the park is also pasture for a herd of cows, so please keep gates closes where indicated. Littlie was fascinated by the cows (he doesn’t see much livestock up close, the Londoner that he is) and the cow-pat-dodging caused many squeals of delight.
Awesome climbing tree next to the snake sculpture
moo
The trail itself is a lovely walk in the woods, but there are more woods up the hill as well. To get up the hill you could follow the Capital Ring walk (the long-distance walking trail that circumnavigates London itself), but there are quite a few different routes – just keep heading up. The view at the top is beautiful on a good day.
Up the hill…
Spectacular views of London from the hilltop
…and down again.
Final thoughts
All in all, we had a lovely trip to Horsenden Hill. The park is a lovely area to roam around with the children, just being in nature, and added bonus goes to the face that it’s completely free.
It was especially nice to see the Gruffalo Trail through Littlie’s eyes now that he’s older, as it was the first time he got to properly experience it for himself.
I only wish the trail was better advertised… I had to help two separate families find the trail. Hopefully this page and the photos I’ve included may help those wanting to go in future. Enjoy!
Follow my (mostly positive) adventures with Biggie, Middlie and Littlie as I attempt to turn being a stay at home mum into a rewarding and challenging career.
Onwards with our social distancing versions of days out with the kids.
Last week I took Biggie, Middlie and Littlie to Ruislip and we had a fantastic, muddy time in wet weather.
Since the crazy crowds after lockdown eased, Ruislip lido (beach) has been closed, which includes the playground. However the miniature railway is running (limited seating to keep distancing), and the cafe is open for takeaway orders.
Getting there
Parking was more difficult than I realised, mainly because I made it complicated:
I didn’t follow the signs and had to turn around at Willow Lawn station, which is resident’s parking only. The visitors parking is adjacent and just a 3 minute walk from the miniature railway station.
Parking meters in the visitors car park only accept CASH. Cue a trip to the nearest cash machine at the local garage.
Trains for Littlie
We arrived at Willow Lawn station and bought return tickets on the miniature railway. It took us on a 5-10 minute trip to Woody Bay station, which is right by the lido and cafe. Littlie was ecstatic and even Biggie and Middlie had a great time. Lots of smiles all round, and plenty of people to wave at.
Choo choo!
Fun in the woods
I happened to bump into a friend as we arrived so we decided to explore the woods by the shoreline first.
The path between the shore and the railway continues all round the lake and there are planet info-stations that are posted at intervals down the path. I presume they cover all the planets on the walk, but we only made it as far as the first one… too many detours into the woods and onto the shoreline to cover any significant distance.
No complaints here, though, as the kids had a whale of a time playing in the trees, making dens, exploring the paths and so on.
We retraced our steps to the cafe to get the kids an ice cream and then we headed into the woods on the South side of the railway. There was a big fallen tree to climb immediately on the left, and then the woods just went on an on!
This place is very big and would be fantastic on bikes if you really wanted to see more of it. I believe there’s a stables nearby and you can go horse-riding on the bridle path that follows the circumference of the woods.
The woods are extensive, with plenty to explore. Fab for mountain bike rides, too.
Final thoughts…
I was really surprised by our trip to Ruislip. Despite the fact that the lido and playground were closed, we had loads of fun exploring the woods, riding the miniature railway and jumping in muddy puddles. We’ll definitely going back again!
Follow my (mostly positive) adventures with Biggie, Middlie and Littlie as I attempt to turn being a stay at home mum into a rewarding and challenging career.
I took the kids to Osterley Park (National Trust site) last week to see what a ‘typical’ visit is like, now that we’re easing off on lockdown restrictions in a coronavirus world.
Pre-booking and restrictions (as at 16th July 2020)
The park is open to pedestrian access, but you will need to book if you wish to visit the gardens and you are arriving on foot. You’ll also need to pre-book if you want to use the car park (selecting a 30 min slot for your arrival).
The car park, park grounds, toilets and nature trail/manor garden behind the manor are all open, but the house, bookshop, shop and cafe remain closed until further notice.
The car park closed at 5pm sharp, so we were a little rushed at the end.
The nature trail still has the den-building area, and wooden adventure apparatus, but the rope swings have been tied up out of reach.
You’ll need to book your tickets by 3pm the day before your visit. Members can book for free, while non-members will need to pay when booking. Tickets are released every Friday.
Exploring the park
The park has great places explore. The ducks and geese in the big pond are always popular, and the park has plenty of open space to run around in.
We headed straight to the ‘nature trail’ behind the manor house and took a clockwise loop. We found a big tree to climb (Biggie and Middlie’s favourite thing to do now since the playgrounds became off-limits), and the stream on the left has a lovely brood of ducklings that prompted shrieks of delight from Littlie.
With playgrounds closed, Biggie and Middlie have become super tree-climbers….
Duckling season
Carrying on round the trail, we found the den-building area, next to the first rope swings (currently tied up and out of use). There are plenty of straight branches and half-constructed dens to spark the imagination, and there’s even a bell halfway up one the climbing trees to ring.
We had an impromptu game of hide and seek. This is Littlie’s best effort at hiding:
Found him.
Further down the trail there are various wooden climbing bits, stepping stones, ramps and beams to play on. These were a big hit and I have several videos of the kids trying to make an obstacle course out of them. Even Littlie tried his best.
We’d timed our trip for the afternoon, but I hadn’t realised until we arrived that the car park closed at 5pm, so we were a little rushed at the end. We had to make a bee-line for the manor halfway round the nature trail loop. To do tis we walked through the central pasture that had grazing cows. This was great for the kids as they enjoyed seeing them, but there was lots of poo-dodging to do! Littlie, of course, loved it, shouting “Poo-poo!” every time he saw some.
All in all, it was a lovely trip and it wasn’t crowded at all. The kids got outdoors, had fun and burned off some energy. Job done.
If you need more outing ideas…
This is review is part of a longer list of family activities and outings that are possible in a post-lockdown world, so feel free to click here to see the full list of recommendations and current restrictions (accurate as at 16th July 2020).
Follow my (mostly positive) adventures with Biggie, Middlie and Littlie as I attempt to turn being a stay at home mum into a rewarding and challenging career.
Bookings are restricted to a 1hr slot, but this was easy to keep to, provided I didn’t let them play in the playground too long.
The playground was open, but limited to max of 10 children at a time. Given the restricted numbers, this wasn’t an issue for us at any time.
Tickets are, and always have been, thankfully cheap compared to the likes of London Zoo, however the animal list is of course much smaller and generally less exotic. Adults are £4.50, Children over 3 are £2.50.
Best parking is at Church Road car park, which has free parking and is open until the evening.
Recent changes in the animal exhibits
There have been a few changes at the zoo recently, with some new animals (donkeys, tortoises and leaf cutter ants), some departures (I didn’t see any pigs), and some of the enclosures shuffled around (the capybaras and goats have moved). The butterfly and reptile house were unfortunately closed due to the tight space.
The highlights for us were the donkeys, capybaras, flamingos, alpacas, meerkats, leaf cutter ants, tamarins and lemurs.
A full list of all animals can be found on the zoo website here.
Meerkats, leaf-cutter ants, alpalcas and ring-tailed lemurs.
The playground and sandpit is still as fantastic as ever (I believe this was re-vamped in 2019) and provided a welcome means to break up the visit.
The one-way system was a good way to keep everyone socially distanced.
In the area
Outside the zoo there is cafe (open for takeaway orders) and a playground, which was busy when we were there. There’s also the hedge maze, which is also currently open.
On a sunny day you might find an ice cream van at Church Road car park.
Bunny park (Brent river park) and Brent Valley are walking distance from the car park and provide ample space for walks, tree-climbing and nature adventures.
Coronavirus has changed most aspects of our lives. Homeschooling, working from home, arts & crafts, continual toy mess, walks in the park, more housework, the endless conveyor belt of mealtimes…
We’ve all been coping as best we can, prioritising what we can, and all struggling for different reasons.
“I hate the Coronavirus”
Middlie, said several times throughout Spring 2020
Keep going !
Everyone has been going through their own lockdown, and everyone has been challenged for a million different reasons, whether it be because of juggling kids and work, a cramped living space, mental health difficulties or any multitude of other issues.
I’m just writing this page to say:
Well done to everyone, you’ve got through the worst of it!
You’ve been through terrible hardships, potential family losses, financial burden, but you keep going.
We’re nearly out the other side and you are all amazing!
It’s not much, but I just felt like some positive words of encouragement were needed out there in the world.
Learning to keep it simple
My biggest takeaway in all this is that our kids (Biggie, Middlie and Littlie) don’t need the playgrounds and soft-plays that we used to take them to. They use nature’s playground; running around, playing with sticks, climbing trees, muddy puddles, and making ‘potions’.
So that’s one positive that’s come out our lockdown experience, keeping it simple and enjoying nature.
Next steps…
We’re now entering lockdown 2.0, which means the easing of restrictions as we enter this brave new world in a post-coronavirus era.
Hopefully this means that we’re moving back to normality, even if we’ll be wearing masks while we do it…
I’ll be writing reviews of our Summer outings this year to give parents a heads up on what’s open and what restrictions are in place, so watch out for more articles!
Follow my (mostly positive) adventures with Biggie, Middlie and Littlie as I attempt to turn being a stay at home mum into a rewarding and challenging career.
Need family lockdown self-quarantine isolation ideas?
Kill two birds with one stone and occupy the children whilst also organising the piles and piles of your child’s school artwork and projects!!
You know those MASSIVE packs of arts and crafts that your kids come home with each half term? What do you do with them?? Keep everything? Upload to an app?
I keep a folder for each child and each year I add a few pages to it to showcase their achievements and artwork.
Obviously there is life outside school, and that’s what photo albums are for (google for a million ideas). This project is more about academic life and education.
I’m a realist, this is only going to happen once a year, so until then I have a ‘school cupboard’ at home where everything of vague importance gets stuffed.
Get one 160 page presentation folder for each child. You then have around 10 pages per year of school.
Every year (usually in Sept once the kids are back at school, but can be done whenever), I go through everything and make 4 piles per child: 1) 2-3 pieces of favourite A4 art work (note I said favourite, not best!) 2) 2-3 pieces of favourite class work (could be from any subject, a poem, zig zag lines, creative writing or even maths work, but I try to include things that show hard work, a developmental leap, or just something particularly sweet or heartfelt) 3) Other artwork that I still want to keep (6-12 pieces per half term) & class workbooks. 4) Throwing out pile.
Biggie liked the Neanderthal term topic, so I made sure to include something
I have to be brutal to sort into these piles. It’s hard.
If you’re doing this with your child, they love looking at their old work and often tell you interesting stories about doing it. Probably best to combine piles 3&4 until they’re not around, though…
Art and workbooks from pile 3 get parcelled up with ribbon so there’s one parcel per year, and stored back in the school cupboard.
I then add the following to each child’s school folder so it takes up about 10 pages: > School photos (individual, sibling & class) > Achievement certificates (gymnastics, well done class cards, tennis courses, etc) > Child’s individual Christmas card & matching artwork (if your school organises that for the children each year) > Favourite art work and class work (piles 1 & 2, see above) > End of year school report
It gets harder every year to limit myself just just a few favourites, but when they’re 18 I can give them this folder and it’s a capsule of their entire education.
They aren’t going to take boxes of 10 year old art work and paper maché snowmen to university or to their first flat, but one folder seems like something they could genuinely have as a keepsake and not throw out.
I’ve spent 7 years travelling with babies and young children, often on my own. I’ve braved buses, trains, the London Underground, and every London airport.
I’ve been writing about my top tipsand must-haves for any journey with young children, particularly where a lot of distance is travelled on foot, such as around airports or train stations.
This page is full of advice focussing around the preparation and logistics of the holiday, and also tips for braving public transport with bags and kids in tow.
The intro and summary page to this whole travel section can be found here. Other detailed sections include:
So here is my best advice, but obviously do take into account your own circumstances and preferences!
Disclaimer: Please note that I have not accepted any payment or freebies for this article. This is simply me telling you what I find to be the best kit for a journey with young children, after a bit of trial and error over the years with my own money.
Preparation
Before you go away, do try and research and plan your trip as much as possible. Not just the logistics of getting to the airport or hotel, but also some ideas of things to do when you’re there (or a full scale itinerary, depending on how structured you like your holidays).
If you’re not one for military precision when it comes to family time, no problem. However, even if you’re going where the wind takes you, it doesn’t hurt to have a note of some family friendly spots or potential outings in the area (indoor and outdoor options if you think there may be inclement weather). You may not use them, but you might, and if so you’ll be happy to have them.
Print out your logistics/route/outing notes, or download them to your phone so you can access these, even with no network.
How much are you taking?
I have a specific post which will be posted soon advice on what to pack and how much when travelling with a family of young kids.
Obviously this will also depend on how long you’re going away for, what facilities you have access to if any, where you’re going, and what weather you can expect.
That said, my preference is always to only pack hand luggage if you can get away with it.
It’s infinitely easier to get around a busy city, rush hour and public transport when your bags are more manageable.
I used to consistently over-pack by 30-40%. The kids are happy wearing the same stuff again and again if it’s a current favourite and it’s not completely stained or wet.
As well as saving on space, it’s a time- and stress-saver all round:
At the airport, you avoid the bag drop queues before take-off and if you need to, you can leave it a little more last minute to get through security (please allow lots of time though – it’s much less stressful).
Also, at the end of the flight when you’re finally off the plane, strolling straight past baggage reclaim to the exit is worth it’s weight in gold rather than waiting an hour or more for baggage. Particularly with bored, cranky children.
Also, you need some sort of essentials kit with you. I go into this in more detail here, but you need as a minimum, a bag handy that contains:
Child entertainment (my go-to items are colouring, a book, a small toy, and their favourite teddy. My kids don’t have an ipad but I will lend out my phone when needed. I may throw in Dobble or Uno cards if it’s a long journey).
Snacks for everyone (lots of snacks for kids & grown-ups. you will definitely need them and they’re extortionately expensive when you’re at any terminus)
Drinks bottles (refill whenever you see an appropriate spot, you may not get another chance. Unless you’re on your way to the airport, then I travel with 1 full bottle for sharing, and leave all the rest empty as they need to get through security).
Wipes and tissues (for spills and clearing up)
A spare top for each child (some one will spill something. It’s the law.)
Travel paperwork (tickets, passports, ID)
Book/magazine/kindle for you (for when they inevitably borrow your phone)
Logistics
I try and keep travel logistics as simple as possible.
The more changes and transfers, the more likely you are to encounter delays, arguments, stressed-out parents, lost bags… there’s nothing worse than trying to get somewhere under a tight schedule when suddenly you have to contend with toddlers staging a revolt from being bored/tired/grumpy/hungry.
Changes and transfers usually mean hanging around, and not in a “we’ve got 20 minutes, let’s get out the colouring or the ipad” way. It usually involves stress and lots of “come on, keep up”.
To try and pre-empt any whining, we deliberately choose options with the least amount of hanging around – hence my love for hand luggage only flights and meet & greet airport parking.
Cars
If you can drive, it’s nice to be able to go from door to door to your holiday location with your own car and your own interior setup.
I have a separate blog post here about various strategies to manage a long road trip by car.
For getting to the airport, or short trips on the holiday, cars and taxis are the alternative to public transport.
For our journey to/from the airport it’s a choice between 2hrs by public transport with 3 changes, or a 1hr car journey. Unsurprisingly, we prefer to drive if the parking costs aren’t massively more than public transport.
If we drive to the airport, it does mean we need to arrange parking. We pay the marginal extra cost for ‘meet and greet‘ parking – hands down the best value spend of the journey. It takes so much hassle and waiting out of the equation. Win.
If parking is too expensive, we take public transport. We won’t take a taxi as we can’t get car seats arranged. (For short city journeys this as an acceptable risk for us, but we don’t take a taxi for longer journeys or on motorways without car seats).
Public Transport
If you need to use public transport, try and make as few changes as possible. If it adds another 10-15 minutes, it’s still the better option if it minimises you walking up and down the station with bags and kids.
Research your changes. Are there stairs? Is there a step-free option? Will you be able to manage all that with a buggy and suitcases?
Apps such as Citymapper and Mumderground are useful for this type of research.
Note, however, that whilst there are several stations with step-free access or changes, the reality varies from a speedy same-platform change, to ‘step-free’ exit route via a complex network of three lifts and multiple corridors.
I know, for example, that on the Eastbound Piccadilly line I need to change onto the Eastbound District line for Victoria station. I have several options for which station to use for the change, but at Baron’s court the change is literally on the same platform. So no walking and no stairs. (Note, this example only works if changing between Piccadilly line and District line if you are travelling in the same direction for the change (e.g. both Eastbound or both Westbound trains).
Don’t forget, travelling with kids and bags massively slows you down. Not only do you have dawdling children complaining about tired legs, but you have factor in a longer route for step-free access, and also allow for accidental mistakes by stressed-out parents (be it a missed stop, or going the wrong way for a couple of stops).
Takeaway: research the route and changes, but still allow extra time.
Rush hour
Sometimes because of flight or train departure/arrival times, we have to take public transport in rush hour. So be it. But expect some dark looks when you take up lots of space for your suitcase / buggy / family, and allow even more extra time to allow for slow shuffling through crowds, waiting for lifts, and skipping the next one/two trains for a quieter one.
Summary
Plan your route and note down a few family-friendly spots at your end location. Print them or download them to your phone in case of no network.
How much are you packing? You can probably reduce it by 30%. If you can, take only hand luggage. It saves time and hassle.
Keep a daypack with travel essentials handy (tickets, ID, child entertainment e.g. book/colouring/toy, spare top, tissues, snacks, water…)
If parking is a long way from the terminus, pay for meet and greet parking to reduce hassle and waiting times.
Public transport: Research your route and changes. Are there stairs? Is there a step-free option? Is there a better step-free option?
Try and keep journeys as simple as possible and minimise changes. If it adds another 10-15 minutes, it’s still the better option if it saves you walking up and down the station with bags and kids.
Always allow extra time. It will take longer than usual with kids and bags. Allow extra, extra time if travelling at rush hour (and expect dark looks on crowded commuter trains).
Follow my (mostly positive) adventures with Biggie, Middlie and Littlie as I attempt to turn being a stay at home mum into a rewarding and challenging career.
I’ve spent 7 years travelling with babies and young children, often on my own. I’ve braved buses, trains, the London Underground, and every London airport.
I’ve been writing about my top tips and must-haves for any journey with young children, particularly where a lot of distance is travelled on foot, such as around airports or train stations.
This page is full of recommendations and advice focussing on what suitcases and travel bags to take for you and your children.
The intro and summary page to this whole travel section can be found here. Other detailed sections include:
So here is my best advice, but obviously do take into account your own circumstances and preferences!
Disclaimer: Please note that I have not accepted any payment or freebies for this article. This is simply me telling you what I find to be the best kit for a journey with young children, after a bit of trial and error over the years with my own money.
Suitcases and travel bags
I’ve already mentioned in my logistics page that I avoid checking in bags at all costs.
If you can get away with it, only pack hand luggage. You avoid the bag drop queues before take-off and if you need to, you can leave it a little more last minute to get through security (please allow lots of time though – it’s much less stressful).
Also, at the end of the flight when you’re finally off the plane, not having to wait an hour hanging around for the suitcase is worth its weight in gold. Particularly with bored, cranky children. Time saver all round.
With that in mind, I’ve organised recommended carry-on hand luggage by age (baby&toddler; 3-4y; 4-tween; adult), and also have recommendations for larger suitcases for checking-in at the bottom.
Baby & toddler (Newborn-3y)
The Babyzen yoyo+ pushchair is one of the few buggies that you can take ON the plane with you and fold under your seat.
They are so well known by airport staff that when they ask you leave your buggy outside the boarding gate, all you have to do is say ‘It’s a yoyo’ and they let you on with it, no questions asked.
It has a one-handed fold, is super-light and folds down very small with a handy shoulder strap. It does come with a handy buggy board (with a cool bike seat), but note you have to remove this to get it under you seat on the plane, so something extra for pack or carry.
The only downside is the suspension. It’s not great, but that’s what keeps the weight down. Not a deal-breaker for me if it means I can carry the whole thing up and down a flight of stairs by myself with the toddler still in it. Tick.
2y – 4y (tricky in between phase):
Depending on development and skills, you may have a toddler that will go straight from the stroller (above) to a scootcase (next). However, if you have a toddler that refuses to get in the buggy, or one who’s not quite confident enough for zooming through an airport on a scooter, then admittedly this is an awkward age for travel. Don’t forget to bring a buggy blackout shade, they’re very handy as a light blanket, sunshade or nap blackout.
In this situation, I find Trunkis the best option. You often are left pulling them along, so not exactly a hands-free option, but until they’re ready for a scootcase it’s the most argument-free option and not too expensive at around £35-40.
You may wish to go down the toddler carrier route, however, I find that by the time they are 3 or 4 years old, they’re too heavy to have them on my back for the amount of standing and walking required at airports. It also limits hand-luggage options for the parent as I typically go with a rucksack for ease. Littlelife do some great ones ranging from £70-220. Given the price, I’d suggest that it’s only worth it if you’re planning to use it a lot during your vacation, or for family walks and outings, etc.
From 3y / 4y – tween/teen:
We wouldn’t be without our Zinc flyte midi suitcases. These are next level.
It’s a pull-along suitcase that transforms into a scooter. Absolutely genius, and essential for any kids 3-4y (depending on scooting ability) up until tween/teens.
It’s a scoot-case. Genius.
Perfect for those long walks from the car park, through the train station, or for the endless miles to the gate
Scooter part folds into the case, so it doubles as a normal suitcase.
Decent volume of 25L.
Different models available.
As at Dec 2019 they had 10 styles to choose from.
We frequently fly from Gatwick and Heathrow and there are literally miles of corridors to walk down to get to the plane. These scootcases have saved us from pulling along Trunkis for the kids, and from hours of carrying bags, children or both. They retail at around £70, more costly than the ever-popular Trunki, but personally I think it’s worth the extra.
It has a 25 litre storage capacity, which is enough for a lot of clothes, books, and small a toy or two. We open up the zip liner and stuff the underwear between the liner and plastic casing to gain extra volume.
Another advantage is that it’s completely hands free for the parent, which leaves you to carry your bag or push the buggy if you have one.
Carry-on bag for the parent
My preference is always to have a rucksack on my back, preferably one that has a removable daypack feature.
It leaves my hands free to push a stroller, hold tickets, comfort grumpy children, and rumage around for handy snacks and water
One less thing with wheels to trip over (for me or the kids).
Having a detachable daypack means that I can make sure my ‘must-need handy’ items are in a conveniently detachable rucksack that I can have by my feet on the plane, whilst the larger portion of the rucksack is in the overhead compartment.
If, for any reason, the staff request that you leave your bag in the hold (perhaps due to weight restrictions, a full aircraft leading to luggage space issues, wrong dimensions for carry-on, etc.), you can still keep your essentials with you without having to decant them into the nearest carrier bag you can find.
I have the Osprey Fairview 55. It’s a big 42 litre rucksack with an additional detachable 13L daypack. This is a women’s fit rucksack. The men’s version is the Farpoint 55.
It’s not cheap at around £140 (but it’s usually discounted somewhere online if you search), however I find I use the full set every time I travel, and I use the daypack almost every day, either as a nappy bag or as a general ‘stuff’ bag whenever I’m taking the kids on an outing.
For holidays, provided I’m only packing one pair of extra shoes, there’s enough space for my clothes and the baby kit for a week (assuming I’m not packing for three different seasons).
It’s worth pointing out, however, that the max dimensions are 63 x 33 x 30 cm. Strictly speaking, this is larger than the max carry-on dimensions of most airlines (see below), however, as it’s a rucksack I find there’s some flexibility in the the frame, so as long as it’s not stuffed I can get it into the sample container.
British airways: 56 x 45 x 25cm
Easyjet: 56 x 45 x 25 cm
Ryanair: 55 x 40 x 20 cm
Virgin: 56 x 36 x 23 cm
KLM: 55 x 35 x 25 cm
Emirates: 55 x 38 x 20 cm
Air France: 55 x 35 x 25 cm
Worst case scenario, if the bag is full to the brim, I take off the daypack to keep the remaining bag within the dimensions, and give the daypack to my eldest as her ‘handbag’ carry-on, per the airline’s carry-on policy.
ALSO, being a women in sole charge of three small children at the airport, I find that people tend to be more helpful (and sympathetic?) and no one has yet stopped me to check my bag dimensions.
If you do want to err on the side of caution, however, Osprey do a Fairview 40L rucksack that is 54 x 35 x 23 cm and well within EU dimensions (RRP £100, but discounts online). Doesn’t have a daypack feature, however. Again, the men’s version if the Farpoint 40.
[PS/ Well done to Osprey for no ‘pink’ tax on the women’s versions, and for keeping the women’s pack volume the same as the men’s.]
Hold luggage
I have my husband to thank for this. We bought two crazy big Sampsonite suitcases years ago. I thought it was ridiculous to get something so big and expensive, but now I see the light. They’re super useful, fit everything, easy to get around with, and have stood the test of time.
Whenever we do need to check in a suitcase, I am so happy to only need to check in one massive suitcase (or two if it’s a ski holiday) rather than juggling many smaller ones.
Key features that I recommend:
Large / extra large. Our ones are 123L at 81 x 55 x 34 cm. Huge, but also useful as you’re not stuffing them to the brim, and you have a little space to bring souvenirs home.
Four wheels. It’s much easier to be able to push it along and spin it around rather than pull on two wheels. I didn’t think it would make that much different, but it does.
Hardside / hard shell outer. Protects your stuff inside, particularly breakables, electronics and liquids. Also allows middlie to take a ride on it.
Lightweight. This is where a lot of your money goes. The lighter the suitcase, the more expensive… but it also gives you more weight allowance for your own stuff.
Our suitcases are a Samsonite Cosmolite Spinner. They weigh just 3kg and come with 10 year warranty, but are very expensive at £500.
At the bottom end of the Samsonite scale, they also do the Orfeo; a 4 wheel hardshell of the same size for £225. It weighs 4.3kg and is made of a different material with a 5 year warranty.
A quick search online will show similar size hardshell 4 wheelers for a little as £60, but they are heavier and I can’t vouch for their durability. It’s all a question of budget and how often you’re going to use it.
Summary
The biggest tip by far, in my view, is the ‘scootcase’. Suitable for any toddler able to use a scooter up to tween/teen age. It’s been a game-changer for us.
Next, get yourself a double rucksack (that just about fits the carry-on dimensions with a squish). Use the main rucksack for your holiday packing, and the daypack for travel essentials (by travel essentials I mean tickets, passports, child entertainment/snack supplies, nappies, wipes and spare tops).
If you have a baby or toddler, then the Babyzen yoyo+ buggy is fab as you can take it anywhere, even on a plane.
If you have to check in a suitcase, get one massive one with four wheels and a hard shell, preferably not too heavy. It’s simply easier to push one thing on four swivel wheels than to juggle two or three smaller shoulder/pull/push suitcases.
Follow my (mostly positive) adventures with Biggie, Middlie and Littlie as I attempt to turn being a stay at home mum into a rewarding and challenging career.
Christmas is always a stressful time of year, made even more problematic by having to travel to family with your kids in tow. That said, any holiday where public transport is involved comes with it’s own set of issues, particularly if you’re the only adult being responsible for your young children.
This post should provide you with tips and must-haves for any journey with young children, particularly where a lot of distance is travelled on foot, such as around airports or train stations.
Both my parents and my in-laws are a flight away from our house in London, so I end up travelling on planes more than my fair share… often on my own with the kids whilst my husband stays behind to work.
After 7 years of this, adapting to travelling with one, then two and now three children to manage on these journeys, I’ve managed to get it down to a fine art, helped by certain key bits of kit I couldn’t do without.
So here is my best advice, but obviously do take into account your own circumstances and preferences!
I’ve put each section in it’s own post so you can jump to what you’re most interested in (summary at the end of this page).
Disclaimer: Please note that I have not accepted any payment or freebies for this article. This is simply me telling you what I find to be the best kit for a journey with young children, after a bit of trial and error over the years with my own money.
Summary
To summarise the above sections:
Prep and logistics
Plan your route and note down a few family-friendly spots at your end location. Print them or download them to your phone in case of no network.
How much are you packing? You can probably reduce it by 30%. If you can, take only hand luggage. It saves time and hassle.
Keep a daypack with travel essentials handy (tickets, ID, child entertainment e.g. book/colouring/toy, spare top, tissues, snacks, water…)
If parking is a long way from the terminus, pay for meet and greet parking to reduce hassle and waiting times.
Public transport: Research your route and changes. Are there stairs? Is there a step-free option? Is there a better step-free option?
Try and keep journeys as simple as possible and minimise changes. If it adds another 10-15 minutes, it’s still the better option if it saves you walking up and down the station with bags and kids.
Always allow extra time. It will take longer than usual with kids and bags. Allow extra, extra time if travelling at rush hour (and expect dark looks on crowded commuter trains).
Suitcases and travel bags
The biggest tip by far, in my view, is the Zinc flyte midi ‘scootcase’. Suitable for any scooter-age toddler up to tween/teen. It’s been a game-changer for us.
Next, get yourself a double rucksack (that just about fits the carry-on dimensions with a squish). Use the main rucksack for your holiday packing, and the daypack for travel essentials (by travel essentials I mean tickets, passports, child entertainment/snack supplies, nappies, wipes and spare tops).
If you have a baby or toddler, then the Babyzen yoyo+ buggy is fab as you can take it anywhere, even on a plane. I recommend a blackout shade as well.
If you have to check in a suitcase, get one massive one with four wheels and a hard shell, preferably not too heavy. It’s simply easier to push one thing on four swivel wheels than to juggle two or three smaller shoulder/pull/push suitcases.
Travel essentials for kids
Food related:
Fabric chair harness (travel highchair)
Water bottles (roll up ones are very travel-friendly)
Healthy snacks
Baby-specific and allergen-free food (if needed)
Sleep related:
Tin foil (to use as window blackout)
Baby monitor (unless everyone is in the same room)
Familiar bedding (for smell)
Favourite teddy
Entertainment:
1-2 small toys each (like a car, doll or pony)
Colouring / busy books
1 Story book each (bedtime)
Card game (e.g. Dobble, Uno)
Wash bag:
First aid (Calpol, plasters, thermometer. Saline nasal spray for babies)
Pushchair/sling/hiking carrier (dependent on preference and type of holiday. If you take a buggy, I recommend bringing a blackout shade.
Hand luggage:
Usual travel essentials (passport, tickets, ID)
Snacks and water (see above for ideas)
Entertainment (see above)
Spare top for each child (spills WILL happen)
Wipes & tissues
Follow my (mostly positive) adventures with Biggie, Middlie and Littlie as I attempt to turn being a stay at home mum into a rewarding and challenging career.
West london mum - surviving with three, awesomely! 