Travelling with kids: 7 essential travel accessories for families on vacation
Whether you’re flying with kids or setting out on a road trip, these accessories can help make your journey smoother.
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Travelling with kids? Simple accessories can make for a smoother journey. Photo: Unsplash/ Christopher Ott
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If you’ve booked a family vacation for the school holidays, your better half and you are probably pondering the same question: Can it really be considered a vacation if we’re bringing the children?
Of course, we kid – a family holiday is a time for epic adventures and a lifetime of memories. The trick however, lies in finding ways to engage your little adventurers between destinations. After all, you don’t want to end up repeatedly answering different variations of: “Are we there yet?”
The other challenge lies in doing so without spending a small fortune on new toys. Fret not holidaymakers, we’ve got some useful ideas to help you keep Junior entertained, whether you’re taking a plane, train or automobile.
CONTENTS
- Faber Castell Colour Pencils
- Crayola Epic Book of Awesome
- Decathlon Quecha Kids’ Small Hiking backpack
- JETech 10.2-inch iPad case
- Universal Airplane Tablet Holder
- NIDO NEST Travelfriendz Travel Pillows
- Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda
1. Faber-Castell 24-piece triangular Colour Pencils (S$8.75; Usual Price: S$10.29)
Encourage your kids to exercise their imagination with this set of 24 colour pencils. Each has a triangular cross section that makes them easier to hold and uses wood sourced from certified sustainable plantations.
2. Crayola Epic Book of Awesome Colouring Book Set (S$9.08; Usual Price: S$13.50)
This 288-page colouring book is small enough to fit into kids’ backpacks but offers plenty of colouring subjects, from animals to aliens. It includes 40 stickers.
- Dimensions: 20cm x 27.5cm x 3cm
- 288 colouring pages, 40 stickers
3. Decathlon Kids’ Small Hiking backpack, 5L (S$12.90)
If you’re travelling with toddlers, giving them a bright backpack makes them easier to spot in a crowd. It's also a chance to encourage them to be responsible for their belongings. This Decathlon backpack weighs just 150g. It has a large central opening, mesh pocket and a water bottle pocket for kid-friendly essentials. For bigger children, the Skip Hop Zoo Pack (S$30.07; Usual Price: S$37.90) is another colourful option.
- Weight: 150g
- Capacity: 5L
- Large central opening, mesh pocket and a water bottle pocket
4. JETech 10.2-inch iPad case (S$21.24; Usual Price: S$24.99)
If you’re worried about entrusting your device to your young one, this oversized case should help set your mind at ease. It’s rubber-like EVA (elastomeric polymer) case and detachable front cover with built-in PET screen protector helps guard your iPad against scratches and bumps. This version is compatible with 7th to 9th-generation iPads, but variants for other tablets are available. Its anti-slip texture is easy for kids to carry and the base folds out to form a stand for typing or hands-free viewing.
- EVA case
- Detachable front cover with built-in PET screen protector
- Compatible with 7th to 9th-generation iPads, other models available
5. Universal Airplane Tablet Holder (S$32.44)
This versatile tablet holder can be clamped onto a seat tray during a flight, a headrest on a road trip or converted into a stand for use on a table. The base clips onto surfaces up to a thickness of 4.5cm. The built-in clamp is compatible with most 7 to 12-inch tablets and reduces the risk of your device falling if you encounter air turbulence or bumpy roads. When not in use, it folds into a compact cylindrical shape for easy packing. Alternatively, this flexible gooseneck tablet holder (S$17.99) can be twisted into any viewing position and fits most 4.7-inch to 14-inch devices.
- Compatible with most 7 to 12-inch tablets
- Grips your device securely
6. NIDO NEST Travelfriendz Travel Pillows for Kids (S$33.05)
Travel pillows are the unsung MVPs of any flight or road trip. They may seem like a frivolous purchase but can help travellers young and old get a good rest on the road. A hidden zipper allows the cover to be easily removed for machine washing. A built-in snap means it can be easily clipped onto a bag. The cushion is stuffed with micro beads that conform and support your child’s head.
- Machine-washable, removable cover
- Built-in snap for clipping onto bag straps.
- Micro bead cushion supports your child’s head.
7. Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda (S$56.90; Usual Price: S$69)
Parents be warned: You may find yourself fighting with your kids for screentime on this retro-inspired nod to handheld gaming from your youth. Say hello to the Game & Watch, the great-great-great grandaddy of today’s Nintendo Switch. This modernised update includes three games from the Legend of Zelda universe which can be played on its 2.36-inch colour screen. Best of all, you won’t need to worry about data or whether your device is in airplane mode.
- Includes three Legend of Zelda games
- 2.36-inch colour screen.
Your next family holiday could be an opportunity to teach your kids the importance of taking responsibility for their belongings. Ask them to draw a checklist of things they want to carry in their backpack, like colour pencils, activity book and travel pillow and have them check their belongings regularly.
Place them in charge of their devices and accessories. Better yet, explain why they still need to be extra careful with their tablets, even if it already has a protective casing. This will help them appreciate the bigger picture from their pint-sized perspective. It’ll certainly make for a more fun trip, though we can’t guarantee that you won’t still have to repeatedly answer that perennial kids’ question: “How long more, ah?”
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