Inspire Our Christmas Gift – Have kids, will travel

When it comes to the little explorers in your life (or their parents), we’ve got some great ideas for making journeys more comfortable or at the very least, entertaining.

Gift ideas for globetrotting kids and their parents

Travel friends headrest

Our children love these, they’re soft, make a comfortable pillow or headrest on any plane, train or automobile and they also act as a cuddly toy.  Great idea!

Children’s headphones

Having headphones that fit make an enormous difference whether you have taken along your own entertainment in the form of a DVD player or games console or if your child is just watching the onboard entertainment.

We’ve used the Groov-e Kids Headphone (left) which are perfectly adequate and a brilliant price.

We’ve also tried the slightly more expensive and more robust JVC Tiny Phones (right).

Anorak wash bags
We don’t actually use these as washbags but instead find them brilliant as toy bags or nappy bags.  They’re really robust, fun & colourful and come in a range of sizes.  It’s great to have a small selection of toys to hand both when travelling, or when out and about and these provide the perfect receptacle for storing them in.

Book in a box

I recently discovered these books in a box and was really impressed by this simple but effective idea.  The popup books can be used page by page when on a plane or train or in a restaurant but when you are in your accommodation they convert into a fabulous 3D play mat with characters to play with.  Brilliant for keeping children entertained. When you’re finished it all folds neatly into its own box for storage.  Currently they come as Playbook Pirates or Playbook Farm

Little Life backpacks with reigns

Many a parent has sworn by these clever backpacks that incorporates a safety strap that prevents wayward toddlers from getting too far.

Trunki Paddlepak bag

The Trunki ride-on suitcases are well known and have many many fans, but I really like the Paddlepak bags for their versatility.  These are great for hand luggage on the plane but are also brilliant day packs, beach bags and back at home, swimming bags.  They’re waterproof so won’t let damp swimming gear get everything else wet and on rainy days they keep the contents dry.

Eyelevel sunglasses

Personally, I hate paying over the odds for children’s sunglasses, bearing in mind how much they get bashed about and dropped but I still want something that’s effective in blocking out the sun’s rays.
Eyelevel sunglasses fit the bill for me, they come in a range of funky styles,
colours and patterns and offer maximum protection against UV rays.  What’s
more, most styles come in at around the £5 mark so you won’t be quite as
distressed when they’re dropped on the floor for the 10^th time!