Dear Diary. May '22
This month we’ve explored 3 new places; finished our trip in Iceland, toured the NC 500 Scotland in a VW Campervan and spent 5 days in the picturesque Lake District, Cumbria. It was so wonderful being able to wake up next to you in the Campervan every morning. To open the blinds and hear you say ‘wooooooow’ at the new surroundings day in, day out. It will be a trip I will treasure for a long time.
This month we saw lots of wildlife on our travels. We saw Highland Coos, Deers, Seals, Donkeys, plenty of Sheep and plenty of Birdies, your favourite.
You had your best month yet i’m sure, growing older and more inquisitive by the second. You’re now much more confident on your feet, tackling steps and hills like a pro ( / maniac!!)
Being able to watch you grown in this way, every single day is so special and something I’ll never take for granted. Thanks for another amazing month Mila.
Having recently turned 15 months you are now more aware of your little mind than ever. A very determined, confident and sassy young girl and we are loving getting to know you more and more.
One topic I’d like to cover is something we get asked again and again.
‘ Toys to take for your child when space is limited, to keep your child entertained and you sane (!!) on days when we’re not ‘on a day out.‘
These are my 5 Top Travel Toys I never leave home without. They are compact and come with a ‘keep her entertained and us sane guarantee’ (from me!) Please note: none of these items on this post are sponsored. These are just honestly items we can’t live without for our lifestyle and for travelling with young kids in general and items we truly rely on.
Number 1 - The Tonies Box and Characters. We bought this for Mila for her 1st birthday. With our lifestyle we simply couldn’t and didn’t want to overload her with presents for her 1st birthday, many of which we wouldn’t have been able to take with us as we continually move etc. Instead we thought carefully about an interactive, fun, learning and personable toy that would last longer than 2 weeks! I had heard good things about the Tonies Box and almost 4 months in I can say it is used multiple times daily and is a firm favourite of hers and ours! She currently has 6 characters, 4 of which were bought from other family members for her birthday ( a great way for them to contribute to a toy that is useful) and the other 2 we have bought her as and when we’ve come across a toy store that is selling them on our travels.
There is a convenient Tonies carry case you can buy to holds all your characters in which is next on my list. Right now we have Mila’s characters in a clear, zipped bag. Handy to quickly count if all 6 are in there and an added bit of learning and interaction for Mila when she’s getting them in and out of the bag.
Second up is a handful of slim books. A couple of Mila’s favourites are ‘Zog’ and ‘Stickman’ by Julia Donaldson and ‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’ and ‘Be Brave Little Penguin’ by Giles Andreae. I have these in paperback, slim line as they are easier and lighter to pack. We always carry at least 5/6 and switch them out (for our own sanity!!) between trips as we read one to Mila every night before bed as well as some times during the day when we’re having time together.
Third up is Teddies / Dollies - We travel with 1 teddy and 1 blanket that she always sleeps with. I have placed these two teddies with her since she was little in her cot every night and whether it works or not I have them as a familiarity in the cot every night no matter where we are or where she’s sleeping. Whether it has played a part or not I hope and think it gives her comfort. She is an amazing sleeper, sleeping 7pm-7am which is fantastic considering she’s never sleeping in the same cot or place longer than a few days or weeks at a time. She also has the first dolly we bought her, a baby boy called Nacho that was given to her for her 1st birthday that comes along for the ride too.
Fourth on our list is her IPad - plain and simple it is a life saver. We bought a case that wasn’t expensive and isn’t fancy but it helps her hold it, it protects it if she’s dropped it or thrown it! and it comes with a handy stand and strap which we use for wrapping around the driver / front passenger head rest so she can watch the iPad on long journey’s - something that came in extremely handy during our van life trip around Scotland. Her favourite Julia Donaldson stories have been made into 20-25 minute shorts and are all available on BBC Iplayer to download. We have all of them on there and they last for over a year. We also have some favourites from Netflix including Peppa Pig, Cocomelon and Peter Rabbit downloaded.
Fifth and final travel essential is an interactive educational game that is bilingual. River speaks fluent Spanish and it is hugely important to us to actively encourage Mila to learn both languages from a young age. River speaks to her 80% of the time in Spanish and we have a number of toys that are bilingual. One small one is her interactive tablet that teaches her the alphabet, simple objects and animals and short phrases along with fun songs and colourful lights. Although she is too young to be repeating the words and phrases she hears, we hoping that by playing with the toy she is subconsciously taking on board what she’s listening to and it will help in the future. If you aren’t as interested in the bilingual aspect I would encourage an educational toy as your fifth essential.
I hope you can take away some travel necessities from this months topic and find our 5 Top Travel Toys for when space is limited helpful for you and your little one(s).
