Hi moms! So we're traveling with our 5 year-old boy and 2 year-old girl to Mexico for Thanksgiving. One issue we always seem to have is that there is not enough for them to do (play with) for the time we're in the hotel room. I bring a few small toys and a few books, and movies too, which is great for my 5 year-old, but my 2 year-old is so not into TV or movies and would really do better having toys around. At home she plays forever with her dollhouse, puzzles, and books.
We're staying in a rather remote area of Mexico, and there is a little shop at the resort but for toys it's exuberantly expensive so I try to only buy a few small things there (swim diapers if I run out, sunscreen, etc). And with the way airlines have turned into fee monsters for extra weight in your bags, and bringing extra bags, packing a bunch of toys is out of the question. So my question is, does anyone have a brilliant solution to this? What lightweight-foldable fun toys have you brought with you that entertained your kids in the hotel room?
Thanks!!
Felt board! We have a dino one with all kinds of dinosaurs, etc. and the board is a volcano scene with trees and the felt dinos can stick wherever.
You could easily (and cheaply) make some of whatever she's into. The weigh nothing and my kids love playing with them.
we're going to try this on our vacation
Melissa & Doug Play House! Reusable Sticker Pad
hopefully it will be like playing in her dollhouse. she had the
Melissa & Doug Sticker Collection - Fashion
and played with it for hours and hours. hopefully this will be a hit as well.
*Silly Putty
*Koosh balls of various sizes
*Character-themed cards to play "Memory" (we have Toy Story Memory game) and I just carry the cards in a Ziplock bag
*Sticker books
*Small figurines, like Mickey, Donald, etc
*Die-cast cars
*Crayola Color Wonders books/markers
My daughter, who is 2 1/2, loves her etch-sketch that comes with a pen. She also loves stickers, crayons and coloring books. Last trip we took a Mr. Potato Head and she played with it a lot. Since we now have to pay for a ticket for my daughter, I pack our clothes in my suitcase, and I pack a carry-on wheeled backpack that goes under the seat in front of us and load it with toys. It doesn't cost anything to carry it on, and my daughter deals with it until we get on the plane, and then I carry it to the seat.
An idea I've heard from other travellers: buy small items, play with them at the hotel, give them away before returning home. Your kids will have travel toys that are different than theirs at home, and you will have extra space in your suitcases for souvenirs when you return.
At the dollar store you can find boxes of 1000 stickers, barbie type dolls, packages of plastic army men or dinosaurs. If your kids really like something, it's easy to replace once you return home. You can find a nearby orphanage to donate your slightly used toys, or give them to a hotel worker who has been helpful to you. They can give your used toys to their children or sell them for extra cash.
Re the diapers, consider reusables and then just rinse them and hang to dry at the end of every day. Get two and you'll never have to run out to the store.
I put some soft toys, some small books, a pack of crayons, and some coloring/puzzle books in DD's little backpack with a snack cup and sippy cup. That was her "to go" bag and she loved having a bit of home away from home. Since both your children are over 2, they will have their own seats and their own luggage allowances. Take advantage of this! Having DD's carry on allowance saved us at Heathrow when we were overweight. We shoved stuff in her bag (which we weren't using) and got on our flight. No one gave us any trouble for DD's backpack, either, even though she had an overnight bag as her carry on. I think they considered it her "purse" or diaper bag, which you are generally allowed.
paperback books.
crayons (get paper there).
one small electronic toy -- like from leapfrog
one activity toy -- megablocks or something both can enjoy for hours.
at the beach, you can add shells, paper cups etc to the menu of playthings.
Let your children have their own carry on bags (something the 5 year old can handle) with special toys. Take a couple of favorite things and buy something in the gift shop there.
I have a 4y old and 12 m. We are very much on the go, we hardly stay in our room. Contact and Check with the hotel about family and kids activities and clubs at the hotel. The beach and the pool should be lots of fun and keep the kids occupy. Possibly scheduling a tour or boat ride etc. Might be fun. I'm sure you are aware of the unsafe issues in Mexico right now. Bon voyage!
I have never gone wrong with crayons and coloring books. When my daughter was younger I would get the Crayola color wonder markers. This way she wouldn't leave a mess behind. You can also check out the dollar stores for cheap toys and leave them there. Can you have one small suit case for both kids to share and carry it on the plane? Just filled with toys for both and have your son pull it and keep it with him.
I pack my daughters clothes in my suitcase and she brings her own suitcase with her toys and a backpack with her other stuff. Most airlines will allow a small suitcase and a backpack. One can go in the overhead and the other at their feet. So some toys for the hotel and some for on the plane.
