Children's Travel Activities & Travel Tips
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Hello Welcome to our second KidsTravel2 ebook, which is bursting with stacks more free travel tips, activities for children and ideas for yummy food on the go. As well as our own favourite games and activities we're delighted to include contributions from the following people to help make your next journey with the kids run as smoothly as possible: • • • • •
Lisa Warner of Fink Cards shares her 3 simple steps to surviving and enjoying long journeys with the kids Katie Bryson who blogs at Feeding Boys and a Firefighter has been whipping up some delicious treats to keep the kids happy en route Laura Morris of Rentabuggy explores some great ways of keeping kids entertained in their buggies Maggy Woodley from Red Ted Art has some perfectly crafty ideas that kids of all ages will love Andrew White of Walks About Britain gives essential insight into how to inspire kids to get walking.
We hope you enjoy them, find them useful and would love your feedback! Print them out now and stash them in your glove box or travel bag ready for your next trip. Happy travelling
Julia Odgers About KidsTravel2 KidsTravel2 are specialists in children's luggage, travel games for kids and other family travel accessories. Perfect gifts for kids on the go starting from under £10.
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What's inside our e-book ....
Travel Word Search ............................................................................................4 entertaining children in their pushchairs ..........................................................5 3 simple steps for surviving long journeys with children...................................6 Handy Tips for Flying with Kids...........................................................................9 Top 10 tips for feeding kids on the move...........................................................12 Ham, cheese and tomato mini muffin bites........................................................13 Festive cranberry and white chocolate cookies................................................14 Travel game: Don't cross the line......................................................................16 Travel game: Squares..........................................................................................17 Travel game: consequences................................................................................18 Travel game: Funny monsters.............................................................................19 Guide to free fun on the Southbank..................................................................20 Getting crafty: How to make a paper boat........................................................21 Getting crafty: How to make a six pointed snowflake.....................................23 Inspiring kids to get walking..............................................................................25
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C E N A L P M U Y I HE E E T R OP WS A P RL D A H OL I B C O R DT U T L T V T S I L I P E K U Y A F R M S B T E K
O C WJ E A T K S S A P L E H S D A Y R S R U U R A I N L OP W E A V A C I T Y
Can you find the hidden words? Airport train plane holiday bus
ticket passport runway ferry suitcase
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Entertaining children in their pushchairs by Laura Morris, Rentabuggy Any parent will acknowledge the challenge that keeping a young child happy in their pushchair can present. Laura Morris from Rentabuggy shares her 4 top tips. 1. I Spy Colours This is a great version of an old favourite that young ones will find easier to join in with. “I-Spy with my little eye something coloured…” GREEN BLUE RED PURPLE ORANGE
PINK YELLOW BLACK BROWN GREY
2. Develop their imagination If you are going for a walk then why not make up a story as you are pushing the pushchair along… maybe there are fairies in the woods? Or spaceships in the sky? It is a great way to get your toddler thinking about their surroundings and to spark their imagination. Get them involved by encouraging them to create the names of the characters and talk about what they might be doing. 3. Don't forget the healthy snacks We know it's a recurrent theme but so easy to forget and then regret! Always pack a drink and something for young ones to chew on whether it is breadsticks, grapes, or raisins. 4. Flash Cards Flash cards are a great thing to use in a pushchair. Punch a hole in them and get some ribbon to tie to the pushchairs' handlebars. Cheap to do and easy to use. It ensures that toddlers see what’s around them and can also interact with what’s on the cards. Get them to match up the cards with what they see.
About Laura Morris and Rentabuggy
Rentabuggy allows families to ease cashflow and rent top selling pushchairs on a monthly basis. They also cover Holiday Rentals including Travel Cots, Highchairs and Sterilisers Nationwide, delivered direct to your place of stay. www.rentabuggy.co.uk
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3 simple steps for surviving long journeys with children by Lisa Warner, Fink Cards Lisa Warner, of Fink Cards shares her experience of how make long journeys with kids enjoyable and highlights 3 simple steps you can take to make sure things run smoothly. “If you ask any parent they will agree that long journeys with children have the potential to descend into tears and tantrums. However, it doesn’t have to be that way! When my children were younger we travelled lots. In addition to our annual holiday abroad we were avid campers and youth hostellers. My most favourite holiday was spending the whole 6 weeks of the summer holidays exploring the UK. We had a wonderful time and created many amazing memories for our children. The good news is that there are things you can do to help make the journey more enjoyable. What’s more they are free, easy to do and fun!” Step 1: Take responsibility! You have to take a level of responsibility and realise that as a parent your mood has a dramatic impact on everyone’s journey. A stressed, snappy parent can set off a chain reaction and before you know it everyone is arguing, fighting or sulking. Now, I am not talking about forced joviality and smiling through gritted teeth – no, I am talking about relaxing a little and not getting wound up by things that are out of your control. My children often talk about the time when we were stuck on the M25 for 7 hours, we were on our way to Kent to stay in caravan for a week when a serious accident had closed the road. I had a couple of bags of provisions in the car, things like boxes of cereals, rolls, peanut butter etc. We had great fun finding ways to make peanut butter rolls without a knife! My children still talk about that journey now whilst no one remembers the actually holiday in Kent! Step 2: Get excited! Your holiday starts the moment you leave your front door. See things through your children’s eyes; leaving very early or late is exciting, so are airports, train stations, and even motorway services! It’s up to you whether you choose to view the journey as a chore or an adventure. Step 3: Get talking! A recent poll revealed that 54% of parents felt they didn’t have the time to talk to their children. Travelling offers an ideal opportunity to talk, after all you have a captive audience! This isn’t about asking the same old questions and eliciting the same old response, no, this is about conversation that strengthens and deepens your relationship with your child. It’s fun and will make your journey fly by. To start you quite simply ask a different question! Examples of some great conversation starters 1. What is your earliest memory? 2. What is your favourite time of day? 3. Who inspires you? It’s not difficult or tricky, it just requires a bit of creative thinking. Conversation is incredibly powerful and can help us reconnect, it also gives our children the opportunity to develop important communication and literacy skills.
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Having a simple trick up your sleeve, or something in your bag for long journeys will help keep you sane, but it is worth remembering that old saying – it’s not just about the destination, the journey is important too!
About Lisa Warner and Fink Cards Lisa Warner is an energetic and passionate ball of energy, whose excitement and enthusiasm know no bounds. Her drive and belief in doing the impossible was rewarded when her mission to get families talking led her to found the incredibly successful Fink Cards and won her the title of Female Entrepreneur of the Year. Her contagious positive out-look regularly see her appearing on the radio, in newspapers and magazines where she will happily talk about the importance of good family communication. The entrepreneur, activist and energizer proudest achievement to date is creating a strong and happy marriage and raising 4 confident and sociable teenagers. www.finkcards.co.uk
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Lisa invites you to give it a whirl. Print the following sample fink cards out, cut them up and take it in turns to ask each other questions!
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Handy Tips for Flying with Kids by Julia Odgers, KidsTravel2
Flying with kids can be a particularly stressful experience. Here are some tried and tested tips you may find useful, many of which have been suggested by the KidsTravel2 facebook community. A lot of these work also apply to any long journey, whether you are travelling by plane, train or automobile! Travel activity pack Create a special travel activity pack which can't be opened until you set off - the novelty of new items will keep the kids occupied. It can contain inexpensive gifts like packs of stickers or even freebies you have collected from cereal boxes.
Lucky dip prizes On a similar theme to the travel activity pack it's a good idea to have a goodie bag of inexpensive items or freebies which you can let the kids have one at a time as a reward, for example, for winning a game you have been playing. The novelty will keep them occupied for a while and give you a break - you can't entertain them non stop! Fresh air & exercise Make sure the day before you fly you have an action packed day with plenty of fresh air & activity, so that on the day you are travelling the kids are tired and happy to relax or sleep. Involvement not exclusion If the children are old enough, involve them in the journey planning before and during the journey. They can help check arrival & departure times, boarding gates etc. Keeping them involved will keep the journey fun and help time pass. Ask them about what THEY would like to do as activities along the way and plan realistically around this.
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Sleep times & time zones If at all possible try and travel when your children are likely to sleep. If you are flying with a baby think about time zones before you choose a holiday destination. Babies can be very stubborn about adjusting their sleep patterns. If your final destination, for example, is a full nine hours ahead, you will need to allow for several days of disrupted nights. If you have an important event, such as a wedding, to attend it may be advisable to get there up to a week before so that your baby can get used to the new times.
Medication Don't forget any medication you may need for your journey and stay, including travel sickness medication. Be prepared for take off A bottled drink or sweets and lollipops to suck are a great way to help young ears 'pop' during take off. Get plugged in We're not advocating constant plug in but for long journeys, portable dvd players and a Nintendo DS may come in handy. Mix and match with other games and some good old fashioned communication to keep the variety up. Create a holiday journal This is a great idea for older kids. Before you travel gather a few books and brochures of the country/city you are flying to, so the children can get some idea of where they are going. Encourage them to tear out the pictures they like best,and stick them into a scrapbook. On the way home any postcards, maps, cuttings etc from the holiday could also be put in the scrapbook together with their thoughts about the holiday. What a great memory to look back on! Window or aisle seat? Most children will enjoy sitting in a window seat - try and get one if you can! If you anticipate frequent trips to the loo you might be better seating your child on the aisle seat. Meet and assist If you'd like to be met at check-in and helped with the children and the bags all the way to your plane, ask for 'meet and assist' services when booking your flight. This is generally provided by the airport and not the airline, and whether or not you get it depends on the availability of staff but if you're travelling as a single parent with more than one child, you'll be given priority. Pack the essentials Don't forget change of clothes, nappies & wipes for your hand luggage. Sometimes we can spend so much time thinking of the big picture we forget the obvious things.
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Flying must haves - our summary of popular items for flights and long journeys •
neck pillow
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playing cards
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top trumps
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snacks
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stickers
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travel games
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books & comics
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pens, crayons & paper
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portable dvd
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nintendo DS
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Top 10 tips for feeding kids on the move by Katie Bryson Keeping kids happy and fed on the move can put even the best parenting skills to the test. Katie Bryson, freelance journalist and food-loving mum to two boys and wife of a strapping fireman, knows all about this....Every Christmas the family clocks ups the miles driving from London to visit their relatives in Shropshire, Cheshire and Newcastle. They also braved driving down to France last summer. So preparing food fit for travel has become quite an art form. Here are Katie’s top 10 tips for feeding kids on the move, some great ideas for snacks and a couple of tasty recipes for treats you could include in your portable feast. 1. Plan your snacks and food in advance. Will you be travelling across a meal time? Making a packed family picnic will save you a lot of money en route by avoiding paying inflated prices at service stations, airports etc. You’ll also be more likely to eat nutritious food. 2. Have everything within easy reach for handing out in moments of meltdown 3. Snack pots with spill free tops are great for toddlers and mean you don’t have to keep turning round in your seat handing them one morsel of food at a time. 4. Don’t give the kids all their food at once, they’ll wolf it down in minutes and then will whinge for the rest of the journey that they want more or even worse may throw up from noshing their grub too quickly. Hold back the chocolate until you REALLY need to bribe them! 5. Make sure you keep chilled food nice and cool by using insulated bags and cool packs. 6. Be realistic about what you prepare for them. A balance between healthy and treat food keeps their interest. Long journeys are not times to take food risks with things they’ve not tried before – stick to the tried and tested. 7. Prevent carrot & cucumber from going limp by putting damp kitchen paper over the vegetables. Works a treat! Add a little lemon juice to chopped fruit to stop it going brown. 8. Zip lock bags are great for keeping snacks in and take up less room than plastic tubs. 9. Pack plenty of drinks in non-spill beakers. Have a big bottle of water on hand so you can top them up. Tropicana Kids juices are also excellent as they only contain fruit juice and water and the little bottles are fab and reusable. 10. Invest in a car bin or two to keep mess to a minimum – nothing more depressing than a car that looks like a battle zone. Snack ideas • Popcorn - buy a bag or make your own and flavour it with vanilla sugar • Maltloaf – cut it into bite-size pieces • Brioche rolls - just plain or use to make finger sandwiches • Dried Strawberries – can be passed off as sweets • Easy to eat fruit like grapes, satsuma segments or chopped apples , and salad bits like cucumber and carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes. • Mini bread sticks • Little cheese portions • Pouches of pureed fruit • Croissants – really messy but can keep them quiet for ages • Chocolate stars – sometimes it’s the only answer!
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Ham, cheese and tomato mini muffin bites by Katie Bryson I got into savoury muffins when trying to make something a bit different for my son’s first birthday party picnic lunch. They went down an absolute storm and are a great alternative to sandwiches and sausage rolls. I’ve not used full-size muffin cases because these are intended for small hands in the back of the car. I find food that can be eaten in a couple of bites reduces the amount of rubble in the footwells! It’s a pretty flexible recipe, so if your little ones don’t like tomatoes just leave them out. The mini muffins freeze really nicely so you can make them well ahead of your journey and just defrost them overnight before you set off. Makes 24 300g self-raising flour ½ tsp mustard powder ½ tsp paprika 75g butter, cut into cubes 85g wafer thin ham, cut into tiny pieces – roll it up and use kitchen scissors 180g mature cheddar, grated 1 egg, beaten 250ml milk 2 tsp sun-dried tomato puree 12 cherry tomatoes, halved 40g Parmesan cheese, finely grated 1. Preheat oven to 190’C/375’F/Gas Mark 5 2. Fill 2 x 12 hole muffin tins with cake cases. Use the smaller fairy cake size cases to achieve a bite-size muffin. 3. Sieve the flour, mustard powder and paprika into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of your electric mixer if you’re lazy like me). Rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs (again I do this with my mixer). Stir in the ham and cheese and then gradually mix in the egg, milk and sun-dried tomato paste. 4. Using two teaspoons divide the mixture equally between the cake cases. Press the pieces of tomato cut side down into the centre of each muffin and then sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese. 5. Bake for 20 mins until golden. 6. Place on a cooling rack.
Tip: If you want to, why not make a more grown up version for the adults in the car. Divide off a portion of the mixture and stir through some freshly chopped basil or parsley. I found some great mini loaf cases in Sainsbury’s which look great!
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Festive cranberry and white chocolate cookies by Katie Bryson I love oatmeal cookies – they were the basis of my favourite biscuits that my Granny used to make. This version uses Christmassy cranberries and indulgent white chocolate chips which makes them a chewy sweet delight! They also make a great gift or contribution to school Christmas fair. If you’re having one of those tense car journeys, these will definitely cheer everyone up! Back seat: “Are we nearly there yet? Are we nearly there yet? Front seat: “Here, try one of these cookies!” Back seat: Temporary silence as cookies are munched. The cookies will keep for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container. You could make them well in advance and freeze them – defrosting at room temperature. Makes 32 125g soft butter 75g dark brown sugar 100g caster sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 150g plain flour ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 75g rolled oats 75g dried cranberries 200g white chocolate chips 1. Preheat oven to 180’C/gas mark 4 & line a couple of baking sheets with baking parchment. 2. Beat the butter and sugars together until they’re a nice creamy consistency – use an electric mixer if you have one. Then beat in the egg and vanilla extract. 3. Mix in the flour, baking powder, salt and oats, and then carefully fold in the chocolate and cranberries. 4. Take tablespoons of the mixture and roll them into balls in your hands. Place them on the baking tray – I fitted 9 per baking tray to give them enough space coz they do spread out. I cooked them in two batches. 5. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until they are golden. They will take a few minutes to harden so leave them to cool on the sheet. Once they’ve firmed up carefully remove them with a pallet knife or spatula, and transfer to a cooling rack.
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About Katie Bryson
Katie Bryson is a freelance journalist, food-loving mum to two boys and wife of a strapping fireman. Sounds great but you try feeding them! Hence Katie’s blog Feeding Boys and a Firefighter which seeks out family friendly recipes for frazzled parents desperate for something tasty to give their kids for dinner that doesn’t mean spending hours in the kitchen. The reality of being a parent is that meals must be rustled up in a matter of minutes, or things can very quickly get stressful. Katie is a big fan of getting kids involved with cooking – it’s a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon, teaches them lots of valuable skills and often leads to them being a bit more adventurous with what they’ll eat. Katie worked as a journalist at the BBC for 12 years leaving after the birth of her second child. Earlier this year she won a Red Magazine competition for a month’s internship with the Food Development team at Waitrose and since then has been avidly blogging and immersing herself in the world of food. http://feedingboys.wordpress.com
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Don't cross the line by Julia Odgers, KidsTravel2 These are all games I can remember playing as a child and which I am now pleased to be passing on to my own children. Call me old fashioned but it is sometimes refreshing to have a break from being plugged in to a gaming application, music system or portable dvd player for entertainment. These games are all about interaction with each other, having fun and require nothing more than a pen or pencil and piece of paper. What's more, they are perfect for when you are on the move or waiting for a plane or train. Pencils at the ready!
Aim of the game: To connect the x's marked on the page by your opponent without crossing a line. Suitable for age: 4+ Number of players: 2 How to play: 1. Player 1 marks 2 x's on a blank piece of paper. 2. Player 2 has to connect the 2 x's with a single line – it can be as straight or as wiggly as you like, but the pen must not be removed from the paper. 3. Player 2 then marks 2 x's for player 1 to connect, which must be done without crossing any of the previous lines marked on the page. 4. Play continues in this way. 5. The first to cross a line is the loser, or you could play with 3 lives – the first to all 3 lives loses and the other player wins. Good for: • pencil control • planning
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Squares by Julia Odgers, KidsTravel2
Aim of the game: To join the dots to make squares and win as many of the 36 squares as possible. Stop your opponent from winning squares! Suitable for age: 4+ Number of players: 2 How to play: 1. Draw a grid of dots about 6 wide x 6 high. 2. Take it in turns to connect 2 dots either horizontally or vertically, but not diagonally. 3. Once you have connected up the dots to make a square you can claim it as yours by writing your initial in it. 4. If you make a square you get another go. Good for: • planning / strategic thinking • consequences • counting • simple letter writing • pencil control
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Consequences by Julia Odgers, KidsTravel2
Aim of the game: This is a fun story telling game that children just love. Be inventive, witty and enjoy the consequences Suitable for age: 5+ Number of players: The more the merrier, but at least 2 How to play: 1. Each player has their own piece of blank paper to start with. At the top they should write 'X (boy's name) met'. The boy's name may be someone you know, a book or tv character, or simply a boy's name. 2. Player 1 should fold the paper over so that player 2 will not be able to read what they have written and pass the paper on. If there are more than 2 players, players should pass the papers round in a clockwise direction. 3. The next thing to write is 'Y (girl's name) at'. The girl's name may be someone you know, a book or tv character, or simply a gir's name. Fold your paper over so that what you have written is hidden and pass it on. 4. The next thing to write is 'a place where X met Y' eg the shops, the playground, Grandma's house etc. Fold your paper over so that what you have written is hidden and pass it on. 5. The next thing to write is 'X said to Y: “......”' eg “What is your favourite food?”. Fold your paper over so that what you have written is hidden and pass it on. 6. The next thing to write is 'Y said to X: “.....”' eg “My feet smell” Fold your paper over so that what you have written is hidden and pass it on. 7. The next thing to write is 'Then they …..' eg “went to the park and played on the swings.” Fold your paper over so that what you have written is hidden and pass it on. 8. The moral of the story is '…....'. This can be a silly message or something serious and will vary on the age of the child you are playing with eg “never eat bananas in the morning”, or “if you are kind good things will happen”. Fold your paper over so that what you have written is hidden and pass it on. 9. Now the fun part – unravel the sheet passed to you and read out the story – enjoy!
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Funny monsters by Julia Odgers, KidsTravel2
Aim of the game: Draw the different body parts, fold the page over and create a funny monster between you. Suitable for age: 5+ Number of players: The more the merrier, but at least 2 How to play: 1. Each player has their own piece of blank paper to start with. At the top they should draw the head and neck of their funny monster – be as creative as you like with lots of eyes, ears and tentacles! 2. Fold your paper over so the next person can't see what you have drawn, but just leave the end of the neck showing so that they know where to join the body to. 3. Pass your paper on to the next player and draw your funny monster's body, joining it carefully to the neck which you should just be able to see from player 1. 4. Fold your paper over making sure you leave the tops of the legs showing so the next player knows where to join the legs. 5. Pass your paper on to the next player and draw your funny monster's legs, stopping at the ankles. 6. Fold your paper over making sure you leave the ankles showing so the next player knows where to join the feet. 7. Pass your paper on and finally draw your funny monster's feet, joining them carefully to the ends of the legs which you should just be able to see. 8. Take it in turns to unravel your funny monsters and see what you have created! Mwah ha haaa!
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How to Make a Paper Boat by Maggy Woodley, Red Ted Art Many kids crafts are perfect for brightening up a dull journey or airport wait. They can also be enjoyed at your destination or when you are out and about in cafes and restaurants. Let Maggy from Red Ted Art inspire you with her craft activities for kids on the move, including how to make a Paper Boat from a simple A4 sheet of paper – or any piece of paper with roughly A4 ratios – even a bus ticket can do.....Great fun for floating in the bath or a little river or simply for playing with in the back of the car! Decorate with pens if you wish.
There is also a “vlog” of this which may be easier to follow at (http://www.redtedart.com/2010/04/23/how-to-make-a-paper-boat/), but if you are out and about and have a printed copy, the following should do nicely! There are couple of “tricky” bits, but once you know how this is easy peasy!
Step 1-2 Fold your sheet in half
Step 3 Fold in the corners (make sure the paper “opens” at the bottom)
Step 4 Fold over one bottom flap
Step 5 Tuck in the corners
Step 6 Repeat with second flap
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Step 7 – 9 Here is the “tricky bit” – you will find that your triangle is like a “hat”. Open it (and indeed wear it if you wish) and keep opening, then fold it flat. What was the “centre line” down the front of your hat, has now become an edge. Step 10 - Fold up one flap Step 11 - Fold up the second flap, so you now have a triangle again Step 12 – 13 – as with step 7-9, open the triangle like a hat, then fold it flat. What was the centre line, becomes an edge
Step 14 – Flatten all the creases nicely. The better your creases the better the boat! Step 15 - 16 – you will see that you can pull apart the side. The photo shows one hand, but do it two handed and the sides pull down. Step 17 – flatten creases nicely Step 18 – make it 3D by pushing your fingers into the centre of the boat from underneath
Done! Decorate with pencils or pens and enjoy! If you enjoyed this bit of paper wizardry, do come and visit us on http://www.redtedart.com for more paper craft, kid’s crafts and tutorials for all age groups! We would love to see you there! You will find it is a great crafty resource for everyone, as well as bring you book reviews for 0-12yrs! Books are always great for when you are travelling!
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How to Make a Six Pointed Snowflake by Maggy Woodley, Red Ted Art Here's how to make lovely paper six pointed snowflakes. This craft requires cutting skills, so you will have to make these yourself or with slightly older children. Snowflakes are such a pretty seasonal decor and what I love about them, is that anyone can decorate their home with these, regardless of whether they get sick and tired of all the santa clauses and reindeer going round (though I do love santa clauses and reindeers!). To me, the 6 pointed snowflake somehow always looks prettier, so it really is worth the extra couple of minutes to get your head round how to fold these. Once you have it sussed, you can snip snip snip away! Your imagination is your limit! Materials: white sheets of paper (the thinner, the easier to cut), scissors, possibly a pen. Step 1 - You need a square piece of paper. If using an A4 piece of paper. Take one corner and fold it, so that you get a diagnoal crease. You should see a triangle, with a strip of paper left on the side. Trim of the strip. So you only have a triangle which, when opened, is square. Step 2 - Take triangle and fold again, so you end up with a 2nd smaller triangle. Step 3 - Imagine the top edge divides into three. If it helps, roughly mark out thirds. Fold one third in. Step 4 - Fold the remaining third in. The neater (i.e. how accurate you get your thirds) you get this, the neater you final snowflake will be. If need be, redo it to adjust to perfect thirds. You want the 2nd fold to align neatly with the first one. Step 5 - I trim the top off, as I find it distracting. Step 6 - The edge that does not open up, forms the centre of each point. So try and imagine in
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your head how you would like a point to look like and cut. I sometimes draw an outline to help me along. Remember that if you want a more delicate snowflake you will have to cute out “thinner” strips. If you want the points to touch, make sure you leave a piece of paper running across the width. Snip the tip off and you get a little pretty hole in your flake. Open up! And enjoy! Repeat several times until you have a feel for the paper and find patterns that you like!!!
About Maggy Woodley and Red Ted Art
Maggy started Red Ted Art almost 2 years ago – painting bespoke artwork for children, as well as pop art inspired children’s portraits. She has a creative blog, which focuses on usually simple, but fun craft resource for young and old, for singles, families and carers alike. There are weekly craft sessions with her toddler (though older children can enjoy these activities too) and weekly tutorials for adults. www.redtedart.com
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Inspiring Kids to Get Walking by Andrew White, Walks Around Britain
Picture courtesy of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park
Getting children into walking at a young age can influence their habits in later life, hopefully leading to a more healthier, active lifestyle. So how can you get your young ones interesting in walking? Here are some useful tips from Andrew White of Walks Around Britain.
1. Make the Idea Sound like Fun Don't say "who wants to go for a walk". Instead ask "who wants to explore the forest". If it sounds like a game, young children are more likely to be excited.
2. Choose an Interesting Spot Make sure that you choose a walk location carefully. Straight routes and flat paths are boring. Children like places where there is lots to look at. They like to climb over things like logs and beaches and streams. If there is a famous landmark, all the better, whether that be a place linked to a sport, famous person, film or television programme. Picture courtesy of Nick Turner/Brecon Beacons National Park
3. Dress Them Properly Make sure that their shoes fit properly and are the right kind of shoes for walking. Likewise, clothes should be loose-fitting and not too hot or cold. Layers are always best. For a real treat, give them a small knapsack to carry. Then they can hold the bits that they find along the way. 4. Keep the Pace Slow There is nothing worse than a parent striding ahead and yelling "come on" or "hurry up". If they want to dawdle, dawdle with them--it is part of the experience.
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5. Make up Games as You Go To keep things lively and fun, make up stories, play follow the leader or hide and seek. Use "log books" for children to fill in, listing things that they have spotted or collected. Treasure maps are fun if they are easy and the "treasure" can be a healthy treat. Walking with very young children may require a pram or buggy. To ensure an enjoyable walk, it's helpful to find out in advance whether the route you are taking will be accessible. On the Walks Around Britain website, the number of styles and the grading of the route will help you decide whether the walk is suitable for buggies. Alternatively, use a baby carrier, such as the ones from Deuter. These baby carriers are great and comfortable for both the child and the adult, and have an amazing amount of storage too for all those baby-related essentials. About Andrew White and Walks Around Britain
Andrew White owns and runs Britain's only video walking website, with a growing selection of walks from across the country. www.walksaroundbritain.co.uk
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