From fidget bags to sticker books: readers’ hard-won hacks for travelling with kids

If there’s one thing worse than a long journey, it’s a long journey with bored, fractious children. So what helps smooth things along? We asked for your best, tried-and-tested hacks for travelling with kids, from “fidget bags” to lollipops.

On a long car trip from the UK to France with his kids, reader Tim Leadbeater attached small plastic baskets with string around the pillars of the front headrest: “They held everything from felt tips to half-eaten food, not only preventing stains on covers but also keeping everything reachable for kids in car seats.”

Likewise, Deborah Berzins used to make what she calls a “fidget bag full of little characters, a toy snake, a stretchy man toy, and finger puppets”, which only came out on car journeys so the novelty didn’t wear off.

Another trick suggested by reader Kate is to wrap small, individual toys in old wrapping paper: “Even the oldest crayon, book or tiny Lego figure became an exciting discovery; the unwrapping was a game in itself, and the activity helped pass the time,” she says.

Boredom busters

Drawing it out … colouring books were among readers’ favourite journey distractions. Photograph: SanyaSM/Getty

Nettie Hall, who has a no-screen policy, survived a solo trip from London to Cornwall with her three-year-old by arming herself with multiple activities: “I got several sticker books, a simple crown-making kit (sticking gems on a cardboard crown that ties around the head with string), small pots of play-dough, colouring pencils and Orchard Toys packable games,” she says. “Don’t overestimate the attention span of very young children!”

Sophie recommends packing “thousands of snacks”, but this isn’t just to keep her daughter preoccupied. “My daughter is intolerant to loads of things, so this is extra important as we can never guarantee a station shop will have anything she can eat,” she says.

Meanwhile, one reader says she has never boarded a plane or train without the following: a small colouring book for inevitable delays, sticking plasters and antiseptic wipes for inevitable cut knees, and small lollipops or similar for instantly cheering up children with cut knees – and probably sometimes adults too. Happy travels!

This week’s picks

• ‘This is my bucket-list spot for wild camping’: Outdoors expert Sian Lewis answered your questions

• ‘It’s the first thing we set up’: parents on everything you need for camping with kids – and what you don’t

• The best camping tents: 10 expert picks for every outdoor adventure

• Do natural deodorants actually work? I put 18 to the test – here are my favourites

• The best walking sandals for women: 10 comfy and supportive styles for summer

• CurrentBody Multi Light Therapy LED mask review: hands down the best I’ve tested

• The best air coolers to chill your home during heatwaves – tested

• ‘Proof that delicious tomatoes can be grown in the UK’: the best supermarket vine tomatoes, tasted and rated

• How I Shop with Angela Hartnett: ‘The purchase I regret the most? Any fitness machine!’

• The best fake tan for a sunkissed, streak-free glow – tested

Editor’s pick

Eye’ll be back … after a solid eight hours. Photograph: Jane Hoskyn/The Guardian

When Jane Hoskyn tested sleep aids last year, she was surprised that a sub-£10 eye mask ended up giving her the best night’s sleep. Now she’s tested a range of 12, including masks that play music, massage your temples and give you psychedelic light shows to get you to sleep. But has anything toppled her favourite? Read her guide to the best eye masks to find out.

Monica Horridge
Deputy editor, the Filter

In case you missed it …

Power to the people: portable chargers can be a saving grace when devices look as if they’re fading.

Heading off on holiday, or to a festival? If digitally unplugging for the entire time feels like a step too far, don’t forget to pack a portable charger (they’ve saved many a camping trip here on the Filter). Our test of the best power banks features everything from a sub-£20 device that fits in a pocket to one for multiple users that might just stop family squabbles.

And don’t forget: if you’re choosing to fly, keep it in your hand luggage.

Get involved

Detour ahead … what helped when your holiday didn’t go to plan? Photograph: nicoletaionescu/Getty

Summer holidays aren’t all fabulous beach days, gorgeous villas and good vibes (as anyone who has watched Two Weeks in August can attest). Sometimes we get sunburnt, bitten by midges, lose our luggage, eat something that didn’t agree with us – or the other family’s kids simply drive you nuts.

How did you cope when things went wrong? What saved the day (or week)? What one thing do you wish you’d taken with you, or left behind? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected].