Keeping toddlers busy

What's your favourite travel toy for airplane journeys and road trips? I love the Mudpuppy mini magnetic play scenes (rated for 3+ years because of little pieces). I bought a few different sets and keep them hidden away until we have a long car journey or plane ride. They even have an airport themed play scene. The Usborne Great Searches book series also work really well for our children who love studying the busy pages.

Delicious Baby posted some great articles recently about keeping your little ones occupied during airplane journeys. Debbie calls her bag of carefully chosen toys an "airplane busy bag". Here are three recent blog posts about packing a busy bag that's appropriate for your child:
- Packing an airplane busy bag
- What's in my airplane busy bag?
- Travel Toys (by age)

By the way, one of Debbie's favaourite travel products is the CARES airplane harness. To find out more, click here to access Little Traveller's information page.

Some interesting travel blogs...

It's that time of year when everyone is back from a great summer of adventuring and are starting to plan next year's adventures. (At least, that's what I do when it starts to get cold and I need something to keep my mind off the impending winter months!) Here are a couple of recent blog entries that offer some useful tips:

Nerd's Eye View posted "Mistakes Rooky RVers Make" about RVing around the southern Gulf Islands in BC.

Away.com posted an article called "Top Five Tips from a Five-Month Family Road Trip."

And if you're heading farther afield, check out Stuffyourrucksack.com. They have connected with 187 organizations (in 78 countries including Mexico) that need stuff -- stuff such as clothing, toys, stationery and other items that you could squeeze into your suitcase before you get on the plane. What a great idea!

Enjoy a cuppa on your travels!

I was born and raised in England so it goes without saying that I enjoy a nice cup of tea (or two). I can't stomach coffee at all, no matter how hard I try. When my husband and I first arrived in Canada 10 years ago, it wasn't easy to find a decent cuppa. But things have changed and now I regularly head out with my kids or with friends to my local tea house (we now have a few great tea shops in my Calgary neighborhood).

Edmonton author, Mary Oakwell, has written a book called "Tea Time in Alberta" detailing 54 great tea houses from Grand Prairie to Waterton Lakes. So next time you're on the road in Alberta and need a break, consider stopping at an old fashioned tea house for some old world hospitality. A few of the tea houses profiled by Oakwell are featured in this Travel Alberta article.

Road trips and new rental gear

Everyone I know is heading out on at least one road trip this summer with their children. We've got a few new items in our rental inventory that will make road trips and day trips easier. The Star Kids Snack & Play travel trays are ideal for keeping toddlers and preschoolers occupied on long journeys. The simple velcro closure attaches around any car seat to offer a flat play/snack surface. We rent them in the Calgary area for $3 a day / $18 per week.

Some moms I know don't let their kids eat in the car because of the mess it makes. I'm not one of them -- snacks are a highlight of our road trips! (And no one would notice a few extra crumbs on the floor of our car.) So, here are a few links I've found with great snack ideas and recipes.

5 Healthier Snacks for kids to eat on road trips
Great Road Trip Snacks from Road Trip America
Weightwatchers Top 10 Road Trip Snacks

We've also added some UV playshade tents and over-the-shoulder cooler bags to our inventory to make day trips and picnics more fun for everyone. For more info and pricing, check out our Specials page online or give us a call at Little Traveller at 1-877-242-4067.

Top 5 Kids' Music CDs

I spent most of my free time in April and May listening to kids' music CDs. Whenever we drove anywhere, I'd quiz my daughter on the relative merits of the latest batch of CDs we were listening to. She was my captive audience and I got some straight-talking, highly opinionated 4-year-old feedback.

Check out the results of our joint efforts in my article on Savvymom.ca and this month's Savvy Five on Kids' Music CDs.

25 best campgrounds in Canada

If you're planning a family camping trip this summer, check out this article from Today's Parent on the 25 best campgrounds in Canada.

If you're heading to a national park, visit the Parks Canada online campground reservation service to reserve a spot ahead of time.

Here at Little Traveller, we rent out the Peapod travel bed to families with little children in the Calgary area. The compact pop-up tent has mesh sides for added bug protection and an inflatable mattress. It's suitable from 0 to 12 months. Visit LittleTraveller.ca for more portable equipment ideas for camping trips.

Family car games

Here's a cool post on Savvymom.ca with ideas for games to play with the kids on your next road trip... or when stuck in traffic around town.