Enjoy toddler friendly holidays this winter
Travelling with young children can be stressful at any time but the colder winter weather can add extra pressures for parents. There is need to bring extra clothing to keep toddlers warm and the dangers posed by icy conditions. There is also the problem of how to keep children entertained. In the summer you can usually rely on being able to let your toddler run around and play on the beach for hours. It’s much harder to stop young children getting bored when the sun isn’t shining.
There are some steps you can take to enjoy a toddler friendly holiday this winter. The most important consideration has to be your holiday destination. Spending some time on careful research to find out what is available is going to be key to enjoying your holiday. Toddlers can have a short attention span and are not going to be very impressed if much of their holiday is spent wandering through art galleries studying pictures which they don’t understand.
Toddlers usually get on much better in places where they can run around and make some noise without fear of upsetting anyone. Most European cities have plenty of parks and open spaces which are ideal for this. It doesn’t matter if the weather is not very warm just wrap your toddler up warmly and they will be happy. You should still be able to fit in plenty of activities that you enjoy doing just remember to allow time for your toddler to get to do what they want as well. Toddler friendly holidayshave to be a joint venture between parents and the child otherwise one or both of you is going to end up very stressed.
Take it slowly
Before your toddler came along you may have enjoyed the buzz of rushing from one attraction to the next seeing how much you could fit in during a days sightseeing. To make make your holiday toddler friendly you need to slow down. Parents soon discover that toddlers can’t be rushed so don’t try and fit too much into a single day focus on one or two activities each day and allow your child plenty of time for rest in between each one.
If the weather is too wet or cold to spend long periods outside then it can be a lot of fun to take your toddler to a museum for the afternoon. Most of the major museums are very well laid out for young children with many exhibits which they can touch move or play with in some way. They also often have activity packs available specifically for children to help them get the most out of their visit
Choose the right accommodation
Where you stay is very important when you have young children. If you are a single individual or part of a couple then you may only want a bed for the night and be happy to stay anywhere. Once you have children that all starts to change. Toddlers need lots of sleep. You will want to put them to bed quite early in the evening and depending on their age they may also want a sleep in the middle of the day. Holiday apartments are a great choice for anyone with young children. You can put the children to sleep in their own bedroom and you are free to use the rest of the apartment to watch television or do whatever you want without fear of waking them up.
