Traveling by train brings joy to children because, unlike on an airplane, it doesn’t cause blocked ears, there is more freedom of action, you can meet other children, look out the window at the trees flying past, and, if you’re lucky, spend the night on the top bunk. For approximately the same reasons, parents do not like to travel by train with their children - try to keep track of the fidgety person rushing around the carriage like a whirlwind. If there is still a road ahead, you should make sure that the child is not bored and you are calm.
When traveling with children under 3-4 years old, it is important to take on the road something that will calm the child and help him maintain a normal daily routine. These could be books, small toys, paper and pencils for drawing and coloring, a large construction set or a pyramid. Remember your child’s nursery rhymes and favorite poems. Your favorite pajamas will help you go to bed on time.
Children over 4 years old are already involved in everything that happens around them and choose only the activity that seems most interesting. It is important to think through some of them so that you don’t have to explain to your child on the fly what is possible, what is not, and why.
- Train inspection. If a child is on a train for the first time, then getting to know the new space will be his first desire. Show how the cars are fastened together, what a dining car is, how to turn on the water in the toilet, how to climb onto the second shelf correctly. Take your time with the excursion and let your child learn everything on his own under your supervision. Children love to have an action repeated until they get tired of it. If you “work out” all the situations at once, the child will get tired and happily agree to another activity.
- Other compartments and passengers. Interest in other passengers is an unexpected opportunity to see how other people live: who has their things and how, who is doing what. Treat this with understanding and come up with several options in advance for how to explain to your child that you should not disturb others. If there are neighbors in your compartment who don’t mind talking to their children, then turn the child’s attention to them.
- Communication with other children. If your child meets other children on the train, organize them to do something together in your or another compartment - new toys and communication will interest the child.
- Toys, entertainment and games you can take with you. If a child likes to draw, then pencils are suitable, and special water coloring books turn pictures into colors if you brush them with a wet brush. If your child likes educational activities, take several copybooks, drawings by cells, mazes, logic connectors and similar written activities. Also suitable for drawing is a magnetic board, the notes on which are erased if you lift the lid.
Many card games, which are based on the principle of logical addition, are curious for children. Take games on topics familiar to the child: animals, professions, fruits and vegetables, phenomena. Memory - a game in which you need to remember the location of cards and look for pairs, develops memory. If your child plays independently, take on the road cars, dolls and everything you need for an interesting game alone. With children school age you can play role-playing games, put on a play or play cities, word games like “I’ll take you on a hike” or similar.
Each age has its own difficulties that will have to be faced on the train, in addition, each child is individual and some of the difficulties cannot be foreseen - take it with cunning and leave a couple of distracting maneuvers in the form of goodies, new toy or a recorded cartoon in reserve.
Once, an acquaintance complained to me about her eternal “bad luck” on the road.
No matter where and what she traveled on (train, plane, bus - it doesn’t matter), she always came across fellow travelers with small children. And she, sighing heavily, once again became an involuntary participant in a noisy road play with all its “drink-eat-pee”, running back and forth, childish whims and plaintive whimpering after lights out... In general, Valya sincerely believed thattraveling with children on the train - this is a serious test both for the child’s mother and for the neighbors in the compartment.
She was probably just fatally unlucky with her children as travel companions. Because when I personally went for the first time with one and a half year old Roma to Evpatoria by train,the little guy didn't create any problems for me at all (much to my surprise). Maybe because we drove most of the way at night, and Roma, tired from the impressions, slept peacefully until the morning.
But be that as it may,kids on the train demand from mom special attention and creativity adapted to the situation. Try to chain your child to at least his own sofa for a long 8-16 hours! And here - stuffiness, a closed space, a lot of people, unusual sounds and smells, nerves excited by the novelty and the need to behave like a good girl...
The mother has only one way out of the situation - to “keep her finger on the pulse” all the way and entertain her own child much better than the clown invited for big money.
Ordinary toys
Full list children's things at sea can be downloaded Here . All child psychologists unanimously advise taking 2-3 of your child’s favorite toys on vacation. They say that this will calm him down and give him the opportunity to feel “at home” even in a nightmare reserved seat carriage.
But there may be a problem here. For example, the “favorite” is twice the size of the child himself or makes terrible sounds (my brother, for example, had a tin drum as his favorite toy - the neighbors were very unhappy)
In general, we take with us two or three half-forgotten compact pets and, of course,teddy friend , with whom the small one is on at the moment doesn't break up.
And naturally, we buy a couple of new “victims” - they will act as an “ace in the hole” when the situation becomes completely peak.
By the way, don't do my fatal error- don’t show your little one that you’re carrying a whole bag of toys! He will immediately understand what “happiness” has befallen him, he will quickly look through everything that is there - and within 20 minutes he will demand new entertainment.
While the child is delighted with new impressions and calmly stares out the window or checks the elasticity of the carriage seat, it is better not to disturb him at all. Save your strength - you will need it soon. For a child now the train and everything connected with it is one big cool toy. Which, unfortunately, he will play enough of very soon...
Educational toys
Toys like books with stickers, magnetic boards or sketchbooks, as well as lace-ups, puzzles, and coloring books are a real lifesaver on the road. They do not take up much space in luggage, distract the child for a record period of time and provide relative silence in the compartment. The bad thing is that if a child is sick, he shouldn’t look down for a long time - he will feel even more sick.
A couple more useful tips about developmental activities. Before the trip, I advise you to learn two or threesimple tricks (it’s on the road). And, as an option, get the hang of folding a couple of figures from paper napkins. And of course, grab stickers or Velcro toys that stick to any surface and don’t leave marks.
Adult toys
This refers to all kinds of laptops, tablets, DVD players with prepared songs, games, audio stories, cartoons,educational videos (don't forget to bring headphones so as not to disturb your neighbors).
In principle, even an ordinary one will do for these purposes. mobile phone. You just need to send a selection for it in advance interesting pictures with animals, cars, professions - after allOn the road you can not only have fun, but also learn! Try to pick up visual material with "history". For example, you can read a whole lecture about a crocodile or a fire truck. And if the little one is already familiar with the image in the picture, let him tell you his version. As a last resort, photos of friends and family will come in handy.
Reluctant toys
I mean the train environment itself, which can be safely used as a toy (compartment doors, top shelf, tea in cup holders, trees flashing outside the window, folding seats in the carriage corridor, bottle opener under the table). Questions: “What is this?” and a personal inspection of the carriage property are guaranteed to keep the little one busy for some time.
Word logic games
For safety reasons, experts advise giving preference to central carriages when purchasing tickets. In the event of an accident, they suffer less than the head or tail ones. It is also better to choose seats facing the movement of the train. By the way, according to statistics, trains are 45 times safer than cars
Oh, these kids with their endless energy! We adults are always surprised: “How can you jump, run, ride a bike all day and not get tired?” But the real headache comes when you need to go somewhere with the kids, and at the same time you don’t know what to do with the children on the train.
Packing things
Before you go on a long trip with children, you need to think through everything down to the smallest detail. First of all, think about what the child will do. I present to you a few recommendations on the road.
Pencils, markers, colored pens
These accessories will keep your baby occupied for a while, and if you also buy a new coloring book with his favorite cartoon characters, then you will be guaranteed peace for several hours.
Books
Books can be divided into two categories: educational and fairy tales. Take the fairy tale books that your baby loves to listen to at home. After reading the fairy tale, you can discuss and ask your child which hero is good and which is evil. Educational books nowadays are full of variety in stores. If your baby doesn’t yet know the names of flowers, animals, birds, then this direction. When your child is five or six years old, take a book that teaches children letters and reading in a playful way. Of course, with such books the baby himself will not be interested, and here you will have to work with the child. But think correctly: at home, in worries and troubles, there is often no time to work with the child, but here there is plenty of time, and the baby is not bored.
Ball
Take a small ball, it will definitely come in handy. There are always other kids on the train who are also bored, get to know them and invite them to play ball. This way, you will also save other parents from the problem of how to keep their children occupied on the train.
Plasticine
Kids are always interested in different figures, and if you also join such an exciting activity, it will be doubly interesting.
Constructor
If your child likes to design various objects, take him a construction set. It's better if it's new.
Balloons
When you think about what to do with children on the train, think about balloons. All children love to play with them. Buy balls of different shapes and colors. You can simply play with them, throwing them to each other, or you can draw different faces on the balls with felt-tip pens.
Soap bubbles
They will amuse not only your child, but also all the children in the carriage.
Player
A tablet or player with recordings of his favorite cartoons will come in handy at a time when you cannot devote time to your baby.
Puzzles
Basically, when it comes to what to do with a child on the train, puzzles can be a way out. They are compact and light in weight, which is valuable when packing bags for travel.
Wheelchairs for children
Is your baby between one and five years old? Be sure to take a toy with you - a gurney. It's better if it's musical. Don’t worry about your neighbors, let your child play rather than rage and cry, thereby irritating fellow travelers even more.
Advice
When packing your bags, it is better to put the toys in a separate bag or bag, since you will need them before you board the train. If the bag is not heavy, let your baby carry it.
Children are cunning creatures
Children very quickly understand the boundaries of what is permitted. When you are among strangers, it is difficult to explain anything to a child or punish him for a bad deed. They become uncontrollable. Therefore, think about how and what to keep your children occupied on the train so that the trip does not turn into a long and painful nightmare.
I recently wrote a post about traveling with children, but there I basically talked about how we managed to do it with three kids.
Today I would like to do useful post for everyone who dares to travel with children.
On the way back from Anapa, we spent almost two days shaking on the train, and we were not the only people on the train who were traveling with children.
The most popular and simple entertainment is to play a cartoon on your child’s laptop and let him sit and watch.
I personally have nothing against cartoons, I show them to children myself, but it is obvious that it is still extremely undesirable for a child of two years to watch more than forty minutes.
What to do the rest of the time? And is it possible to carry it out with real benefit for the baby?
Let's put together a “magic suitcase of joy” for a child on a trip.
If I go somewhere with a child, I always prepare for the fact that I will have to entertain him, so I take toys with me.
Most best option- buy new toys and books for the trip and show them to the child only on the road.
What to take for a child six months to two years old:
1. Baby slings with toys
A very convenient thing for traveling, they only take up space on your neck.
My favorite beads are made up of knitted beads with small knitted toys.
Little children love to chew them and crush them in their little hands. You can order from any craftswoman you like on the Internet.
2. Children's book with waterproof pages
Nowadays they make wonderful children's toy books for little ones.
We had several such indestructible books with wonderful illustrations.
In our favorites, the cardboard base is applied to a polymer base. Warm floors for children's rooms are also made from this material. It's very difficult to chew this one off. This is important for parents of baby beavers who violently chew ordinary cardboard books.
There are options made of fabric or completely waterproof. You need to choose something that will captivate your baby.
3. “Quiet” musical educational toy
Almost all children like light and sound toys.
For example, a completely win-win form is a telephone with buttons and sounds. They are specially made quiet for children, so they will not disturb passengers.
I always take educational toys that have a lot of all sorts of bells and whistles - rustling toys, rattles, nozzles.
All these “treasures” can be put in a soft, bright backpack or a children's handbag with drawstrings. Kids love to take out and put back different objects, so the handbag can become a separate toy.
What to take for a child from two to five years old:
There is more room for imagination here. The child can already be captivated by some spiritually beneficial activities.
1. Coloring books and washable crayons. Sticker books
Ideally, the crayons will be in some kind of plastic box. You can put them in a small food container.
Why not markers? It’s possible, but even washable ones can leave too bright marks, and the caps get lost very easily.
It's easier with crayons - they are soft and dry.
Another great form of entertainment is sticker books.
You can take a sticker book where you need to stick on assignments. Or you can take stickers and an empty album separately.
Let the child make “collages” himself.
2. Children's lotto and small puzzles
There is also a lot of room for imagination here - I like most of all the wooden puzzles on a backing, from which you need to put together a picture.
Insert puzzles are suitable for smaller children. It's easier there - just choose the size.
On a trip, you can take a plastic lotto with animals or fruits and vegetables.
It may not be possible to keep your child occupied for an hour, but fifteen to twenty minutes is quite possible to sit through this exciting game.
3. Children's plasticine Playdo with some modeling kit
This plasticine, although it would probably be more appropriate to call it modeling dough, is the coolest.
I recently discovered some awesome kits with which you can create all sorts of interesting things. A variety of molds, carved cutting knives and other artifacts will keep children occupied for a long time.
After the game, the plasticine is put away plastic cups and, in general, all this wealth is compactly packaged.
4. Tablet
Maybe someone will say a word against it, but I don’t see anything terrible in children’s applications on a tablet.
There are incredibly beautiful and educational games. My children sometimes play at home too. True, no more than twenty minutes, as the great and terrible Komarovsky bequeathed.
I really like books that come to life and various alphabets.
Of course, all these methods work if the child is quite diligent. I assume that it will not be so easy for active specimens a la “shilo-popa” to sit down and fold some kind of lotto.
Active children are difficult to keep in place. In this case, they can be captivated by the views from the window. You can tell some interesting stories about the places you pass. And no one has ever prohibited walking into neighboring carriages.
During the day, passengers usually have a very favorable attitude towards children walking importantly up and down the corridor.
In general, it is important to alternate a child’s mental activity with motor activity. Don’t forcefully keep him in place, give him the opportunity to “take a walk,” and then quietly captivate him with some kind of game.
Probably what is more important is not so much the set of games as the attitude of the parents themselves.
Children absorb our mood like sponges, so it is important to be relaxed and not worry too much about the upcoming journey.
When we traveled with kids, everything was pretty smooth. The older three-year-old mostly looked out the window, listened to a book, colored, and watched cartoons from her neighbors.
But the twins liked to walk and stare at people.
But I know that now, when I decide to go with older children, I will definitely pack for each "magic box of joy".
Although, maybe I won’t go by train at all, but will go to Momondo and with a generous hand I will buy air tickets for the whole family. Who knows?
However, something tells me that maybe this summer I’ll decide on a similar trip with my whole cheerful family.
It's much easier with older children. They can read books themselves. And they can also be occupied with an interesting activity - creating a travel notebook. Let them write down some of their thoughts while traveling, collect tickets, unusual candy wrappers and paste them into a notebook.
They may be trying to sketch some road scenes. It’s okay if all this looks crooked and naive. After some time, the child will look through his notebook and remember the trip.
By the way, instead of chocolates, you can take with you various milk and nut bars and children's cookies.
More good thing - special hammock for train . With its help, you can create a safe environment for a child on a narrow shelf, as well as visually isolate yourself from the rest of the space, especially if you are traveling in a reserved seat rather than a compartment.
It looks like some kind of mosquito net with straps, but it looks like it should be taken. The main advantage is that you don’t have to be afraid that the child will roll onto the floor in his sleep.
With this I will finish listing the items for a comprehensive children's entertainment during long trips.
One way or another, a lot of people travel with children on trains. Yes, this experience is not always positive because all children are different. But in general, if you are in the mood for the trip, the parents are mentally prepared and have collected the necessary entertainment things - everything should go smoothly.
Don’t forget that everything is new for a child when traveling, and sometimes the best toys improvised materials become: spoons, mugs or my mother’s incredibly alluring cosmetic bag.
Write in the comments what else you can take with you on the train for children?
All mothers know that only babies who sleep soundly behave ideally on the road. Most passengers treat children's whims with understanding. However, as practice shows, parents rarely manage to avoid negative comments addressed to them. In order not to waste your nerves and get the most out of the trip, parents should think in advance about how to organize and what to do with their child during the flight. Of course, all kids are different. They are different in age, in temperament, and in their interests. We bring to your attention 45 ideas for keeping your child occupied while traveling on a plane, train, or car.
Traveling with a child on a plane: 15 games and activities for children during the flight
15 Fun Activities and Games for Kids on a Plane
- The first entertainment that will clearly interest any child is getting to know a new space. Tell your child about the plane, show and let him touch everything that surrounds the little passenger. After takeoff, you can walk your child around the cabin, telling him where the pilots are sitting, what the flight attendant is doing, etc. Thus, you will not only distract the child, but also allow him to get used to the new territory.
- Now you might be surprised, but food can be a great entertainment on a plane. Of course, a child cannot chew something the entire flight. But for some time, puree in a beautiful jar can distract him. Passengers with children are allowed to take liquids into the aircraft cabin - juices, water, mixtures. You can also bring fruits and dried fruits on board. Parents of older children can take with them a pair of Chupa Chups, which will be very helpful during takeoff when their ears are blocked. Children under one year old, as a rule, do not experience such problems.
- Prepare little surprises for your child that children simply adore. However, they need to be taken out and presented to the child gradually. For example, first you take out a drawing or coloring set from your bag. Of course, along with pencils. For half an hour, or even an hour, little artists will definitely not bother anyone. Detailed and simple picture instructions for drawing animals will help parents quickly teach their children to draw a bear, tiger, turtle and other representatives of the animal world.
- Then you can take out a treasure box from your bag, which will contain small funny things, such as a bracelet, a ring, beads or construction toys from Kinder Surprises. You only need to take a plastic container with a toy on the plane; it’s better to leave the chocolate egg at home. Kinder surprise toys can interest not only children, but also adults.
- Remember, in Soviet times there was a slogan: “ best gift- book". Take a couple of small but interesting books with you on the plane. A new book with bright pictures will definitely captivate your child for a while.
- A simple piece of paper in a confined space can also be great fun. Show your child how to make an airplane out of paper. Fly on an airplane and “design” the airplane yourself. By the way, the finished paper airplane can be painted.
- Finger toys will help entertain, distract and keep a child interested for a long time. With them you can stage a whole performance, inventing all sorts of stories on the go (or rather on the fly).
- Some airlines give little travelers special kits that include puzzles and puzzles.
- It is much easier to captivate teenagers; they will be happy to watch a film from the air cinema repertoire, play games on a tablet, listen to music, etc.
- When purchasing toys for travel, pay attention to the Oogie men, who have suction cups on their arms, legs and head. As a rule, children play with these toys with pleasure.
- You can buy an army of soldiers and have a real battle on a folding table. The main thing is that the baby does not see these toys in advance.
- Don't forget to take your child's favorite toy with you on your trip. He will feel more confident with her.
- A massage can be great fun. To do this, parents need to purchase a Su-Jok ring massager at the pharmacy. This ball is very useful for the development of baby's speech. It's inexpensive, and the kids really like it.
- Many children love all kinds of stickers, so it’s worth purchasing a special book for them in advance, in which small stickers are glued.
- And, of course, any child will be distracted for some time by a tablet with cartoons.
Traveling on a plane with a child is problematic, because flights can be quite long, and you can’t go out for a walk (for obvious reasons). Parents should think through and prepare for such a trip in advance.
What to do with toddlers and older children on the train: interesting ideas
What should parents do to prevent their child from getting bored on the train? How to prevent aimless walking along the corridor of the carriage, endless whining, causing irritation among neighbors in the compartment? Of course, a long road tires even adults, what can we say about children with their inexhaustible energy? If you are planning to travel by train with a child, you also need to carefully prepare for it.
15 ideas for activities with your child while traveling by train
Once in the compartment, sit your child by the window and tell him about the railroad. After the train has started, spend some time with your baby and look out the window with him.
Write interesting stories about people living in houses, about different animals that live in the forest that you pass by. The baby will become interested, and for some time he will be happy to look at the landscapes outside the window.
- When he gets tired of sitting in one place, give him a tour of the carriage. Perhaps your child will find himself a travel companion, and he will not be so bored with the long journey.
- Colored pencils, markers and a sketchbook - these supplies will also distract your child for a while. Ask him to draw a train, railroad, houses, forest, etc.
- Books have always been indispensable assistants on the road. Read to him or let him look for himself bright pictures in baby books.
- Take the alphabet with you and start learning letters. At home, as a rule, there is not enough time for such activities.
- According to many mothers, finger toys will be an indispensable attribute on any trip. You can put on a real performance with them. Children will be happy to take part in it directly.
- Older children can play board games, put together puzzles.
- Entertaining games of “Words” or “Cities” will captivate your child for a long time. Each word must begin with the letter that ends with the previous one. For example, car - antenna - bus - plane, etc. Cities: Moscow - Anapa - Astrakhan - Norilsk, etc. Of course, the choice of game depends on the age of your child.
- Older children willingly solve riddles. Therefore, they can buy special books. Teenagers enjoy solving puzzles and crosswords.
- Teenagers enjoy playing Monopoly. This economic game perfectly develops logical thinking.
- Battleship - an old but very exciting game will also help you pass the time on the train.
- For kids on the road, you can buy new toys - small prefabricated cars, soldiers, a fortress that needs to be assembled.
- What if mom takes her on the road? colored paper, scissors, glue and be patient, then her child will diligently cut and glue.
- Having a DVD player with a screen will be a great salvation for parents. All children, without exception, love cartoons. Many children are delighted with good cartoons, cars, etc.
- If your child meets other children on the train, then the “watch” of entertainment can be shared with another mother. An hour you entertain the children in your compartment, an hour she.
What to do with children on the road by car: 15 ways
A long trip in a car can greatly tire little fidgets, because their movement is limited, they cannot run and frolic. What can they do? Of course, be mischievous and capricious.
How to travel by car with children: advice from doctors
According to psychologists, traveling in a car for children from 1.5 to 3 years old can become real stress. At this age it is difficult for children long time be tied to a chair. Therefore, doctors recommend stopping every 2 hours and giving the baby the opportunity to move around and take a walk.
Children over 3 years old, as a rule, willingly travel in a car; for them it is an interesting adventure. And yet, after looking out the window for a while, they also demand attention and entertainment. How can you entertain a child in the car?
15 ways to make car travel fun for your child
- Despite the popular belief about the dangers of tablets, psychologists do not see anything wrong with such entertainment. It all depends on the games, cartoons, films chosen correctly by the parents and the time that the child will sit with his nose buried in the tablet. Doctors recommend that children under three years old be given a viewing limit of 20 minutes a day. For older children, no more than one and a half hours a day.
- An audiobook can be a great entertainment for children.
- Small children can listen to songs, children after three years old perfectly perceive radio fairy tales.
- Teenagers willingly listen to audio plays and audio books.
- Kids love hanging toys in the car.
- Small children play with soft toys for a long time.
- Children over three years old eagerly look at picture books.
- You can entertain your child in the car by playing interactive games with him. For example: “who will be the first to see a yellow car, a cyclist, a red house, etc.” The child can be given the task of counting roadside poles or monitoring the appearance of traffic jams.
- With teenagers, you can study car brands. As practice shows, they are delighted with such interactive activities.
- Word games can also be a great activity to do in the car.
- You can organize a competition for the most interesting story about car travel.
- The forgotten Rubik's Cube will become a lifesaver for travelers.
- You can also draw in the car. Of course, it will be quite difficult for a child to draw something, but he will easily draw a “squiggle”. Mom’s goal is to create an artistic masterpiece from this “squiggle.”
- A performance performed using finger puppets will also distract the child for a long time.
- If several children are traveling in the car at once, you can take turns composing a fairy tale. The first child says one sentence, the second continues the story, etc. This fairytale therapy will relieve stress and calm you down.
The road will become an interesting adventure for the child if the parents take the time to communicate with him and think in advance about how to spend the time on the road interestingly and usefully. Dear parents, cherish every minute spent with your children. They grow so fast!
All we can do is wish you a happy journey!
