Lego Education Centre

Last school holidays my eldest son did a Lego Workshop at the Lego Education Centre in South Brisbane (they are also in VIC) and it was great. He got to build huge lego masterpieces and challenge his lego building abilities!

I have just discovered that the Lego Education Centre does not only run school holiday programs but also has great things happening all year around.

Sunday Funday – Each Sunday the Centre runs a Sunday Funday where they encourage a child to bring a buddy, dad, or nanna/grandad for some serious building fun. Each Sunday they have a different theme, for example lego community, mad machines, space odyssey, fantasy fun.

Each session is 45 minutes long, they run at 11am, 12 noon and 1pm and are $5.00 per person. Suitable for kids 4+. Note at least 1 adult must be present per 3 children for these workshops.

Lego Birthday Party – The Centre also has a Lego Birthday Party Program where your child and their friends spend 1 hour creating lego masterpieces around a theme. Birthday Party themes include Wacky Wheels, Medieval Madness, Lego Grand Prix, Mad Raging Robots, and many more and parties can be catered for age groups – age 4-6, 7-9 and 10+.

The Birthday child also receives a free gift and all party guests receive a lego brick name badge to keep. The Centre creates a great party atmosphere with birthday candles on a lego brick! A minimum of 10 children is required at $12 per child.

Note the Lego Education Centres are not like the Legolands around the world that have more of a theme park feel. They are an educational centre that give children the opportunity to build some fantastic lego structures in a guided environment.

Currently there are two Lego Educations Centres, one on Merivale Street, South Brisbane, QLD and one on Hall Street, Moonee Ponds, VIC, visit the Lego Education Website for further information and bookings.

Rosella Cottage at The Cottages

We recently spent a weekend ’kid free’ at Mount Tamborine, the term “it was just what we needed” doesn’t do the place justice. We had a fantastic and relaxing weekend there.

We have spent quite a few weekends exploring Mount Tamborine, what we love about it is, it is so close to Brisbane or the Gold Coast but you feel like you are miles away as it is so relaxing. It has a great community feel to it and the people really take the time to talk to you and make you feel welcome.

Where we stayed

We stayed for the first time at The Cottages which was fantastic. On their website The Cottages sells themselves by saying ’Escape to your own piece of paradise high above the Gold Coast on picturesque Tamborine Mountain. Leave the outside world at the entrance to our secluded cottages which are nestled in 10 acres of lush gardens, fruit orchards and rainforest.’

Kookaburra Cottage

This statement is spot on, it was so peaceful, there were acres of gardens to explore, we picked avocados from the trees, had breakfast on the balcony, had a log fire burning at night while we sipped a glass of local red wine and ate some of the amazing local brie, it was superb. 3 of the 4 cabins are perfect for couples and one cabin also has an extra bedroom so would be great to take the kids too.

We will be going back with the kids as they would love the amazing trees and rainforest to explore.

What we did

We always head over to Gallery Walk on a visit to Mount Tamborine, as I love exploring all of the great little shops, art galleries and more, especially without kids in tow! This visit we noticed there were a lot more new shops at Gallery Walk, lots of great new cafes and more of a modern feel creeping into Mount Tamborine, which is great. Some of our favourite places we visited:

Tamborine Mountain Distillery – this is the first time we have visited the Distillery and we loved it! The Distillery at Mount Tamborine is Australia’s most Internationally Awarded Distillery and Liquor brand with 127 awards and we could see why! We sampled quite a few of the schnapps and liqueurs and they were all divine. (thankfully we didn’t drive there!) My favourite was the wattle toffee!

At Gallery Walk one of our favourite new shops was the Honey Bee Pampered Skincare Shop. Their range of skin care all made from home grown bush honey and beeswax was amazing and all made locally at Mount Tamborine. I came away with Bees Nees pack which had a cleanser, toner and day cream and love using it. Best of all it is all natural and contains no harmful chemicals and fillers.

Witches Chase Cheese Company

We again visited the Witches Chase Cheese Company for a drink at the beer garden, dinner at Liquid Amber and of course a taste of their amazing cheeses.

Another place we visited for the first time was Clancys Irish Bar & Restaurant on Main Street. This place was great, it had such a cosy atmosphere and the food and service were fantastic!

Overall we would highly recommend a weekend away at Mount Tamborine, we enjoyed it so much we didn’t want to leave!

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Hopkins falls

Logans beach at Warrnambool

Warrnambool offers a relaxing break out of Melbourne with all the advantages of a large country town combined with the attractions of the beach.  We drove the 3.5 hour trip along the A1 with Michael, 11, for an inexpensive and refreshing five night trip during the July school holidays.

Where To Stay

Warrnambool has a wide range of accommodation available, from luxury townhouses to backpackers hostels.  We stayed at Figtree Holiday Village which offers accommodation ranging from powered campsites to motel-style brick apartments.  Figtree is clean, quiet and family-oriented.

The self-contained cabins and apartments have cooking facilities so you can prepare home cooked meals for picky eaters. Staff are friendly and helpful, and can recommend local activities.  In poor weather, kids are easily entertained with the heated indoor pool and spa or games room, and better weather encourages use of their tennis courts and children’s playground.

What To Do

Hopkins Falls - Hopkins Falls is a half hour out of  Warrnambool and it too seems like a world away, a quiet spot where you can watch the waterfalls or walk along the river looking for platypus.

Whale Watching – In winter, Southern Right Whales calve at Logans Beach whale nursery.  Binoculars and warm clothing are a must because you could find yourself standing in the wind at the lookout for quite a while. Even if the whales are not visible, it is a striking location with views along the southern coast and stairs down to the beach from the lookout offer children a chance to play on the sand.

Trail Riding at Rundells

Trail Riding at Rundells – Ideal for beginners, Rundells offers trail rides on Dennington beach.  Hard hats and boots are provided and a 1.5 hour trail ride takes you through flat pastures to sand dunes and then onto the beach.  Michael had never ridden before, but ponies are perfectly chosen to suit the skill of the rider.

Lake Pertobe – Lake Pertobe is a 20 acre site just outside the town centre.  The lake has paddle boats, trikes  and motorised boats for hire, there are barbecues and picnic tables, a playground and maze, and the popular flying fox.  It is a wonderful place to pass a sunny afternoon with children.

Cafes and Shopping

Pancakes at Figsellers

Figsellers Cafe in Liebig Street quickly became our favourite brunch spot because of its friendly staff, quick service and outstanding thickshakes, pancakes, risotto and omelettes.  The Heritage Sweet shop is a treat, and a stop in the Rivers outlet can yield some great clothing bargains.

Tips

Street parking in Warrnambool is mostly metered or ticketed, so keep some change handy.

The above post is courtesy of Frances Gaffney. With a wealth of life experience and a fix-it mentality, Frances is a big picture person.  She is an expert at turning problems on their head and shaking loose possible solutions, juggling business and functional needs for the optimum outcome.  Having grown up with good grammar, rounded vowels and correct phrasing drummed into her, she is also a stickler for proper language and great communication.

Working in the Commonwealth Public Service gave Frances great experience at rewriting corporate and personal material to suit their various purposes, and she has since become passionate about the power and accessibility of information in the digital age.  Seeing the enormous amount of information available online that masquerades as expert advice but is ridiculous, unethical, illegal or just plain stupid, Frances believes strongly that while one person may not change the web, you can take personal responsibility for whatever you publish for yourself and your clients and ensure that the information you provide is backed up by proper research and effort.

Copywriting and article writing provide an opportunity to indulge Frances’ insatiable curiosity on a wide range of topics, and to help people and businesses communicate their message in ways their customers will understand and be inspired by.

Frances loathes text-speak and lazy spellers, but ironically loves Lolcats – the premium meme of both forms of linguistic atrocity.

Please visit the Haggus and Stookles E-store. We sell Kids Suitcase and other high quality products for traveling with your children.

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Beach in Samoa

We recently went on a holiday to Samoa, a beautiful spot in the South Pacific. I did have one big concern, though: this was our first overseas trip since having our little girl. She was twenty-one months old at the time we travelled and I was really worried about the plane trip. How would we cope with a toddler on a six hour flight?

But I soon learnt that it isn’t just the plane trips; there are many aspects of travelling with a toddler that are can be a little tiresome.

Let me give you an idea of the challenges we faced:

1. Getting to Samoa involved: getting up at 3am, driving an hour to the airport, catching a bus from long-term parking to the terminal, waiting for the flight, a two-hour flight from Melbourne to Brisbane, a two-hour transit at Brisbane airport including a bus from domestic to international, a four-hour flight to Apia in Samoa, baggage collection, customs, and a bus to our resort.

2. Sitting in restaurants for three meals every day, and even a quick meal can be dragged into a long wait when everything is being done in Samoan time.

The mini bus tour was a challenge

3. Hiring a mini-bus to tour (we were travelling with some friends) around the islands of Samoa. I wasn’t well prepared for this, not realising that getting anywhere in Samoa takes at least an hour from where we were staying. Add to this a one-hour ferry trip each way to the other island, with my husband and I both feeling queasy… made for long days exploring.

4. Coming home was even longer than getting there: a bus to the airport in Samoa, waiting at a hot airport for two hours, a six-hour flight to Sydney, a two-hour transit at Sydney airport including baggage collection, customs, check-in and a bus from international to domestic, an hour-and-a-half flight to Melbourne, baggage collection, a bus to long-term parking, and a one-hour drive home.

All of these are things that anyone choosing to travel takes in their stride. I had never even thought twice about waiting at airports or queuing for customs, but add a toddler into the mix and it took a bit more effort. So it was fortunate that I had been given some great advice on my blog and I was more prepared than I would have otherwise been.

We also came up with some other ideas along the way, so here are my tips for making travelling with a toddler a little bit easier:

1. No matter where you are – at an airport, in a plane, a car, a bus, restaurant – ALWAYS have a bag with various activities at the ready. Things like crayons, blank notepads, colouring books and playdough were invaluable, as were books and small toys. The biggest hit was stickers, and we all ended up with various stickers over our faces, arms, legs and all through the plane (luckily they came off easily!).

2. As always, kids surprise you with what they get enjoyment from. For example, on the plane trip home a flight attendant gave our toddler two disposable cups, which she spent a while playing with in awe. It’s worth looking around for whatever is at your disposal and seeing if it will give your child half an hour of fun.

3. I am not a fan of children watching television all the time, however as a last resort we did have some Wiggles episodes loaded onto my husband’s iPhone. It was great for THOSE moments when serious distraction tactics were required.

4. We have a backpack carrier for our daughter, which we took for doing longer walks (easier to transport than a pusher). On the way home, we decided to use it around the airports and it worked brilliantly. Small things like going through customs are a hassle with a bored toddler who wants to run away, so it kept her contained while we did those things, and then we let her run around afterwards to release some energy.

5. It’s important to realise that sometimes you need to be a bit flexible with your plans. For example, our toddler was swimming all day and exhausted by the evenings, so expecting her to sit quietly at a restaurant for dinner was a big ask. There were nights we just had to get her back to the room early.

I don’t want to make it all sound like a hassle, because despite all of that, travelling with a child was lots of fun. It’s also worth noting that travelling with older kids (we had an eight-year-old and a five-year-old in our group as well) is a completely different experience; they’re more able to have some patience and understand how to wait with Mum and Dad.

With a toddler though, it’s just important to be organised and to remember that it can be both tiring and exciting – so much to explore! – for a little person.

Megan Blandford

Please visit the Haggus and Stookles E-Store. A lovely Kid’s suitcase is available there. Visit now and feel free to browse some other high quality products for traveling with your kids!

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Feeding Wallabies at Featherdale

Featherdale Wildlife Park is a great, low-key Australian animal park located in Sydney’s west. It’s surprising to find out that many Sydneysiders don’t even know about it while others haven’t been since their school days.

Best accessible by car, Featherdale provides an enjoyable day out for the entire family and overseas visitors.  It’s also reasonably priced especially if you’re lucky enough have a Shop-A-Docket’s 2-for-1 voucher.  Kids under 3 get in for free.

The park has plenty to see and do and there are nice picnic areas so if you want to take advantage of all activities, plan a whole day there.  If you can’t get there at the opening time and you’re driving, don’t bother going into Featherdale’s small carpark, but find street parking nearby.  The park is well sign posted from Sydney and the Blue Mountains.

There are lot of animals to check out and the collection of Australian birds is extensive.  Kids will enjoy feeding wallabies and kangaroos and patting koalas.  The park serves as a great introduction for toddlers to our native animals.

Other animals can be enjoyed from the safety of a barrier or glass – you’ll find emus, pelicans, wombats, echidnas, turtles, a crocodile, and various reptiles just to name a few.  There are also albino kangaroos which I didn’t even know existed!  Watching a turtle swim underwater is particularly fascinating – its body glides around gracefully as the mesmerised crowd stands without moving a muscle.

Great collection of Australia Birds

When hunger strikes, head to the onsite café or even better, grab a picnic table and enjoy your own packed goodies.  It’s a good to grab a table early or if your group is small, share one with other guests.  Barbecues are also available.

At the back of the park there’s the Farmyard section, another interactive section of the park.  Children’s shrieks of laughter can be heard from far as they chase geese and chickens around!

Try and come at feeding time as you can help feed the pigs or give a bottle to the cute lambs.  Be wary of the hungry goat though which may sniff around your pram for food!  Also, be prepared to spend some time here as it’s hard to encourage the kids to move on.

If you manage to move on, ensure you visit the entire park.  It’s definitely worth it and the kids will talk about it for months.

See their website for further information – www.featherdale.com.au

The above post is courtesy of Magda Biniaszewski, a freelance writer based in Sydney. She enjoys weekends away, with or without toddlers in tow.

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Whale watching at Nelson Bay

Are you one of those couples that used to camp before the kids came along, but now it seems too hard?  It seems like you would need to take everything but the kitchen sink and take a day to pack.  That’s not really the perfect holiday is it?

A solution that is being discovered more and more by young families is campervan hire or motorhome hire.  Being able to take the kids into the outdoors and teaching them about the wildlife is something we’ve always wanted to do for our children.

Recently we explored the coast north of Sydney in a campervan for a couple of weeks.  Hiring a 4 berth motorhome gave us plenty of space, and having the onboard toilet and shower made life so easy. (editor : easier still might be to take a Travel Potty if you are toilet training)

Pelicans at Port Stephens

The kids loved the places we explored.  We based ourselves at Port Stephens, about 2.5 hours north of Sydney. We spent the days exploring the area.  Nearby, Nelson Bay is a large sheltered bay with safe, calm beaches perfect for small children.  The days just disappeared as we checked out the surf beaches, taught the kids how to fish, did family walks and even some whale watching.

Whale watching begins in mid May as the humpback whales migrate north over about a 6-8 week period.  From September to October, the southern migration begins.  At this time there is also a large number of seabirds that migrate from the northern hemisphere to nest there.  If you can time your visit to experience the migration of the whales, you and the kids will not be disappointed.

Dolphins at Port Stephens

Port Stephens also is home to groups of bottlenose dolphins, which we were lucky enough to spot.  It was the first time the kids had seen dolphins in the wild, so saying they

were excited, was an understatement.  Nearby Tomaree National Park is the perfect headland to spot the whales, dolphins and other marine life.On our way back to Sydney, we spent a night in the Hunter Valley which is not that far from Port Stephens.  We enjoyed a couple of wine tastings and the scenery was spectacular.

We even found a few venues, like Potters Brewery which had playgrounds for the children and allowed us to relax over lunch.

All in all, a campervan holiday is perfect for a family holiday.  It is a great way to introduce the children into the marvels of nature without roughing it.

A great way to travel with kidstesy of Gallivanting Oz. Contact Gallivanting

The above post is courtesy of Gallivanting

Oz for assistance with campervan hire and motorhome hire in Australia http://www.gallivantingoz.com.au

Internal shot of a campervan

Please visit the Haggus and Stookles E-store, we sell a terrific Travel Potty, trust us it’s pretty useful.

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Red Bus and Big Ben

For many Australians heading to Europe, London is their first port of call, and for first time travellers and particularly those with children, it’s a great place to start.

The United Kingdom allows you to ‘ease into’ a European holiday as there are no language barriers and the English drive on the same side of the road to us, so the transition from life as they know it back in Australia isn’t too difficult for most kids.

Add in the fact that your kids will already be familiar with lots of London’s major attractions and it makes for a perfect place to begin your European adventure.

1. A great way to get your bearings in London, and in any new city, is to buy a ticket on the Hop On Hop Off bus.  These buses operate around a circular route stopping at major points of interest along the way, allowing you to hop off where you please and hop back on when it suits you.  The Original London Sightseeing Tour, one of the most popular operators in London, offers passes valid for 24 hours and provides a full commentary service.  Children are well catered for – a special ‘Kids Club’ commentary is provided as well as kids’ activity packs.

Once you’ve got an overview of London you can then plan your sightseeing itinerary and decide which attractions you would like to visit (or return to) …. and in London, there is no shortage of sights!

Marching Band London

2. The London Eye, Tower of London, Big Ben and London Dungeon are all popular with kids of all ages. Older children may be familiar with the original Monopoly streets such as Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Mayfair and Park Lane, and it always creates a buzz to actually stand on the real street.  Sports fans will enjoy visits to famous sporting arenas such as Lords, The Oval, Wimbledon or Wembley Stadium.  All offer tours to the general public but you may need to book ahead.

3. On rainy days, museums like Madame Tussaud’s, the British Musuem, London Science Museum and the London Planetarium offer endless options to while away a few hours, whilst the whole family will get a kick out of visiting Harrods, the most famous department store in the world.

4. Arrive early if you want to watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.  The changeover takes place every day at 11.30am (during summer) and is free, but as one of London’s most popular attractions, it pays to be early to get a good viewing spot.  The whole ‘parade’ takes around 45 minutes and may be a little tedious for younger children but many visitors leave after 20 or so minutes.  The ‘changeover’ takes place on alternate days during the rest of the year, so check the schedule in advance if you are visiting outside of summer.

Tower Bridge London

5. Younger children will be in heaven at Hamley’s Toy Store, a seven storey toy store said to be the biggest in the world.  Open 7 days a week (with reduced hours on Sundays), even Mum and Dad will find something to amuse them at Hamley’s.

6. If you plan on visiting a number of attractions in London, it may be worthwhile purchasing a London Pass.  These passes allow entry to over 55 attractions and come with guidebook full of information, maps and directions.  Many of the attractions also allow London Pass holders ‘fast track’ entry, meaning you don’t have to queue up at the ticket office on arrival – just swipe your pass and skip the queue.

7. When you’re ready for a rest or the kids need to burn off some energy, head to Hyde Park. With over 600 acres of parkland, a huge man-made lake, and Kensington Palace within its boundaries, this is the place to go to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

8. There’s no denying that London is one of the most expensive cities in the world and finding reasonably priced accommodation isn’t easy.  Many hotels (and B&B’s) in the UK and Europe only accommodate a maximum of three people in a room, so families inevitably need to book two rooms or rent an apartment.  Fortunately there are lots of apartments available and these provide the added bonus of being equipped with cooking facilities, allowing you to prepare your own meals and save on the expense of eating out.

London really is one of the world’s great cities, so start planning your holiday and show your children the fantastic sights on offer.

The above post is courtesy of Carolyn Schonafinger from Holidays to Europe. Carolyn has travelled extensively in Europe with her husband and children and is passionate about helping other families to experience, and get the most out of, their European travels.

Please visit the Haggus and Stookles E-Store. We sell adorable Luggage Tags and some other high quality products for your luggages.

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Sealion show at Seaworld

I usually jump at the chance of going away for the weekend and while my impending weekend to the Gold Coast was no exception, it did require a little bit more organisation than normal. That’s because I agreed to go away with a close friend of mine and her two and a half year old daughter, Phoebe.

My first ever weekend away with a tiny tot. Six week before our departure, my girlfriend and I were searching for ‘suitable’ accommodation. We scrolled through a number of websites advertising high rise apartment buildings with ocean views. After a short deliberation, we agreed on a holiday park, mainly for the safety factor (no dangerous balconies here) and family atmosphere.

Closer to our departure, we made further checks. Our accommodation didn’t take note of our request for a portable cot but a child’s car seat was definitely included with our rental car. We also pre paid for our theme park tickets, hoping to avoid long queues once we got there.

D day finally arrived. Everything was going smoothly until the dreaded announcement over the loud speaker confirmed our fears. Our plane was delayed. Oh no! How do you occupy a restless toddler? We played with the entire contents of Phoebe’s Dora the Explorer backpack. We read books. Phoebe even got new colouring books from nearby newsagency. We finally got the call to board and everything was ok again.

Dorothy the Dinosaur at Dreamworld

First stop Dreamworld! Phoebe was in great spirits and fearlessly went on all the rides suitable for her age. Wiggles World was a particular favourite. The Sumatra tigers were fascinating but not for long. And while Dorothy the Dinosaur is much-loved, the life size version was just too much to take in as Phoebe’s eyes filled with tears.

The tears didn’t last long though. We then spent a lazy Sunday checking our holiday park’s many facilities: there was a dip in the pool, a bounce on the giant pillow and lunch in the bistro. We also had time to visit a local beach, made some sand castles and watched local pooches splash about in the ocean.

Sesame Street show Seaworld

Our last day on the Gold Coast was spent visiting Sea World. We followed herds of parents and their prams from show to show: we saw seal detectives, Sesame Street characters dancing on a tropical island and leaping dolphins. Phoebe loved the colourful and dynamic Sesame Street show but kept losing interest in the others, no matter how much we liked them. She was grumpy and tired. It was an action packed weekend for a toddler.

Penguin Point Sea World

We arrived home tired but exhilarated. It was definitely a different weekend away to what I’m used to. Would I do it again? We’re already talking about the next one!

The above post is courtesy of Magda Biniaszewski, a freelance writer based in Sydney. She enjoys weekends away, with or without toddlers in tow.

Please visit the Haggus and Stookles E-store. We sell a terrific Travel Wallet and  some other high quality products for traveling with your children.

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Disneyland Paris

Disneyland in the USA has always been a popular holiday destination for Australian families with both kids and adults alike happy to spend a day or two in their own ‘Fantasyland’ but since 1992 the Disneyland name has also become synonymous with Paris.

Originally called Euro Disney, the Disney Corporation built one of the finest parks of its kind, taking its lead from the original Disneyland in California. The Paris park is home to almost all the famous attractions of the Californian version including Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World and Big Thunder Mountain, but all with a slight French influence. And best of all for the kids, they can meet all their favourite characters, Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy, as they wander through the park.

Under its new name, Disneyland Resort Paris, the park consists of two separate theme parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios, as well as three on-resort hotels, but for those preferring to stay in Paris itself, the resort is easily accessible by public transport. A 35 minute ride on the RER A4 take passengers from central Paris to the Marne-La-Vallée/Chessy station, right in front of the main entrance to the Disney Parks and close to the Disney hotels.

Your children will love seeing all their favourite Disney characters.With so much to see and two parks to discover, it’s always hard to know how much time to allow for a visit to Disneyland Resort Paris, but there are options to suit everyone. A 1 day/2 Park Discovery ticket starts from just AUD$141 per adult and AUD$123 per child, with 2 night/3 day packages including on-resort accommodation and a 3 day ticket priced from AUD$590 per adult and AUD$292 per child.

Mid-July until mid-September are definitely the busiest times at Disneyland Resort Paris, so to make the most of your time and to ensure you don’t miss out on any of the main attractions, a Park Hopper pass and a FASTPASS are a great idea. A Park Hopper pass allows you to jump between the Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios parks whenever you want. This is especially useful if you only have one day to spend at Disneyland, as the best of both parks can be sampled.

FASTPASS is a free service that allows you more convenient access to the main attractions by reducing the waiting time in line at a number of the most popular rides including Indiana Jones™ and the Temple of Peril, Space Mountain: Mission 2, Big Thunder Mountain and Peter Pan’s Flight. To obtain your FASTPASS, you simply insert your admission ticket into the FASTPASS machine at the entrance to each particular attraction. You will be issued with a FASTPASS ticket indicating a return time so you can go off and enjoy other activities in the Park and return in time for your scheduled ride. This eliminates the need to queue up for long periods of time – definitely a good option with children. Only one FASTPASS ticket per person can be issued at a time so you’ll need to use your first FASTPASS before you can obtain another for a different attraction.

The Fairy Castle at Disneyland Paris

Don’t be put off by the fact that Disneyland Resort Paris is in a non-English speaking country. The park is well prepared for English speaking guests with most staff speaking English and all attractions signposted in English as well as French.

If your kids have always wanted to visit Disneyland but you are lured by a European holiday, a visit to Disneyland Resort Paris could be the answer. You’ll still get to see all the famous icons of Paris such as the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe, but you’ll also have the added bonus of seeing the kids’ eyes light up as they wander down Main Street. A family holiday to suit everyone – now that’s what dreams are made of!

1. Want to avoid the big crowds? Try going when the kids are in school on a weekday if you’re able to. Most British and European families only visit on weekends and during the school holidays, so try to schedule your visit for a Monday to Thursday wherever possible.

2. Buy your tickets in advance – they are usually cheaper and it will save you valuable time at the Park as you won’t need to queue at the gate to purchase your tickets.

3. Arrive as early as possible to avoid the biggest crowds and the hottest part of the day.

4. Get a FASTPASS for Big Thunder Mountain (one of the Park’s most popular rides) as soon as the park opens so you don’t have to wait in the long lines which can be long even a few minutes after opening.

5. Bring plenty of snacks to keep the kids happy, and remember to drink plenty of water. Even on a relatively mild day the sun reflecting off the concrete can increase the temperature substantially.

6. Save money by taking your own lunch (be French and bring your own baguettes!) as the cafes and stores inside Disneyland Resort Paris can be quite expensive.

The above post is courtesy of Carolyn Schonafinger from Holidays to Europe. Carolyn has travelled extensively in Europe with her husband and children and is passionate about helping other families to experience, and get the most out of, their European travels.

Please visit Haggus and Stookles E-store. We sell Luggage Tags for your lugagges and other high quality products for your kids there. Visit now,  you can find variety of products to choose from!

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Seven Ideal Family Attractions in Sydney

1. Cut down on costs by choosing accommodation that offers value for money and provides all the basic essentials. Kids don’t need fancy extras like a concierge or valet parking, so save that for your own indulgent break away. Best Western offers quality accommodation and value for money, with great locations all over Australia and New Zealand. See www.bestwestern.com.au or www.bestwestern.co.nz to search over 200 hotels, motels, resorts and apartments.

2. Don’t pack your itinerary with too many things to do. Kids need to rest – and have time for their own play. Plan one or two activities per day, and be flexible about changing your plans based on everyone’s wishes.

3. If heading abroad, make sure you plan your vaccinations well in advance as some need to be taken up to six weeks before you travel.

4. Children up to seven years of age must now be restrained in a booster seat or forward-facing restraint so when booking a hire car, make sure they have these options available for your kids.

5. No destination is off-limits. Don’t be worried about travelling with children to developing countries or regional areas. They will usually adapt to new experiences fairly quickly.

6. There’s no need to over-pack but don’t forget necessities like sunscreen, baby paracetamol, wipes and any special medication.

7. Kids can get bored easily – so make them a part of the action. Buy each child an inexpensive disposable camera so they can take pictures. Your kids will really feel special when they can snap their own photos. They’ll also love the resulting photos they can later use in a memory book of the trip.

8. Have fun – holidays are about enjoying yourself, and although there might be tantrums and tears, they’re usually overcome by some quiet time out or a playful distraction.

The above post is courtesy of www.bestwestern.com.au

Please visit the Haggus and Stookles E-store. You will find a lovely overnight bag there. Visit now and feel free to browse our high quality products that you may find useful when travelling with kids!

Other posts you might enjoy reading:

Travelling in the car – tips and a checklist

Tips when planning a family holiday

Travel Checklists – forms to help when travelling with kids