Me and Spud are quite fortunate enough to get invited to quite a few events thanks to the blog, I don't however drive so I get out and around via public transport, which includes lot's of buses and trains. Travelling alone on trains can sometimes be proven difficult, however, I'm sure all parents will agree with me when I say it's a little bit more difficult travelling with children on trains!
Children are intrigued and interested in events going on around them, they love to discover and learn every single moment of the day. Spud presents me with new questions on a daily basis, which I try my hardest to answer, sometimes with the help of a search engine I should add. I love helping him on his learning journey, and find it warming to know it's not just the school who are educating him on knowledge.
A train journey with Spud brings up lot's of questions in his little mind, such as; Who's driving the train mummy? How fast are we going? What's that over there? Where are we now? How long have we got left? When will we be there? Plus many more.
Over the years, I've soon got to know what works for keeping Spud entertained and what doesn't. Hull Trains approached me and asked me to help them find ways to entertain kids on long train journeys. I've added my suggestions below to hopefully help you have an easy/fun train journey when travelling with children.
Over the years, I've soon got to know what works for keeping Spud entertained and what doesn't. Hull Trains approached me and asked me to help them find ways to entertain kids on long train journeys. I've added my suggestions below to hopefully help you have an easy/fun train journey when travelling with children.
One - Technology
If your child/children have a portable gaming system such as a DS, PSP or Wii U console, it's worth charging the device to it's full battery capacity and bringing a few games along with you for train journeys. It's a treat for the children, and a relief for other passengers who have heard your children repeat that they are bored continuously for the last 20 minutes! It also gives you time to check your email and respond to any messages you promised to get back to a week ago!
Two - Old Fashioned Entertainment.
Year's ago, the world didn't have smartphones, or even mobile phones to be precise, nor was there e-readers or portable gaming devices. Bringing along a colouring book and a pack of pencils or crayons for your child can help them get lost in colouring, making the journey seem shorter as they're focused on their colouring.
Another old fashioned entertainment trick is a pack of playing cards, nowadays it's easy to get your hands on a pack designed just for children, otherwise a normal pack of cards will do where you can play snap, go fish or pairs.
Three - Snacks on the Go.
It's well worthwhile to bring a few snacks and drinks with you, or even a full packed lunch depending on the distance of your journey. Maybe make the packed lunch items a little bit more fun, instead of plain triangle or square sandwiches, use cutters to make a train shaped sandwich!
It's always a good idea to carry at least one bottle of water with you also, be prepared for delays and emergencies.
Four - Games
I've mentioned technology and a pack of playing cards but we must not forget Eye Spy/Guess What I See and other verbal games. Me and Spud like to note any animals we've passed on our train journeys and take turns to mimic animal noises in soft voices so we don't disrupt any other passengers.
Five - Reading
You can never ever ever read too much in your lifetime, the same goes with learning, our knowledge holders will always have room for more, so will our brain for the books we've lost ourselves in, and our vocabulary for the words we know how to correctly use. If your child is not currently reading a book, either surprise them with a new book you've purchased for them, or let them choose a book themselves prior to your journey. Nowadays you can get multiple reading pack accessories which include stories and educational activities for your children to participate in.
Both me and Spud prefer train journeys over car and bus journeys, we like the fact that if we need the toilet, we can easy access one without problems, we can have our lunch on the train, read a book or in Spud's case a magazine, and can even charge our technology up on the go!
We'd love to hear of any tips you may have so please do feel free to leave a comment below.
King regards,
Jade :)
