Well, it looks like the summer’s finally here – woohoo ! Make the most of it and throw a few things into the car boot and head off to the beach for a lovely family day out. Ummm hold on, rewind a bit there. Did I really just say “a few things”? All the mums and dads out there know that if you’ve got little ones, especially babies, it’s impossible to travel light, even if you are just heading out for a day trip. But never fear here’s a little guide to some of the things that can make your life a whole lot easier this summer. You all know the importance of sun cream and sunglasses and sun hats so I’ll feature some of the quirkier but nevertheless indispensible products that I’ve discovered and tested out on Madhouse Family Reviews.

First up – a compact first aid kit: Hopefully, you’ll never need to use it but just to be on the safe side, stash a small first aid kit in the glovebox of your car or in baby’s changing bag. You can make your own by buying all the products individually and packing them in a sturdy make-up bag but one of the best, not to mention the most compact, ones that I’ve discovered is the BabyAid. It contains all the usual suspects (plasters, bandages, scissors, and antiseptic wipes) but also some clever little parent-friendly extras, like disposable adhesive thermometers and Brave Little Star stickers!

Secondly a Snooze Shade: If you’ve ever battled (and probably lost) with a pushchair parasol or pegged a blanket over baby’s pram, you’ll know how difficult it is to keep baby out of the sun, especially if it’s even the slightest bit windy. One mum who was constantly complaining about this problem designed the perfect solution – a blackout blind called the SnoozeShade that you can attach to any standard buggy or pram. It’s lightweight and breathable so it won’t make baby overheat but it will offer him a peaceful, darkened haven to sleep in while you picnic with the kids. As well as keeping baby out of the sun, offering UPF50+ protection, it’s also great for keeping away wasps, flies and mosquitos.

Thirdly a Beach Wrap: Young children are often champion whingers! You do the prize-winning parent routine and take them to the beach, build a sandcastle, go paddling, then just settle down for a well-earned rest while they slurp their ice creams when they start moaning about being cold and wanting to go home. Hooded bath-towels have existed for donkey’s years and any of them can be used at the beach to keep the littlies warm but Morrck have come up with a beach-friendly version, the Splasha that has poppers allowing it to be opened enough to apply sun cream or let in a little breeze if they start getting too hot. (Because rest assured, after the “Mum, I’m cold” palaver, it’ll be “Mum, I’m hot” within a matter of minutes!) Kids will love the “treasure pocket” on the front and parents love the sun protection that it offers. Smiles all round (hopefully)!

Fourthly a Solar-Powered Charger: If you’ve got teens or tweens they’ll be more worried about the batteries on their mobile phones, games consoles, mp3 players and digital cameras running out. If you’ve planned a camping holiday with – shock horror! – no access to electricity, they’ll be panic-stricken! Luckily, you can throw a charger in the bag to buy you some extra time (literally). Powerfreakz do a nifty solar-powered one (called the Evolution 2500 Solar Portable Charger) that uses sunlight or artificial light to top up its charge so it’s good for the environment too. It can also be plugged into the mains or a USB port and comes with an international adapter.

And last but not least, a highchair tray cover: The chances are, you’ll end up eating out from time to time over the summer and, whether you’re in a posh restaurant or your local McDonalds, you’ll often find that the highchairs leave a lot to be desired. As babies and toddlers love squishing their food all over the tray before putting it anywhere near their mouths, you can buy yourself some peace of mind and battle the germs with a Tidy Trays sanitary highchair tray cover. It wraps up really small, is wipe clean and machine-washable – what more could you ask for?!

Did you know?

When travelling with kids make it a fun time. Look up online some great games you can play with them. There is a game called “Build a story”. The first person starts with “Once upon a time there lived…” and the next one has to finish it. And so the whole family builds the story.

Guest Blogger: Cheryl Pasquier from madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot.com

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