Long car journeys and children do not ago together. Anyone who has small children will tell you that keeping them occupied while they are strapped into an uncomfortable car seat is a nigh on impossible task. There are however a few things you can do to make the trip a lot more comforatble for you all.

Are we nearly there yet?

• Plan well in advance – make sure you have their favorite toys / games / colouring books
• Stop along the way – If you stop every couple of hours you can have a walk around and keep them occupied
• Travel at night – One of the best ways to keep your kids occupied is to travel at night – They will be asleep so you can get on with your journey and have a little peace and quiet.

When you’ve had a busy day at work, it can be challenging to go home and keep a toddler entertained for a couple of hours before bedtime. If however you have a routine, things can be quite simple.

Routine and children go hand in hand, your child knows what to expect and you can plan your day accordingly. A good routine for when you get home might go something like this.

• Pick up from nursery
• Dinner from slow cooker
• 30 minutes play time
• Story time for 20 minutes
• Bath time
• Bedtime

If you plan in advance, your kids will be tucked up i bed by 7:30 pm, even if you get home at 6:00pm. It can be a slog, but the time off you’ll get will be worth it.

One of the best things you can buy your toddler in spring is a trike. Yes we know trikes cost money, but there are loads of nearly new sales you can go to, or you can simply visit good old ebay and grab yourself a bargain.

The newer trikes can be converted from a simple push-along trike, where your toddler is safely strapped in with a five point harness, to a self-propelled trike when they are a little older. Now you might think that a trike is only appropriate for children who are a few years old, but you can also get them for toddler less then a year old, and they are safe and easy to use. Your toddler will be able to see the world from a different perspective and have fun at the same time.

The only problem with getting a trike for your toddler, is that they will never want to go out in their pram again.

Looking after your toddler can be really hard work, especially when they have just worked out how to stand on their own and can’t be left for a minute without falling over. If you need some ideas what to do with them on your day off, we have a couple of great tips to keep your toddler happy and get you out of the house.

Go to the park
I know it’s perhaps the simplest option, but getting out of the house can keep your little one active and help your stress levels. Playing in the park on the swings or even just pushing them around in the pram can work wonders.

Join a baby/toddler club
If you have a look in your local newspaper you will find loads of clubs you can join with your toddler. Baby sign classes for example is a great way to spend some time with your little one and you might even make some new friends with similar interests.

It’s that time of year again, when our off spring start to create lists and dreams for the Christmas season and for those of us who are really lucky, we even have birthdays and birthday activities to arrange.

What can we do that isn’t Christmas related but fun to do (sorry cool)? The heartache starts here!

For siblings it’s all about the BIG present (and each year they get more expensive) that balances out the party?

We all watch the adverts for things but have we forgotten to engage the mind beyond the gaming system or the TV?

The stress starts here!

There are many activities that you can do with your children that actually don’t cost ant money at all and most of them are activities that both the kids and the parents can get involved with. There are lots of outside activities that are free, in the fresh air and which will also keep kids active at the same time. Playing the park, whether that involves kicking a ball, running up and down on the slide, riding their bike or just walking around the grounds, these activities are all free and help keep kids active. There are also many indoor activities that you can do with your children when the British weather has set in. Children love making crafts, whether that is making pictures with glitter, creating figures with play dough or making salt dough jewellery. There is also baking which children will love doing as it allows them to get messy and at the same time they can make something that they can share with the rest of the family.

Kids need to stay active and one of the best ways to get them active is to introduce them to fun sports activities that will get their hearts pumping and them enjoying themselves at the same time. I think one of the best activities is skiing, as it gets everyone out in the fresh air and it is an activity that both parents and children can do together. At one time skiing was perceived as an expensive sport as you would need to fly to Europe or North America in order to find the perfect piste, including hotel accommodation, all the equipment and clothing, however there are now several indoor ski and snowboard centers in the UK where the whole family can go skiing for a day at a reasonable price. You can hire all the protective clothing plus skis and snowboards for a small price which allows the children to experience life on the piste with out having to go on an expensive holiday abroad. Several of the ski centers also use real snow which the children will love playing in and they also have specific activities for smaller children such as tubing and the lunge.

Well it’s the first day of the February half term and typically it’s pouring down. So the big question that every parent will be asking themselves is what to do with the children in February half term when it’s raining. One fantastic place for parents and children to visit when it rains is the Blue Planet Aquarium at Cheshire Oaks, in Ellesmere Port near Chester. They are even hosting a special ‘Pirate week’ over the February half term where children can dress up, take part in pirate themed treasure trails, themed face painting, competitions and activities.
The highlight of Blue Planet Aquarium is their famous Aquatunnel, which is one of the longest in the world, at 70 meters long. This section allows children and adults to get up close to sharks and other sea creatures as you walk down the tunnel. There is also a section where visitors can get up close and personal with a wide variety of creatures which inhabit the British coastline.

One of the best days out for February half term is Chester Zoo, which is regarded as the UK’s number 1 zoo and having been there several times I can totally understand why. It has state of the art enclosures for the animals as well as interactive games throughout the zoo for the children. Having recently visited London Zoo where I was very disappointed with the lack of modernization, I can see why Chester Zoo is so popular and if you are lucky enough to live in the North West of England it is certainly worth a visit. If you live further a field it is still well wroth the trip to the Roman city Chester and the zoo.

One of the best ways to get kids to learn is to disguise educational tasks through fun, playful activities. One of the best North West destinations where kids are able to mix play with learning is The BugWorld Experience at Liverpool’s Albert Dock. At The BugWorld Experience kids are guided through several different ecological environments throughout the world, from a typical British home to the Amazon Rainforest, where they are able to explore the bug and insects that would inhabit each area.
Towards the end of the tour children are also able to hold some of the creepy crawlies such as stick insects, centipedes and spiders. Kids will love the interactive games throughout the experience and adults will be pleased with the fact that their children are learning at the same time. The BugWorld Experience also forms a base for teachers to discuss and explore mini beasts and the different environments that exist in the world.