Summer Travel Series: Traveling with Bigger Kids (5-8 years)

Thank you for checking in with our last installment of our Summer Travel Series! We have had a great time reviewing all the best gear for traveling with all different age groups. Be aware that most of the products listed in these posts can be used just as well in the car as on the plane.

Your child may be too big to ride on Trunki now, but with a comfortable shoulder carry strap attached, your bigger kid can sling Trunki through the airport or continue to roll it along behind them, giving their Hugga Pet Pillow a ride.

For your older child, pack Trunki with a Reading Light and Books. Melissa and Doug makes a nice selection of stencil sets with non rolling crayons that are perfect for the plane or the car. Packing is half the fun, so let your older child choose which toys to bring along. Don't forget to pack plenty of snacks for your kiddo in Itzy Ritzy Reusable Snack Bags as well.

If your older child is still under 44 lbs, consider still taking along a Kids Fly Safe Cares Restraint to supplement the seatbelt on the plane.

When traveling with both older kids and babies, I recommend Hold on Handles that attach to your stroller. Kids can pull Trunki with one hand and hold onto the handle in a busy airport without worry. I can actually manage my 18 month old son, three year old niece, and five year old nephew at Disneyland by myself for a couple of hours with this set up! They like that they have their very own handle and that their hands don't get sweaty holding mine all day. When it is time to get in line for a ride, I detach the hold on handles from the stroller and attach them to my backpack. They work like a charm! Thanks so much for reading along with our Summer Travel Series and thanks for shopping at Goore’s for Babies to Teens.

~Alena

Summer Travel Series: Traveling With Younger Children (3-5 years)

Welcome to the third installment of our Summer Travel Series! Now that your children are big enough to sit in their own airplane seat and can entertain themselves for a slightly longer period of time, bring along some of their favorite items in the Melissa and Doug Ride-On Trunki Suitcase! At age 3, kids can sit on Trunki’s back and be pulled along in the airport if you would rather check your stroller than deal with gate checking it.



Trunki is big enough to hold you child's favorite blanket, sweatshirt, and big enough to hold plenty of toys to keep them busy. Some nice toys to try are Melissa and Doug's Pretend Play and Dress Up Dolls (Policeman for Boys, Princesses for girls). Another good idea is to bring along a "pet" stuffed animal for your child to take care of while flying. The responsibility of caring for a special little buddy is enough to take your child's mind off of, possible, first time flying anxiety. Have your little one talk to their pet and explain to their pet the process of security check points, the importance of seat belts on the plane, and good flying etiquette such as, "We have to use our inside voices, and we must not kick seats." This will help them process the information in an indirect way.

Your child may be big enough for their own seat on the plane, but the restraint system was not designed with little bodies in mind, so check out the Kids Fly Safe Cares Restraint Harness. It works in conjunction with the planes safety belts and is comfortably designed just for your little flyer. Avoid carrying your bulky car seat on the plane with you, check it as luggage and use the Cares Harness instead.

Chances are your child will need more than the small snack most airlines are serving these days, so pack a lunch in the Double Decker Meal Box. Extra snacks can be packed in the Itzy Ritzy Snack Happens Reusable Bags, and don't forget to bring along an empty lidded cup or water bottle if your child is not used to drinking from an open bottle or cup to fill with whatever juice or water is served on the plane.

Check back in with us for the last part in our Summer Travel Series: Traveling with Older Children (5-8 years) to see how Trunki grows with your child and more!

~Alena

Melissa and Doug Sound Puzzle Review by makobiscribe.com

Jennifer from Makobiscribe.com gave us and Melissa & Doug a raving review. We're very happy to have Jennifer work with us on reviewing such a great product, the Melissa and Doug Sound Puzzle, that we wanted to share her review here.

Goores sent my two boys Melissa & Doug Sound Puzzles. This had to be the cutest idea for my two. They absolutely love noises and to match the pictures with the noise (moo, neigh, baa, oink) was so much fun. It had both of them giggling and learning at the same time. I browsed around Goores.com, and they really are for babies to teens. You can purchase your own sound puzzle just in time for Christmas for only 12.99.

They are not just for children, Goores.com has sections just for dads, just for moms, furniture and skin and haircare. They have a wide variety of brand names, not only Melissa &Doug but Graco, Kid Kraft, Schylling, and more. The shipping was extremely fast; and for you soon-to-be moms, they have a baby registry also!

Thank you again!

Jennifer Reed