Arranging a holiday can be quite stressful at the best of times but if you are going on holidays with your baby for the first time there will be a lot of new things you need to think about.

The team at Anara Baby Toys have put together a few pointers to help you plan for a baby friendly holiday.

Baby Proof Accommodation

You should spend some time looking carefully at what holiday or accommodation you choose to stay at. People baby-proof their homes but not all hotels or accommodation are baby or even toddler proof. A swimming pool for example may sound loads of fun but this could be really dangerous if it has not been made child friendly. You want to find a hotel that offers a safe environment for you and your baby. Some hotels are safer than others so you will need to do some research. Some hotels will have child-proof windows and doors that can’t be opened by young children, others will offer playpens and cots either in the rooms or they may have them available on request. Some hotels even offer baby and child menus so you don’t need to worry about taking all of the baby’s food with you.

The journey

Driving with children in the car can be quite distracting so it is always useful to have an additional adult in the car who can keep a watch on the baby and try and entertain them if they get bored and start to cry. The way that some car seats have to be fitted also means that it is not always easy for the driver to see the baby. However, the driver should have their eyes on the road at all times anyway. So having another adult there can take away some of the temptation of taking your eyes off the road to look at the baby.

You should allow extra time for your trip as you will have to stop regularly to feed that baby and change its nappy. You might find that it can simplify things if you pack a separate case for the baby so you don’t have to go routing through your stuff if you need a quick change of clothes for the baby.

As well as packing some of the baby’s favourite toys for the holiday you should think about packing some special car seat toys to entertain them on the journey. The advantage of car seat toys over regular baby toys is that they are attached to the baby seat so they can’t throw them on the floor or at you while you are driving.

Snacks and drinks for the baby

You should try and keep to the baby’s daily routine even if you change yours. Taking a good supply of fresh fruit and healthy snacks along for the baby can help you keep to your feeding timetable on holiday as well as on your journey. You can’t always rely on service stations to sell suitable food for babies. You should also take a long plenty of drinks for the baby so that you don’t run out and run the risk of them becoming dehydrated.