Keeping Children Occupied When Travelling

We were sent some children's activities from Boswells of Oxford to give a try whilst on holiday, but to be honest these items are great no matter where you are travelling and are useful for when you are out and about in restaurants too.

We were sent some Dinosaur Top Trumps which we did already have but I have no idea where they are and were great for my son, he didn't stop playing with them the whole two weeks and they not only kept him occupied but helped him with numbers and his reading too.

We were also sent a fabulous magic picture colouring book, which isn't just any ordinary colouring book but instead you have to use a coin to rub over the blank page to reveal the picture, included were some really bright and easy to grip felt tips which meant my daughter could be kept occupied colouring in once she had revealed the picture using the coin.

Along with these bits, they also included a sing a long CD, I feel our children were a little old for this and as awful as this makes us sound we have never listened to children's CDs in the car. It does mean our children have inherited our great taste in music though.

The CD does however have some classic songs, which, if you are into this sort of thing would make for a great ride along treat.

Having things to do in the car or when you are out and about are always a must for us, these are all relatively small but exciting things which makes them great for just popping in your bag when you are heading out.

NB: We were sent these items for the purpose of this post, all words and opinions are my own.

Finding Art & Beauty in Soissons

I didn't want to be blogging whilst on holiday but some of the sites we have seen are so beautiful and worth blogging about whilst still fresh in my mind.

So on a rather miserable and rainy Wednesday we did what any British family would do and head out in the rain!

First Soissons Cathedral, a beautiful place which my short zoom lens just didn't do justice.

A rather apt plaque to the dead of the British Empire who's bodies lay in France, a really lovely tribute and perfect for the anniversary of WW1.

I just had to snap this rather intriguing picture on show of the baby Jesus being breastfed, as a world that continues to judge women and their choices I thought this was rather beautiful. 

And finally onto the old Arsenal, an armoury now turned into a museum currently housing some great art, these are just a few of my favourites.

YUU GRUUR Bag Review

I was recently sent a YUUbag to review, or rather my son was. This bag is not only ergonomically designed to support little growing backs but is a funky functional bag and this one sports my sons favourite things, dinosaurs.

Now this may sound a bit boring when faced with a bright and colourful bag but I think the ergonomic aspect of the YUUbag is really important. My husband and I have both suffered with bad backs and necks so we know only too well how important it is to have a bag that is lightweight and and supportive.

Not only is this backpack all of the above, it also sports reflective strips, so it's perfect for darker evenings and trips out at night. It has lots of compartments and holders so you can carry everything you might need.

It also comes with things to do straight out of the bag, with pencils and a note pad so you can get scribbling and a snakes and ladders game which has been a massive hit with both our children.

The bag is really well made and if you do a lot of travelling I think it is the perfect way to keep all of their things to do in one place. The front of the bag, when folded down, can also be used as a makeshift table, with space to write or play games on and a tray to put anything on that could roll away.

There is also lot's of space for bigger objects such as iPads or books, a pencil case to keep your pencils in which is clipped to the top of the bag for easy access and so it is out of the way.

On the outside of the bag you have a bottle holder on one side and a zip pocket on the other, perfect for keeping things you need to be easy accessible, you know, like sweets.

The bag has been a hit with my son, he has been taking it on adventures in the garden, using it to carry his dinosaurs and he also took it with him when he stayed over at his grandparents.

This is the perfect bag to take on holiday and we will be taking it with us on the long journey to France later this year, great for the channel tunnel crossing and for when we get there.

The bag is £38, whilst this is more than I might normally pay for a bag I do think this is a great bag for travel, sleepovers and for days out where my son might need entertaining and although it is for up to 6 years he has plenty of room for it as he is only small so it will last him a while.

YUU currently have an offer on their website, you can buy aYUUBag and YUUlunch bag for £45 with free shipping so if you are looking for something for summer travels and a new lunch bag for starting back to school next term this is a really great deal. This ends on the 15th June so be quick if you like what you see.

NB We were sent the bag for the purpose of this review all, all words and thoughts are my own.