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School Holidays and Time Spent in Sri Lanka

As a mom who works from home, now I enjoy the luxury of spending long holidays. Before the kid’s arrival, we always had 2-3 weeks holidays in Sri Lanka as we both were working full time. We had to utilize our annual leaves in the best way whenever we visited Sri Lanka to see parents. However, now it is almost 5 years after I resigned from my full time job which I loved so much. Though I miss the working environment, I enjoy other privileges as a self-employed mom. As my clients are from around the world and due to I hire virtual staff online I can easily work from anywhere when I have the access to internet. That is one the secret for my long holidays!

We were planning to visit Sri Lanka when the November-December holidays started. However, as my father was not well and had to undergo a surgery, we had to change the dates. We visited Sri Lanka earlier than we planned. It was an enjoyable time among the family and friends. My kid enjoyed his time running around the lands. Finally we are back to Singapore and adjusting to the life here. As usual it takes some time to adjust to Singapore life as we spent nearly 2 months in Sri Lanka.

Anyway below are some moments that we experienced in Sri Lanka. This holiday is just after our recent June holiday in Sri Lanka. Although we didn’t visit many places during this time, kid experienced new things including his time exploring the nature.But,we also cant forget the first few days of the holiday which our kid caught with fever.

A visit around the home was enjoyable for my kid. For him it was like another day trip or another field trip. As my husband’s home land is bit larger, he could spend few hours walking around the land.

As always,this time too we arranged a pilgrimage to Anuradhapura which is a sacred city for Buddhists.My kid spent time with his grand parents learning how to worship Buddha.

Sanu,my kid had great time with his friend D at my friend’s home.Sanu always like to visit my friend’s home because of the playing time he enjoy with the friend’s kid who is of similar age same as my kid.

Finally,we are back in Singapore.There are many experiences to share including our recent birthday celebration of the kid. 🙂 And still we are missing our time spent in Sri Lanka with family and friends.

Traveling with children for the end of the year holidays. Next stop Peru.

12 12 , 2017 No Comments

Almost everyone is focusing on the end of the year holidays; most people are starting to purchase presents for their family and friends. The classical euphoria of the Christmas holidays surrounds everything around us and takes over our minds, but what if people like me do not want to participate in any of that? What if I want my children to not part take of this consumerist madness?

Fortunately for us, The best present we can get to our children is a holiday spent in a different country, however choosing the right place to travel with them is always a challenge and a hard choice to make.

To do that, one has to consider many factors to make a wise decision. for instance, not only the attractions have to be entertaining for the kids, but the place itself has to have the necessary accommodations and infrastructure for people who travel with children.

After careful analysis and research, my recommendation for such destination for 2017 and 2018 is Peru, the land of the Inca.

Peru is a place that is located in the southern hemisphere, which means that while we are entering the cold winter, they will be entering a warm summer. Some of the best places to go with children in Peru are the Paracas National Park, and it’s Ballestas islands where one can see the large and unique wildlife of the Pacific Ocean in South America. Sea otters, Humboldt penguins, and other exotic animals can be seen from the boats touring this attraction.

Not far from there, in the Coastal desert of Peru south of Lima, it is located the Huacachina lake, which is a natural oasis of that holds beautiful and surreal sunset views. In that same area, one can take the kids on a boogie ride to the nearby dunes and practice some sand boarding which will keep the kids entertained and happy.

And if that is not enough, Peru is the home of the beautiful lost city of the Inca; Machu Picchu. In this place, one can perform a bunch of activities and tours ranging from visiting zoos to see the fantastic wildlife of the Andean mountains, handicraft markets and even do some camping along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, which is one of the most famous hiking routes of the world. The best part of that is that Machu Picchu is a great place for kids, they can learn many things there.

It is important to know that to do this hike one needs to make reservations ahead of time with a trusted tour operator. They usually provide you with all the essential gear that is necessary for this type of activities which means that one does not even need to but or take these things from home.

To sum up, this whole end of the year frenzy, traveling to Peru and enjoy the beauty of its magnificent culture will be my present and the present I will give to my children.

Road Trip Survival Guide: Kid-Friendly Tips

01 03 , 2017 8 Comments

A road trip with toddlers sound like a nightmare, since children require constant entertainment and attention. Not only do you have to think about packing the entire family for the trip, but you also shouldn’t forget to bring every possible source of entertainment to keep your children occupied during the ride. Sitting in a car for a long time will eventually make them fussy, and crying is inevitable at some point. Therefore, it’s good to know how to keep your kids busy during the trip.

Pack on Games

These days we pack colouring books and activity books to keep our kid occupied.

Drawing boards, magnetic storyboards and sticker books can serve as a very useful distraction for your kids during the trip. If you play some music that they love, you’ll keep them occupied for hours. What’s more, bear in mind that you can bring any toy they love playing with, but make sure it doesn’t make a gooey mess, or has a billion little pieces. Also, since your children must be buckled up in their seats at all times, any toy that ends up on the floor will cause crying, and you’ll have to stop the car and give the toy back to them.

Make Frequent Pit Stops

Our kid was very happy when we stopped at an eating place where there are animals to see during a Sri Lanka road trip.

Travelling with a toddler is nothing like travelling on your own. You’ll have to organize your trip to suit your kids, and make more frequent stops than you used to. Therefore, prepare yourself for multiple 30-minute breaks that will allow you to feed the children, stretch a bit and change diapers as well. This will mean that you won’t get to your destination as fast as you thought you would, but at least the trip will be more comfortable. The less pit stops you make the bigger the chances are that your children will become restless. It would be a good idea to make a stop at the place that has an outdoor playground or an indoor playroom, so that your kids can run around a bit. This will make them tired, so they’ll take a nap during the ride. Therefore, don’t forget to bring some of the necessary Go Travel accessories. The sleeper pillow or carry cushion will make your and your toddler’s travelling naps much more comfortable.

Keep them Company

Sometimes no toy in the world will be enough to keep your little ones down, so you’ll have to be the one who entertains them. Sit on the back seat with your kids and play games, until they calm down. They may want you to colour with them, draw them something, or maybe even tell them a story. If nothing of that works out, try reading to them or maybe describe the scenery and talk to them about the place where you’re going.

Bring Various Gadgets

Tablets, portable DVD players and music players are the travel essentials, so be sure to bring them as well. Keep the devices fully charged and bring as many cartoons, audiobooks and music as possible. Popular TV shows and kid-friendly movies are also a great way to entertain your kids, so be sure to bring them along in case they’re not in the mood for cartoons. Play them an audiobook with fairy tales, or singing games, and all the fussing will be over shortly.

Snacks

Chances are, the minute you start driving, your kid will start whining that they are hungry. They won’t be actually hungry, but they’ll only need something to keep them distracted, and snacks are the perfect option. Dried and fresh fruit, raisins, granola bars, carrots, bagels, pretzels and rice cakes are perfect for road trips.

Final Thoughts

Going on a road trip with children doesn’t have to be exhausting. All you have to do is keep them entertained and you’re in for a long and calm drive. Just bring plenty of games, make regular stops, give them some snacks and they’ll enjoy the ride as much as you will.

Entertainment at Toddler Town,Phnom Penh,Cambodia

14 02 , 2017 16 Comments

Yes, the name Toddler Town suggests what it is. Toddler Town is one of the kids friendly attractions in Kids City Asia, Phnom Penh which we visited during our last month holiday. Our Cambodia trip was really good and exciting together with kids friendly entertainment activities we participated in our visit to Kids City Asia.

If you follow this blog you know that we love to visit indoor playgrounds with our kid.He simply loves being active among the colourful play area.However,after our visits to the Pororo Park and My Little Giant in Singapore,we couldn’t visit any indoor playgrounds simply because we spent few months in a Sri Lanka holiday.

At the Toddler Town,Phnom Penh,Cambodia

However,when we plan our Cambodia holiday,we wanted to add some kids friendly attractions in order to keep our kid happy.If you look for kids friendly activities in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,I am sure this place is the must go in your visit!

Toddler Town is specifically for the kids who are under 4 years old in age. With colourful play equipment and fun fill activities, it is a paradise for toddlers to spend time without getting bored. Our kid was really happy to spend time among the slides, ball pool and other activities forgetting the entire world.

Ball Pool is really exciting!

One side of Toddler town is with play area suitable for small babies or young toddlers while other side is suitable for those who are more active and older in age.

Many activities till get tired!

Adventures too!

My 3 year old even enjoyed his time with pretend playing activities inside the playhouse and with the ship.

In this area,kids can spend time with pretend playing activities.This area is also suitable for young toddlers and babies.

If you visit Cambodia, Phnom Penh, don’t forget to add Kids City Asia as a kids friendly attraction. We found our visit to this place as a wise decision because our kid was with memories of Toddler Town for the entire trip and he was excited.

This ship made our kid super excited!

Kids City Asia is not only for toddlers.Theer are many other attractions and activities such as kids playground,Science Gallery,Laser Tag,Bumper Cars,Clip N’ Climb and Go Karts which are suitable for entire family to enjoy.

For more details: Check www.kidscityasia.com

Also check my detailed blog post in my travel blog: http://leisureandme.com/phnom-penh-kids-city-asia-entertainment-for-kids/

Disclosure: We received complimentary tickets for Kids City Asia.All opinions are our own.

Tips for Traveling with Toddlers

15 01 , 2016 No Comments

Life with a toddler is always full of happiness, surprises and of course sometimes it is with lot of pressure. Traveling with toddler is really enjoyable if you plan well. Otherwise, you will end up with complete disaster. If you don’t pack all the essentials with you, or if you don’t plan how to keep your toddler engaged, you will not have a good time during your trip.

Few days ago I read some posts shared by Chris and Karen in their blog www.goodfitfam.com about their experiences on travelling with twins. After reading their travel posts on traveling with twins, I thought of sharing this post in this blog with my experiences thinking these tips might help other parents who want to enjoy their time traveling with toddlers.

Anyway below tips are not specifically for flying with toddlers, instead these are tips for traveling with kids in a road trip or even for a dayout.

(You can read www.goodfitfam.com for ideas on travelling with twins, and of course they discuss about topics such as parenting, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle in their blog)

Pack light

Sure, you need to bring all the items which you want, specially the things that need for your toddler. But try to pack light and avoid unnecessary items. Bring only the essentials with you. You can also buy some consumables like diapers and tissues at the destination. But, remember to pack all the essentials for few days if you are not sure of the availability of such items at the place you visit.

Bring toys or story books

This is a common trick of most moms and it is same with me. I always bring few of my sons favorite toys with us when we travel. Just notice what is his favourite toy or toys and bring that with you. Luckily my son loves some of his rubber toys which are animals and those are not very heavy. Whenever we go, he brings those with him and he is fully engaged playing with his toys.

If your toddler like reading books (I mean looking at pictures of the books), then bring 1 or 2 books with you. When he is tired and bored with his toys, these little books will do the tricks.

Let your little one nap whenever possible.

If your little one likes to have a nap during traveling, then let him do so. You can easily explore the city or complete some of your shopping while he is sleeping. On the other way, they will stay fresh if they get enough sleep during the trip. So, allow your toddler to have a nap whenever possible.

Pack some snacks

Keep them full always. If they are not hungry, they won’t make noise. But once they are hungry and start making noise, it is difficult to control or stop them. Still their little tummies need food in every one or two hours. So, keep some of his favorite food with you and give them time to time. You know your toddler’s eating habits. So, offer him some snacks accordingly.

Find toddler friendly Activities

It can be a day out for a museum or any other place which you are interested in. But always find kids friendly activities during your trip. Some restaurants are with kids play area. If you use such place for your meal, your toddler will have a great time playing there. There are also playgrounds or other places which your kid can relax during the trip. If you cannot find kids friendly activities or if you didn’t plan that, simply a spacious area in a shopping mall or in a park is enough for them to play.

Find kid friendly accommodation

This is my favourite tip for any vacation. Don’t forget to book a kid friendly accommodation on your destination in order to keep your kids happy and engaged. Some accommodations are provided with kids’ swimming pool which is an ideal activity for toddlers. Other kid friendly facilities include kids playground and water play area. Kids love walking outdoors. Therefore, if your accommodation is with a spacious garden, that will be a happy place for your kids to experience the outdoor. Keep these points in mind before you book your accommodation at the destination.

How do you travel with your toddler?Do you have any other tips to share?Please comment below.

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