Train journeys are exciting for kids and adults alike! However, parents travelling with children will experience just as much anxiety before taking a long train trip. This is because entertaining your children at home can be hard enough, but this challenge only gets tougher when you’re confined to a carriage on a train.
Well, the good news is that we are here to help. In this guide, we’ll explain exactly what you need to know to keep your kids entertained on a long train trip.
Prepare your electronics
Before you leave, make sure that every device you plan to bring is fully charged. This includes phones, tablets, headphones, and everything else that you may bring along with you. The last thing you need is a bunch of lifeless devices on your journey. Next, download the content you’ll enjoy along the way. This includes your children’s favourite playlists, their favourite kids cartoons, games, apps, and more. Some trains have great wi-fi now, but if you don’t want to risk it, take advantage of downloading content.
Prepare your carry-on luggage
If your main luggage will be stored in a separate compartment, then what you pack in your carry-on luggage will be very important. Look at it this way – you can bring all the toys, gadgets, and games that you want, but they’re no good to you if you can’t get to them. So, when selecting your chosen forms of entertainment for your children, make sure that you can access them with ease.
Give your children their own bags
Giving your children something to do keeps them occupied. So, for a train journey, give them their own back to look after. This could be a small wheelie bag or a backpack – it depends on how long you’re going away for and how old your child is. Explain it’s up to them to ensure that they don’t lose their bag. This gives them a sense of responsibility and an extra bonus is that children can’t run as far or as fast when they’re carrying something.
Read up on the train that you’re travelling on
Not all trains are the same. Some have dining carts, snacks that you can purchase, plenty of toilets, and other facilities. Before you embark on your journey, it’s important to get yourself familiar with the services that will be available for both you and your children. We recommend even if you can purchase snacks on the train, bring a few for your kids just in case – you don’t know that they’ll have their favourites!
Be patient
Last but not least, be patient with your children. Take moment to reflect on how excited you got about travelling when you were a child and you may be able to understand why your children are behaving the way that they are. It can be tough sometimes, but being patient will make the journey easier for you and them.
Final Thoughts
There you have it – your complete guide on how to entertain your children on a long train trip. Safe travels!
