Adam`s travels: 8 busy bags for a young toddler on a plane

We recently made a trip to Belgium and this time I knew I needed to prepare a little more for the upcoming flights. During our last flight Adam was still more of a baby, less of a toddler, and it was only a 3-hour flight. I was also still breastfeeding him at the time, which has always been my go-to soothing method to get him to take a nap on the plane. With an active toddler of 15 months, a 7-hour flight and no more nursing to result to, I knew we needed to make sure Adam had some entertainment to keep him happy (And us sane ;-) ) throughout the whole flight. 

Of course you could rely solely on the in-flight entertainment system and we did take a tablet with us as well, but these things often don`t capture Adam`s interest for long. Most of the time what fascinates him about this technology is the actual equipment, not the movie played on the screen or the game he can play. I actually tried to have him watch something on the in-flight entertainment system, but all he was interested in was pushing the button that turns the screen on and off. :-D 

However, there was another toddler, similar in age to Adam, sitting just a few feet away from us that actually sat on her mother`s lap the ENTIRE flight, playing a game on the in-flight entertainment system! She definitely didn`t need anything else to occupy her, but... that`s not Adam. ;-) Some parents might have thought I was a little strange with my fully packed diaper bag stuffed with busy bags, but I sure was happy I took the time to prepare... :-) It really made a lot of difference and I hope our busy bags can serve as inspiration for you and your little one in case you`re travelling soon as well! 

1. Mini pompon drop

If you read this post you know that Adam has loved his pompon drop, so I decided to make him a mini version we could play with on the plane... 

2. Post-its

Post-its were Adam`s favorite throughout both flights we took! He loves taking them apart and peeling them from places I stuck them like the seat, the wall in front of us (We were sitting in the first row), ... 

3. Stickers

Stickers are also a great activity on the plane: you can stick them on any surface and have your toddler try and peel them off! 

4. Electronic gadgets

As I mentioned earlier, Adam is really into figuring out how technology works. He loves cables, wires, anything that has little buttons or flickering lights he can press and touch. This busy bag consisted of several (old) electronic items I had lying around the house: an old phone, an old iPod, old cables, a small flash light, ... 

5. Animals

I`ve felt it became time to start introducing Adam to some animals and their corresponding sounds. I used these animal cards for him to look at, while I named the animal, described it and made the corresponding sound. Fun! 

6. Key chains

In Qatar people travel frequently, so when friends or colleagues get back from a trip they usually bring some kind of souvenir and often it`s a key chain. Adam loves key chains, so I gathered all the ones we`ve had lying around the house and this made a nice bundle for Adam to explore and play with! 

7. Bubble wrap

I packed some bubble wrap and we had fun popping bubbles on the plane, or more so: I popped the bubbles and Adam was fascinated by the texture and sound of the bubble wrap! 

8. New books

If you`ve read our previous posts (here and here) you know Adam loves books. Most toddlers do! For this trip I made sure to buy some brand new books for him and this as well was a major hit and kept him happy and content for some time! 

If I`ld have to give you a top 3 of what turned out to be the most successful busy bags, it would look something like this: 

1. New books

2. Post-its

3. Mini pompon drop 

Did you make any busy bags for travels? I`ld love to read your ideas! 

Adam`s 10 favorites at 14 months

Practically all of our activities the past month have been Montessori-inspired. Parenting for me is an incredibly enriching journey in which I`m always learning! As I gradually read and learn more about Montessori education, I`ve tried to implement some of its principles into our activities. There are some great Montessori blogs out there from moms and educators with far more knowledge and amazing looking tools and home made *toys* than the ones I`m presenting here, but what I try to do is show what you can do when you 1) Don`t have easy access to all of these kinds of fancy materials (When you`re living in the desert, wooden toys and tools are not exactly easy to find, let alone reasonably priced.) or 2) You don`t want or are able to spend a fortune on buying all of those fancy tools and toys. (Because wherever you live, this stuff can get expensive.) :-)

In general, I like to create a lot of activities for Adam from stuff we just have lying around the house or from cheap craft materials. I`m honestly surprised when I enter most kid`s homes and I see so much (electronic) toys my head starts spinning! (Imagine what all of those toys would do to a child: sensory overload!) So my motto is: less is more! 

I am thankful for all of the fun we`ve had the past month and the new skills I saw Adam acquire with these easy and budget friendly activities... 

1. Pompon drop

When my husband went for umrah last year, he brought soms big bottles of Zamzam water home with him. I knew at the time one of these bottles would come in handy one day, so I kept it stored away and I`m so glad I did. Dropping pompons in the bottle has definitely been Adam`s favorite activity throughout the whole month!

2. Home made play dough

This month I`ve introduced Adam to play dough! It`s so easy to make and we`ve had some fun exploring the texture. Adam especially loved pushing his fingers down on the dough and of course he tried to eat it. ;-) Luckily our play dough was home made!

Here`s the recipe we used: 
* 2 cups of all purpose flour
* 1 cup of salt
* 1 cup of water
Mix flour and salt. Gradually add water and knead until you reach the proper texture and the dough isn't sticky anymore. 

3. Sensory play with dried flower petals

This activity consisted of 3 parts: 

1. Exploring the dried flower petals in a sensory basket. 

2. Adding the dried flower petals to some water for sensory play. 

3. Making a sensory water bottle with some dried flower petals.

I used dried rose and hibiscus flower petals that I found in the spice section of our local grocery store. Adam was really fascinated by the petals as he had never felt or seen this type of texture before! He was really engaged through out the whole activity.

I loved it as well as there was so much sensory play involved and we really stepped outside of our comfort zone with this tone. :-) 

4. Smelling jars

Adam has been really fascinated by these smelling jars I made for him, although he didn`t really seem to get the *smelling* part that much yet. I`ll be introducing this one again in a couple of weeks, but wanted to share it anyway. I got the idea from this amazing Montessori blog. 

I filled up our smelling jars with fresh mint, cinnamon, clove and oudh. 

5. Opening and closing boxes

This has been a daily activity for Adam the past month: opening and practicing closing boxes and jars. Throughout the month I introduced boxes in different materials: cardboard, plastic, metal, glass, ... Practically all of them were boxes that I had lying around the house or recycled from cream or cheese containers. 

6. Mess free painting

Adam and I did some painting before and although it`s such a fun activity, I, -like most moms- don`t really look forward to cleaning the mess afterwards... That is why I loved this idea!

Here`s the recipe we used for the paint: 
* 2 cups of water
* 1,5 cup of flour
* 1 tsp of salt
Whisk everything together.
Divide into equal parts (f.ex. 4)
Add a few drops of food coloring to each part. (f.ex. 4 colors)

(Unfortunately, I don`t remember the source!)

We used just 2 colors in this activity. 

7. `Coin` collector

For a while now Adam likes to *drop* things into a container of sorts. He absolutely loves his pompon drop, but I decided we needed to change things up a little. I have a little coin collector for toddlers and Adam loved it, but dropping actual coins in there is still too difficult for him. So we recycled a tin can, some lids and made a toddler-sized `coin` collector! 

8. Pens

9. `Soccer`

All you need is a ball. :-)

Adam and his dad (and sometimes me and bump included.) have had loads of fun playing `soccer`. Adam isn`t walking yet, but just like last month he loves chasing after balls and throwing them to his dad who then scores goals! (With our front door being our `goal`) 

10. Books

One of my plans for the following months is to create Adam a reading nook: a little cozy and comfortable place in his room where all his books are displayed and he/we can read! This child seriously adores books. He loves to be read to, he loves to read small board books himself and he also loves flipping through big books. (Which results in a lot of shredded pages, woops.) `The Very Hungry Caterpillar` is one of Adam`s new books this month. 

Adam`s 10 favorites at 13 months

Since I`ve now got a hyper little toddler crawling and cruising -no, not walking yet- around, it was time to step up my game to introduce some more activities to Adam. I always try to have a variety of games and activities available for him to explore, but as he also decided that morning naps are not happening anymore, we`re dealing with VERY long mornings nowadays in which variation is key to keep both Adam content and me sane. :-D 

And honestly? I also just love trying out new things together: it is both a challenge for him and for me. :-) 

So here are Adam`s 10 favorite activities at 13 months! I hope they can serve as an inspiration for you and your little one. Keep in mind that some of these might be not interesting/too difficult/too easy/... for your particular child. I try to observe Adam closely and try to base new activities and games on what he shows interest in. :-) Some of these activities are Montessori-inspired as I`ve been really fascinated by the teachings of Maria Montessori, others are inspired by Pinterest and some I make up as we go along. :-) 

1. Throwing oranges 

Adam has loved throwing and chasing after balls for a while now, so I decided to change things up a little and give him a basket of oranges to play with. He loved picking them up, throwing them around, rolling them, collecting them back, ... 

2. Sorting pompoms

Every toddler mom needs to have this in her arsenal of games and toys: pompoms. :-) You can use them in such a variety of ways and tots really find them fascinating. (They might try to eat them though, so keep an eye on your little one here!) Adam loved sorting the pompoms in an empty egg container. 

3. Post-its

All you need are a set of (plastic) post-its. Adam loves pulling them out and sticking them on anything. :-) A plastic surface usually does a perfect job!

We also play a little game with post-its in which I will stick post-its on several body parts, let`s say eyes, nose, mouth, ears, ... When Adam pulls one off I tell him what that body part is called. :-)

4. Pulling off tape

Some cardboard and some washi-tape make for some easy play!

5. Lids in a jar

Another easy and inexpensive activity: you just need an empty plastic jar and some plastic lids. Adam gets so excited when he is able to drop all the lids into the jar that he jumps up and down with joy! :-) 

6. Pasta sensory box 

Fill up a box with some dry pasta, cups, spoons, etc. and you`ve got yourself a fun sensory activity! :-) This is not for neat freaks as your whole living room floor will be covered in pasta. ;-) 

7. Pull toys 

These pull toys (For lack of a better word...) have been his favorites for the past 2 months now. I just took some metal jars and made some cuts in the plastic lids. You can fill the cuts up with colorful wooden ice sticks or pipe cleaner like I did, but you can also use different types of fabric, yarn, etc. 

8. Books

Adam has loved being read to since he was really little. He loves books in general and enjoys *reading* on his own as well. He can be quite content for a while just flipping through books. As he will be a big brother soon, lately I`ve been reading to him about welcoming a new member to the family... 

9. His personal wallet 

This has proven to be a great activity for outside the home. I usually give Adam *his* wallet when he is in the car seat or when we are in a restaurant and we need to wait a little while for our order. This is basically a wallet that we had lying around the house (And my husband got it as a gift, but never used it.) and I was about to throw away until I remembered that Adam loved playing with MY wallet. ;-) I filled up Adam`s wallet with old plastic bank cards and membership cards, passport pictures of me and my husband and I attached some colorful key chains to it. 

Adam loves playing with the key chains, taking out the cards, flipping through the wallet, ... 

10. Playing outside 

The weather in Qatar is great at the moment and we`ve been having lot`s of outdoor fun the past couple of weeks. I try not to take too much toys with me, but I just let Adam crawl around and explore his surroundings. (Who needs toys when you`ve got twigs and rocks to play with?) 

How to survive Qatari summers... Activities for babies (6-12 months)

You and your baby are becoming utterly bored by staying inside all day and you`re looking for some inspiration on making these long days a little more exciting? You`ve come to the right place! :-)

Here are our summer activities... Enjoy!

 Playing with water balloons. 

Painting with home made paint.

Playing with colorful ice cubes.

How to survive Qatari summers... With a baby?!

Summers in Qatar are no walk in the park. Temperatures reach extremely high and humidity reaches its peak: it feels like you`re living in an oven or a sauna and when you dare to go outside in the middle of the day it is impossible to even sweat as it just immediately seems to evaporate. I am not exaggerating. It.is.that.hot.

This is my 3rd summer in Doha -but my 1st summer with a baby!- and here are my survival tips to get through this season:

1. Get.out.of.here!

Seriously though. What are you still doing here? If there`s one time of year you should hop on the plane and visit home or travel the world it is NOW. This isn`t your *regular* heat wave, like in Belgium where it lasts about 5 days and you know there is an end in sight... Temperatures will only start becoming more bearable around October... Yes, October! 

But I figure you`re stuck here -just like me- for whatever reason as that`s why you are reading this post ;-), so keep on reading...

2. Pinterest is your best friend!

I have to confess: I am definitely a Pinterest mom! I absolutely love to browse through all the creative ideas, pin them, save them and I actually put these ideas into reality! But even if you`re not that creative or crafty, trust me, Pinterest is your best friend during these hot summer months. It will make all those hours and days spent inside more bearable (both for you and your baby!). 

My son while (body) painting. 

But if you don`t feel like browsing Pinterest, I am compiling all our activities this summer in this post . You`re welcome! ;-) 

3. The mall is the place to be!

I don`t like the malls here. They are way too crowded, too busy and too noisy, BUT... Practically all the malls here have playgrounds and play areas for children and EVEN for little children and babies. And as it is way too hot to have our babies play outside or go to the park or the beach, the mall is our last resort to get out of the house... A very kind lady shared this list of playgrounds at Doha`s malls with me and I am planning to check out several of them. Over the last few weeks my son became way more mobile (crawling, standing, ...) and being confined inside really gets boring for him, so I am looking forward to discover some soft play areas at the malls during weekends! 

List of playgrounds and play areas: 

• Ezdan mall: a separate play room for under 4`s with costumes, kitchen and bedroom equipment and soft play. Rides for over 4`s. 
• Bennigans restaurant (near Khalifa tennis, near Dana club): a pub with a big indoor and outdoor playground. 
• Fuddruckers restaurant (near Khalifa tennis): a burger cafe with a small indoor playground. 
• Royal plaza mall: Ray`s reef children`s center with soft play, bumper cars and arts corner. 
• Landmark mall: Circusland with soft play, trampolines and rides. 
• City Center: a separate educational room for under 4`s and everything else for over 4`s. 
• Dar Al Salam mall: Fun Ville, a small indoor playground. 
• Centrepoint mall (Al Sadd): a small indoor playground. 
• Coral restaurant (Intercontinental hotel): a kid`s corner. 
• Old Movenpick hotel, Seasons restaurant: a huge separate playroom with inflatable playground and kids` food. (Only on Friday brunches)
• Villaggio: everything for everyone. 
• Chili`s (Lagoona mall): soft play. 
• Chili`s (near Ramada): upstairs soft play but needs supervision. 
• Dairy Queen (near Ramada): ice cream cafe with a small soft play. 
• Hyatt Plaza mall (next to Villaggio): Jungle Zone: everything for everyone. 
• The Pearl: Tickles and Giggles. 

Note: I haven`t visited any of these playgrounds myself yet, so if you have any feedback about them or if you know of any other indoor playgrounds, please share! :-) 

4. Mommy-baby playgroups!

You`re definitely not the only mom stuck here during summer, so it`s time to unite with your fellow mom friends and create a playgroup! Maybe you could meet up once a week with some fellow mommies and rotate houses every week: that way it remains a *new* experience every time for both mom and baby!

But if you don`t know any fellow moms with babies of a similar age as yours, you can check out these groups on Facebook: Positive Doha Playgroups and Muslim Mom`s playgroup for toddlers. Be sure to find some new mom friends there!

5. Get outside! (Just for a little bit)

Our favorite hang out spot around sunset.

I know, it sounds crazy to suggest to get out there in the blistering heat, but right before sunset is really a good time to catch some *fresh* air. Almost every evening I take a little walk with my son around this time or I look for a patch of grass and we just sit down and play for half an hour. I know it is hot and yes, you will sweat and yes, you might feel uncomfortable, but take it from me: I rather prefer taking my son out for a little bit so he is calm and enjoying himself by being outdoors than enduring *the witching hour* inside. ;-) 

So strap that baby in the stroller or in a carrier and take a little walk around the block, sit down on a blanket or a patch of grass, catch some air on your balcony. 

No matter how hot it is even at that time of day, both me and my son feel energized and happy after coming back from outside! 

Do you have any other tips or feedback? I`ld love to hear from you! :-)