Holiday activities for toddlers: what I’m actually packing
Built on permission, preparation, and more activities than we’ll probably need.
Written by Amber, co-founder of The Resource Roost
I love open-ended play, natural curiosity and letting children be bored.
I also love drinking my wine while it’s still at the temperature the winemaker intended.
Turns out, both can be true.
So, for this holiday, I’m giving myself permission to stack the odds in my favour.
To rotate in a few things Emmett hasn’t seen in a while.
To buy a few things he’s never seen at all.
To pack more craft supplies than we’ll probably need.
And, yes, to bring the iPad.
Not because he needs entertaining every minute.
Because making the holiday easier is reason enough.
Here’s what’s actually coming with us.
The forgotten favourites
These are the toys and books that have quietly disappeared into a cupboard long enough to feel interesting again. No wrapping required. Just a little strategic toy rotation.
- Magnetic tiles: Our Mideer tiles are apparently no longer enough for Dad’s “ideas,” so a follow-on set is being considered.
- Numbers puzzle: Emmett is in a very real numbers phase, so we’re leaning in with the Melissa & Doug See Inside Numbers Puzzle. When the sensitive period* arrives, you lean in.
- Books: We’re packing the books that keep giving. You Choose Bedtime and You Choose Farm always spark a new answer, a new idea or a completely unrelated story. Chattysaurus needs no explanation, and Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site is coming because I’m not yet ready to lose his beautifully jumbled version of it.
- Flash cards: We love flash cards and have sets ranging from planets to animals. His latest birthday gift was the EeBoo Children of the World Alphabet Cards, which are beautifully jumbo and currently giving him the challenge he wants. We only introduce five at a time, then talk through each country with a little help from GPT for the quick facts I absolutely do not have stored in my head.
The new things
I am fully giving myself permission to buy a few small surprises for the holiday.
Not because he needs more things.
Simply because new is exciting, and sometimes that excitement buys everyone a gentler afternoon.
- Jumping Frogs: The kind of toy that starts with a toddler and ends with a family tournament. Thanks, Temu.
- Melissa & Doug Jumbo Colouring Pad (Animals): Currently R99, which in mum maths is 99 reasons to say yes.
- Volkano Kids Action Camera: A second-hand Yaga find. Now I just need to make him a photo checklist for the trip.
The craft era
We are firmly in it, so I’m packing the things I know he’ll reach for: stickers, paper, pom-poms, glue, crayons and whatever else I convince myself will fit into one small-ish tub.
- Paper cup craft kit: A craft activity with just enough structure to suggest we planned it. Thanks again, Temu.
- Wooden tulip painting: An afternoon of painting, followed by five days of, "I made that."
- Sandart (Dinosaurs): Might regret this. Packed it anyway.
The Resource Roost picks
A few things I’ve recommended before, saved for later or finally decided to buy for us too. These are the ones earning a place in the actual holiday bag.
The screen-time insurance policy
And yes, the iPad is coming.
Because if Thomas & Friends buys me enough time to finish a glass of Vondeling’s Babiana at the temperature the winemaker intended, I’m calling that thoughtful holiday planning.
The goal is not to fill every minute.
It’s simply to have a few reliable options ready for the moments when everyone needs something different.
Emmett gets something interesting to do.
I get to sit down.
And the wine gets the respect it deserves.
*When a child shows a particular interest in one area—for example, movement, language, math, reading—it is known as a sensitive period." Simone Davies (Author of The Montessori Toddler
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