Limiting the amount of toys 4 year old takes

[Discodaisy]

I think our 4 year old daughter will like the kids club but I have decided to take a few toys as back up. Reading others posts about children not likeing new people sounds a bit like my daughter, she will be shy for the first hour then will be ok.
We will be on Radiance for Christmas. So any suggestions of toys that have kept kids busy but don't take up to much space. I will be taking her leappad. She will be greeting a few sticker/colour in books for Christmas.
Also what about toys for the pool? Only planning on taking a few bath type toys that it doesn't matter if they go missing.
Look forward to getting your suggestions.

[notentirelynormal]

Balloons. I always take balloons. They pack small and they keep kids happy for hours.

[sunquest76]

I saw someone who was planning to give her child a gift/toy per day while on their cruise. Someithing that related to that port or the ship. LOVE the idea and I will try to do that with our kids on our next cruise. Things like toy plane for travel day, door hanger craft for the ship, stuffed dolphin for an excursion day... I'll need to put some thought into it

[martikus]

DS loved having his travel DVD player along. When he was pooped he asked for a little rest and watched it for 30 min.

A baggy with little play figures can do wonders - they can make up all sorts of stories

Deck of cards for memory, go fish, etc

You won't need much

[cb at sea]

The pools are too small for pool toys and stuff...so don't bring that sort of thing, unless you plan to go to a beach.

There's so much to do on the ship, the thought of toys will totally be out of her mind! Just bring whatever "comfort" sleeping item she might need!

[B&Z's Mom]

Our youngest was 4 yrs on our last cruise. From previous trips, I know having a few familiar toys and books from home helps while we are away. So my boys are each allowed to fill a gallon sized ziplock bag with toys and books, which is kept in the cabin at all times. This way they can play quietly while we are getting ready or having some quiet time, but it isn't overwhelming and easily packed away in the ziplock bag. A familiar bedtime book is essential for us, as we read every night at home and always continue to tradition at sea, it helps them settle down after an exciting day
I agree with the pool toys, if you're going to the beach in port then bring some along, but there really isn't room in the ship pool.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Originally Posted by notentirelynormal

Balloons. I always take balloons. They pack small and they keep kids happy for hours.

I would disagree with this. If a balloon breaks, and you know it will, it will create a loud noise which will probably disturb others (and maybe even your child). And if your child is playing with a balloon around really small kids, broken balloon scraps can be harmful if swallowed.

Better to bring a few toys (pool toys if going to a beach) that the child will not miss if they get lost, as well as coloring books, and books you can read with the child. On one cruise, we brought along a small bear and I put a tag on it with our cabin number on.

[rolloman]

Balloons? I think that might be the worst thing you could bring on board.

OP bring a coloring book, crayons and sticker book you mentioned. A portable dvd player is always a good plan. The kids club will let you check out their toys and bring them to your cabin. With everything else going on the items I just mentioned should be more than enough.

[notentirelynormal]

Originally Posted by Cruisin' Chick

I would disagree with this. If a balloon breaks, and you know it will, it will create a loud noise which will probably disturb others (and maybe even your child). And if your child is playing with a balloon around really small kids, broken balloon scraps can be harmful if swallowed.

The kids played with the balloons in our own cabin. There was no one else around to disturb. I think a 4 YO can handle a balloon breaking.

And to rolloman... the worst thing you can bring? Really? Please explain. At least Cruisin Chick had reasoning behind her comment, I'd like to hear yours.

Again, our kids played in their own cabin with the balloons so they bothered no one except their own family. The noise if it pops would be no louder then popping a champagne bottle and no one seems to find that disturbing.

[Carnival_Brides]

We are preparing activity kits for our 4 year old niece and nephew for our cruise in January. They're going to Camp Carnival, but in case they need a break or want to hang out on our balcony and "play" we're bringing...

Chipwrecked Coloring Book
Crayon roll
Design-Your-Own coffee cup from Dollar Tree
Cruise ship and fish stickers to use for mug
iPad (loaded with StarWalk, movies, music, Monkey Pre-School Lunchbox, etc)
Disney Search and Find books
Memory Game
Disney Activity Sheets
Glow Sticks
We're also thinking of doing an Alvin and the Chipmunk themed scavenger hunt

We are packing gender-neutral items in order to maximize space.

We're most excited about the crayon rolls. We bought Very Hungry Caterpillar themed ones.

[Discodaisy]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. The countdown is on

[charlies_mom]

We just got off the NCL Jewel today with a 3 year old (who turned 4 yesterday) and a 6 year old. The 6 year old loved the kids club and spent hours there everyday. The 3 year old only spent an hour or so a day when they allowed the ages to mix (he didn't like the little kid's room and he didn't like being without his brother).

We packed about 8 softcover books and used them frequently because my kids always read books before bed. We packed some legos and they used them once for about 20 mins. We bought a pad of paper and a set of washable markers at our first port of call and these were used frequently. Other than that, we didn't use any toys at all. There is just so much to do on a cruise, that we didn't sit down to use toys very much at all. They didn't watch any tv or movies and only did Wii twice (on the big screen with the cruise staff).

We had the room decorated for my son's birthday yesterday and they hung up some balloons. I have to say that the kids played keep away and catch with those things for over a hour in the cabin last night.

Anyway, there is my 20 cents. Keep it simple and don't use up too much precious suitcase space. :-)

[Mrsdigi]

When we went to Disney this summer , I brought my 5 year old son colorful pipe cleaners that he played with on the plane. He makes all kinds of stuff with them. I'll buy some more for our cruise this summer.


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[alj1208]

We cruised when our son was 4 (on Celebrity Eclipse). We found the portable DVD player to be invaluable. I brought a limited amount of toys. We filled a backpack with toys for the plane. I also brought open-ended toys, such as pipe cleaners, colorful ribbons, legos-- stuff that didn't take a lot of space but could be creatively manipulated into more toys. The plan was perfect. The DVD player and some favorite movies gave him (and us) a welcome daily break. The toys were limited in number but gave us enough options.

[NYteacher]

Small action figures or dolls are really great. A couple can always be slapped into a pocket. These can keep a child self entertained for quite a while at dinner.

A four year old may be too young for this, but we give my son a bag (book bag or smaller) and he chooses what goes into it for a trip.

[AgVball]

Balloons are terrible? I don't get that. In fact, I thought it was a great idea and I'm throwing that on my list right now!

We definitely use the portable DVD player - and how about a bluetooth speaker for fun music?

One thing that has been a hit for my girls the last one or two cruises is the glow-in-the-dark sticks/bracelets/necklaces. You can get them for $1 at the Target dollar spot.

We go to the beaches on our port stops - so we've taken sand bucket and shovels, but we have also re-used drink cups to build sand castles too...but they don't play with that stuff on the ship.