Kids’ School Holidays Survival Guide | Checkout Summer 2014

1) The school holidays should be about fun, although in reality it’s about whingeing, moaning and arguments. It doesn’t get more fun than this novelty condiment gun, simply fill one of the two squeeze cartridges in the pack with your favourite sauce and fire! £15, justmustard.com

2) Make sure you have snacks with you at all times, no one likes a hangry child (or dad). Kallo Kids Yoghurt Thins come in strawberry or chocolate and help bridge a gap. There’s even poetry, games and jokes on the packaging, available at Sainsbury’s. £2.89, Kallo.com

3) It’s always good to have some cakes on hand for unexpected visitors, or when the kids’ friends come over. These M&S bite size sour cherry and pistachio or passion fruit and lime mini cakes look (almost) too good to eat. £2, marksandspencer.com

4) Apparently the fluffy American style pancakes I make for the kids are the ‘best in the world’, but when you’re rushed for time these Genesis Crafty blueberry pancakes made using local buttermilk and milled flour are pretty good. Available at supermarkets nationwide, £1.49, Genesisscrafty.com

5) This stuff is genius, we don’t have room for bottles of squash in our cupboards, Vimto Squeezy is a godsend, plus you can pop it in your bag or car to liven up a bottle of water when you are out and about. A 50ml bottle provides 25 servings available in Original, Cherry or Strawberry. £2.49, Vimto.com

6) OK, so this is a little extravagant but no one wants a broken phone when they’re away, whether it belongs to the kids or you. This Lifeproof phone cover enables you to take photos whilst on the beach, camping and even rafting, with uninhibited use of the device’s features. £46.73, Lifeproof.com

7) A saving grace for long car journeys – Maynards Discovery Patch fruit flavoured jelly sweets which come with fun facts and quizzes, who can resist sweets called ‘body parts’? Stash them in the glove compartment for those delays on the M25. Maynardsdiscoverypatch.co.uk

8) I wish we’d discovered fforest in Wales a few years ago – they offer picture perfect eco-holidays with accommodation from tents, croft logs to apartments. Get back to nature and chill. Coldatnight.co.uk

9) Kill some time and get crafty at Creative Biscuit in South Woodford, a paint your own ceramics café where the kids can decorate plates, cups, vases, teapots, flowerpots and even money boxes Creativebiscuit.co.uk

10) Nothing makes a child want to carry stuff than having their own bag, we love this woodland print mini rucksack and pretty much everything else on the dotcomgiftshop site. £9.95, dotcomgiftshop.com

11) We still have the enamel bug, these tumblers are robust and unlike glasses don’t need to be polished to a shine and can’t be broken. Holidays means constant washing up so these are pretty handy, plus they look cool as cocktail vessels (for the adults of course). £5.95, bespokebarware.com

12) Another idea for car journeys is to bring a flask of tea, coffee or even hot chocolate. I know it sounds like the kind of thing old people do but it can be a lifesaver, also a good idea for any kind of day out, especially on rainy days. This Thermos Brand Stainless King™ 1.2L vacuum insulated beverage flask keeps drinks hot for 24 hours, available from John Lewis or Argos £24.99, Thermosonline.co.uk

13) These cute Shaken Udder milkshakes contain fresh British milk and natural ingredients, judging by the speed at which these are flying out the fridge I’d say the kids love them. Available at supermarkets nationwide, £1.89 for a pack of 3, Shakenudder.com

14) My step-daughter and I are gagging for a cat but we’re not allowed, so until we get our own way London’s first cat café – Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium can help fill that huge fluffy gap in our lives. Keep an eye on their Twitter feed for last-minute cancellations as it gets pretty booked up. ladydinahs.com

15) If you really want to splurge, splash out and extend a London day trip with a night at the London Edition hotel. They are offering a complimentary connecting room when a loft or loft suite is booked. With ‘Big Kid’, ‘Little Kid’ treats including breakfast for two, a kid’s guide to London, movie night and a London inspired in-room tent. From £535, editionhotels.com/london/special-offers

16) This is chocolate for adults but with names for children, gorgeous Prestat in flavours such as ‘Knickerbocker Glory’ and ‘Tea Time Frolics’ in stunning art deco packaging. Wait til the kids have gone to bed until you crack these open. £3.50, Prestat.co.uk

17) The new LEGO movie has been playing on a loop in our house, loved by both the ten and 12-year-old and even more loved by Ade. If you buy one film this summer, get this one, it’s AWESOME! thelegomovie.com

18) These Galvanina bottles are so pretty, made from organic hand-picked Sicilian fruits and blended with gently sparkling water which is drawn straight from the Galvanina Spring in North-Eastern Italy. Available in Ruby Orange, Lemon, Clementine and Red Grapefruit. Available at Waitrose for £2.79, galvanina.co.uk

19) Yeah, we know, too much gaming is bad, but this is quite cool. The Stratus Controller from SteelSeries is the first Bluetooth controller for iOS devices, it has 10+ hours of battery-life, ideal for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch gaming. I wonder if it works with Clash of Clans? I hope not. £67.90, SteelSeries

20) When you have one sun-loving child and one who prefers to be in the shade a Sundome tent is very useful. It has UV Guard™ fabric that shields sensitive skin from UV rays, great for the beach, picnics or even for the garden, also handy as a portable changing room! Available from £25.99, coleman.eu