Toys

She shared how to make the most of your luggage allowance when travelling as a family

TV star Stacey Solomon shared a handful of essentials parents should pack before a flight in a previous partnership with Jet2. She said: “When I’m packing hand luggage, it’s one of those things that I really need to think about because I know, when you’re on a flight with kids, you just want to be prepared for any eventuality.”

Stacey’s hand luggage “staples” when travelling with kids include a variety of things that can keep little ones occupied and make the flight go a lot smoother for the parents and other passengers.

Packing your own snacks is an excellent way to keep kids occupied, save money on airport prices, and avoid limited options once in the air. Make sure that it follows airport security rules (such as no liquids over 100ml).

Bringing any games to play can help keep little ones occupied without the need for devices. Stacey suggested card games, as they avoid the need for fiddly plastic pieces or dice flying about the cabin.

She said: “Another thing I love bringing in [the kids] hand luggage is sticker books. My kids will sit and do sticker books for ages. They love colouring, but if you don’t want to pick up pencils from under everyone’s seat the entire flight, go with stickers – it’s a better option!”

Another thing to remember for a fun memory is a cuddly toy. Stacey said that Jet2 has a “really cute” offer for a free ‘Teddy Passport’ that can be filled out in the airport.

The scheme was launched in October 2023, and it’s still offered in 2026. Simply ask one of the check-in agents at the desk when you arrive to drop off your bags, and they will provide you with a complimentary passport.

A Jet2 spokesperson said: “After receiving a teddy bear passport, holidaymakers can then give their teddy’s passport to Cabin Crew when boarding. As well as being a fun start to the holiday, parents have reported that it has helped their children feel a sense of independence and given them some understanding about the process of travelling overseas from a young age.”

Stacey’s top tips for packing

Make a list: Stacey says to keep a list of everything you want and need to take away with you. Following a list means you will not forget things, overpack or potentially leave something behind at home. She said: “I know exactly what I’ve got if I refer to my list.”

Use packing cubes: Stacey said that she “genuinely swears by these” and they can be bought from places like Amazon, Argos, Dunelm, Primark and more. In her Jet2 video, the mum of five had her items sorted into categories such as cosmetics and sun safety.

Plan crease-free outfits: By not worrying if clothes will end up wrinkled, Stacey said items can be packed much tighter in a suitcase and can therefore mean extra room. She joked: “Stop going on holiday in linen – you’ll be ironing the whole time!”

Situated along the UK coast is a county brimming with quintessential British villages and an array of scenic walking routes, and the most hygienic soft play centre for little ones

A beautiful UK county with ample walking routes and picturesque villages has the ‘cleanest soft play’ centre.

Soft play centres, with their cushioned equipment, ball pits, mats, slides and climbing frames, are not only a great way to keep young children entertained, but they also support their development. Children can improve their social skills, enhance their coordination, and develop physical movement while stimulating imagination and creativity in a fun, safe and secure environment.

So it’s no wonder that soft play is popular among parents and their little ones. Yet parents not only want to ensure the soft play is suitable for their child, but also want to know it’s hygienic before planning a visit.

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Luckily, the outdoor play specialists at Outdoor Toys have uncovered the cleanest soft play centres across 20 of the most popular UK counties, and there’s one that stood out from them all. Somerset ranked as the most hygienic soft play, according to the toy experts’ analysis of Tripadvisor reviews.

The experts revealed that fewer than 4 in 100 reviews mentioned hygiene issues at Somerset’s soft plays. Instead, unsanitary reviews made up just a mere 3.9% of all feedback on TripAdvisor, and parents praised the “clean and airy” environment at Space Adventurers Indoor Play in Taunton.

Other highly rated centres in Somerset include Play Haven SoftPlay, Ocean Adventurers Soft Play, and Safari Tots. But it’s not just the children’s play centres that warrant a visit to the county.

Somerset is packed with picture-perfect villages and picture-postcard landscapes, set against rolling hills, patchwork fields, dramatic gorges, coastal shores and ancient woodlands. Thanks to its acres of lush landscapes, the county is famously home to Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, and when the festival isn’t on, it offers ample walking opportunities, including to the summit of Glastonbury Tor.

Dunster is considered one of the prettiest villages in Somerset, with its preserved medieval architecture, more than 200 listed buildings and 17th-century Yarn Market, nestled within Exmoor National Park. There’s also the picturesque village of Selworthy, with its array of thatched cottages, All Saints Church, and scenic walking routes to Selworthy Beacon, a hill and Marilyn of Exmoor, which offer panoramic views across the coast.

There’s also the small village of Allerford, with its whitewashed thatched cottages and 15th-century packhorse bridge, located on the edge of Exmoor National Park. As well as the historic village of Mells, which has often been dubbed one of the prettiest in the UK, thanks to its ‘chocolate-box’ charm, with honey-coloured houses and walks along the Wadbury Valley and Mells River.

So why not combine a trip to the cleanest soft play centre with exploring the stunning vistas of Somerset? And with its position along the coast, you could even spend a day at the seaside during the warmer months.

Top 10 regions with the cleanest play areas

1. Somerset

• Total reviews: 908
• Unsanitary reviews: 35
• Unsanitary reviews (%): 3.9%

2. South Yorkshire

• Total reviews: 1,040
• Unsanitary reviews: 57
• Unsanitary reviews (%): 5.5%

3. Lancashire

• Total reviews: 1,106
• Unsanitary reviews: 65
• Unsanitary reviews (%): 5.9%

4. Greater Manchester

• Total reviews: 1,344
• Unsanitary reviews: 87
• Unsanitary reviews (%): 6.5%

5. Nottinghamshire

• Total reviews: 401
• Unsanitary reviews: 33
• Unsanitary reviews (%): 8.2%

6. Essex

• Total reviews: 1019
• Unsanitary reviews: 87
• Unsanitary reviews (%): 8.5%

7. Hampshire

• Total reviews: 1,020
• Unsanitary reviews: 96
• Unsanitary reviews (%): 9.4%

8. Lincolnshire

• Total reviews: 564
• Unsanitary reviews: 55
• Unsanitary reviews (%): 9.8%

9. North Yorkshire

• Total reviews: 457
• Unsanitary reviews: 50
• Unsanitary reviews (%): 10.9%

10. West Midlands

• Total reviews: 447
• Unsanitary reviews: 49
• Unsanitary reviews (%): 11.0%

Kim May, Creative Arts Therapist at ISP Fostering, revealed the benefits of soft play centres for young children. She told the Outdoor Toys team: “Spending time in play centres helps children to embrace the play and imagination stages of their development and is beneficial for socialisation and the development of physical and cognitive skills.

“When children are in their most infant years, development is about harnessing imagination and mobility skills, and lots of what they learn is through sensory experiences – soft play can positively contribute to this. For children under four years old in particular, they rely on their sensory memory a lot (taste, touch, sound, feel, and sight). Even if a child is too small to physically move or interact with toys or a play area, they are still learning and developing through their senses.”

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

A man on an 8-hour long haul flight was left gobsmacked when he saw what his fellow passenger had brought to amuse himself with– and the viral video has racked up more than 85,000 likes

Most of us do everything we can to keep ourselves entertained on a flight, particularly on a long-haul journey. However, one man was left completely stunned when he spotted what his fellow passenger had brought along to pass the time.

Influencer Tonio Guajardo, who has 23,100 followers on Instagram, took to the platform to share a reel of the incident. The clip began with Tonio filming himself before panning the camera round to reveal the man sitting beside him. Overlay text on the video read: “This guy brought a 1,500 piece Lego set on our 8-hour flight.” His fellow traveller was filmed pulling the Lego pieces from a small bag before leafing through the instruction booklet to guide his build.

Further text stated: “He kept dropping pieces,” as the man was shown attempting his Lego set on the cramped aircraft tray table, repeatedly bending down to retrieve fallen bricks.

A subsequent update then read: “Six hours in and we weren’t even close,” as the passenger’s rather modest Lego progress was revealed.

In the caption, Tonio wrote: “No flight is THIS long.”

The post went viral and garnered more than 85,000 likes, with viewers thoroughly enjoying it.

One person joked: “All fun and games until the plane hits some turbulence.”

While another commented: “Honestly this is a game-changer for flights. One bag at a time.”

A third chipped in: “Lowkey I’m going to start doing this.”

Even the official Lego account joined in, asking: “How did he manage to fit all that in his carry-on?”

LEGO remains enormously popular across the UK, firmly holding its place as a top brand in an expanding toy market.

The British toy industry recorded its first growth since the pandemic in 2025, with overall sales hitting £3.9 billion. Building sets, largely fuelled by LEGO, emerged as the fastest-growing category, surging by 25% on the previous year.

A key factor behind LEGO’s lasting appeal is its ability to captivate multiple generations.

So-called “Kidults” (adults and teenagers over 12) now represent roughly one-third of all toy sales in the UK.