Following on from our post about how to make a long summer full of caravan trips more appealing to your little ones, here are some lovely little caravan toys to keep them interested at home when they’ve caught the bug! There are obvious choices like Barbie and other favourite toys which you’re likely to find have a caravan play set. These can be really nice if your children are extremely fond of a particular toy. There are also more original offerings on the market though – here are our three favourites…

First up, a tiny toy 1973 Kovap Retro caravan with opening doors and interior décor, available through Caravanstyle.com (http://www.caravanstyle.com/shop_caravan.html). This is a charming little toy that would look just as good as a unique desk toy as in a child’s room. This is also sourced from my new favourite website. Despite the name, not all of their products are caravan themed – they mainly sell retro home ware. Well worth a look, if only for their beautiful blog – http://blog.caravanstyle.com/

Another lovely little find is this caravan birdhouse, available from Firebox.com – http://www.firebox.com/product/1571/Caravan-Birdhouse?via=cat&aff=512&awc=550_1272992624_7001e78de9e44fa9213882380e22ae9a. This is a charmingly rustic little birdhouse, which will help you preserve the local wildlife, introduce your kids to ornithology and remind everyone of your favourite hobby, all at the same time! Perhaps for older children, you could explain migration patterns, and how birds migrating is basically just like humans caravanning… or perhaps that’s stretching the metaphor too far. Firebox also stock various camping and caravanning accessories elsewhere on their website.

A caravan birdhouse in a tree

Finally, to encourage good saving habits and plant the concept of saving up for the holidays, there’s this caravan money box – http://www.sendaclock.co.uk/allclocks/children~s-money-boxes-1/classic-caravan-money-box/r48415*d*7c.html . This is a lovely little decorative money box that adults might enjoy using as well, as the caravanning pub fund!

Remember – one big advantage of toy caravans is that you don’t need caravan insurance for them!