VW campervans in the Scottish Borders

Heidi © Classic Camper Holidays

Who can resist an old-fashioned family holiday in a VW campervan? Classic Camper Holidays, near Selkirk in the Scottish Borders, have three gorgeous vans for hire - Heidi, Daisy and Bluebell.

Bluebell and Heidi are restored 1970s vans, while Daisy is a new Danbury T2 (I don't know what that means either, but she looks lovely). All are beautifully fitted and kitted with cooker, fridge, fold-out chairs, kitchen gear and a petrol-fired heater (handy for chilly mornings - let's not kid ourselves, Scotland isn't famed for its heatwaves). Heidi and Daisy sleep a family of four, while Bluebell has a bunk for a mini tot and room for a travel cot.

For an extra cost, you can treat yourself to a solar-powered shower, camping loo, bike rack or travel games. 

From £210 (three-day hire); www.classic-camper-holidays.co.uk

Bluebell's interior © Classic Camper Holidays

Tiny tots visit: V&A Museum of Childhood

Inside the museum © V&A Museum of Childhood

This week we spent a few hours at the V&A Museum of Childhood in London for its Toddlers Take Over day.

Mum liked: The Judith Kerr retrospective (runs until 4 September 2011), with wonderful illustrations, snippets and history from the author of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Mog and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. (Did you know Pink Rabbit is autobiographical?)

Tiny tot 1 liked: Lounging in Mog's bed, playing with giant tins of tiger food, listening to storytelling and having a boogie with Amanda's Action Club.

Tiny tot 2 liked: Sitting in the sandpit and tucking into Mum's frittata.

Sum it up: The museum is a perfect size for young children, with two main floors housing a mixture of permanent displays (from exquisite dolls' houses to 1970s Fisher Price toys to games consoles) and temporary exhibitions. Most of the toys are safely out of reach in glass cases, but there's plenty of hands-on stuff to keep tots busy, as well as a lovely sensory area to chill out in and the aforementioned sandpit.

Facilities: The benugo cafe was serving up quiche (portions on the small side and disappointing salads), macaroni cheese, sandwiches and yummy baked goods, although nothing took the fancy of my fussy toddler. You can also bring a picnic to eat in the garden. There's a buggy park, baby changing space and a feeding room, plus a lovely shop selling quirky gifts.

Cost: Free.
More info: www.vam.ac.uk/moc

Infant airfares: worth buying a seat?

Buying a seat for your baby can sometimes work out cheaper than paying the infant fare. For example, Ryanair charges from £9.99 for a one-way flight, but you'll pay £20 single for a child under two.

The research, by travelsupermarket, also found parents are being charged extortionate amounts to hire car seats. Yet many airlines allow you to put a car seat in the hold free of charge.

Read the full story from The Guardian.

And if you decide to buy your tot a seat, you might want to check out which airlines allow car seats on board.