We have had an incredible time on this trip. I was worried that there wouldn’t be enough to keep the children entertained and began to think I had made a mistake in planning such a huge adventure with them in tow. I needn’t have worried!

If you haven't already, you can find out more about our road trip around Iceland's ring road by reading our 14 day itinerary post here.

These are just 10 of the many things our children have loved on this trip, and a little explanation for some of them:

1. Bounce!

 Many Icelandic campsites are municipal and child orientated with a playground and giant pillow. Our children spent hours in the evenings enjoying these pillows and were often joined by other children- some even from the local areas. The children began to ask if the campsite we were heading to next had a giant pillow, so I know for sure that these were a big hit!

Unfortunately we didn't find many of these in the south of the island.

2. Natural baths/ hot springs

You’ll find these all around the country and they are for sure something that tourists want to experience when visiting Iceland. After reading reviews and working out which was best for our family with young children, we opted for Mývatn Nature Baths as children are free. It worked out at £78 for Jamie and I, which I think is still quite expensive, but we loved it! It is definitely worth researching and not just heading straight to the infamous Blue Lagoon. We booked online the night before our visit and opted for the 11am entry which was perfect for us having camped at Myvatn campsite- just 7 minutes away- the night before. Children were welcome here and ours enjoyed the experience (though 2 hours was more than enough for our energetic 8 year old!). We wore our normal swim suits which I had see others worn may be ruined by the high salt content in the water- we didn't have any issues. The water was warm in some areas, hotter in others. We enjoyed drinks in the hot springs too- I had my first (and last) Aperol of the holiday! A great experience and one I highly recommend during your Iceland road trip.

3. Puffins

There are a many different places that you might see puffins in August- we saw them on Vestmannaeyjar island in the south and Borgarfjarðarhöfn in the East. Tjörnes peninsula in the North is also recommended and Dyrhólaey is also a popular spot. I have to make a special mention of the puffins on Vestmannaeyjar after our unique experience during our short spell on the island. Every year, three colonies of puffins return to the island to breed. During August and September, baby puffins (called pufflings) are forced from their nests in search of food, as their parents no longer return to feed them. Sadly, the pufflings get distracted by the harbour lights at night when searching for fish, so they end up raining down on the town! Landings on pavements and asphalt can be quite rough, and gardens can be dark and dangerous with lurking cats. Luckily for the pufflings in Vestmannaeyjar, the locals come to their rescue! Every night, families flock to the town and the harbour and collect any pufflings found into cardboard boxes, then take them home for the night. The next day, they take the pufflings to one of the colonies' known nesting cliff faces and set them free! We were lucky enough to experience both the rescue of pufflings in the harbour late at night, and the return of them to the cliffs the next day. If you happen upon Vestmannaejar during August or September, I highly recommend you stay up for the night and head to the harbour on dark, ready to get involved with the locals and their puffling hunt- it is a truly magical experience!

 4. Þingvellir National park

It is said by the locals that you can't say you've been to Iceland unless you have been to Þingvellir National park! This is a child (in fact buggy) and dog friendly walk. It is well sign posted and easy to navigate with children of all ages. With wooden walkways around the park, each spot is easily accessible. Þingvellir National park is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre and is believed to have been at the centre of Iceland's Viking Parliamentary decisions as far back as 930 AD. Vikings were said to stand on either side of the park's rift valley and shout decisions across to each other! Þingvellir National park is home to the famous Silfra fissure where you can experience touching four states simultaneously whilst snorkeling! We walked down to see the fissure and watch the snorkelers head to the water. If Jamie had still been with us at this point of the trip, I know he'd have loved to give this a go himself. We spent two hours here and loved this easy walk- a great family day out!

5. Glacier Lagoon boat ride

  One of the experiences I was desperate to experience during our time in Iceland would involve one of the island's glaciers. I was torn between a jeep safari to an ice cave or a boat trip on the Glacier lagoon. If Jamie had still been with us, I would have chosen the jeep safari and hike to Katla Ice cave, but as I was on my own with the two young children at this point in my trip, I was anxious to book the hiking experience as I didn't know if I would manage with two children walking on ice in crampons for the first time! I am sure that somebody would have helped us but I decided to listen to my gut and booked a trip on Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Boat Tours instead- we were all happy with the decision too. We took the amphibian vehicle which is a 30 minute ride around the lagoon and icebergs. We loved it! I cannot explain to you in words just how magnficient and breath taking the glacier lagoon is, so if you are heading to Iceland, make sure you take a trip to see it for yourself! We went back for a final look at the lagoon the day after and I'm not ashamed to tell you that I cried at the thought of never seeing it again. It is stunningly beautiful and I am so grateful that I had the chance to take my children to witness this wonder of nature for themselves.

6. Seal spotting

 We saw these beauties on Ytri Tunga in the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and it was a highlight of our trip for all of us. We have seals at home in the UK, but never quite this close! As it was out of pup season we were confident at being close to the seals, but we were mindful to be still and silent as we observed them- we would hate to cause them any distress.

Finding Ytri Tunga was easy and parking was painless using the Parka app.

7. Gesyir eruptions

Another highlight! Not far from the impressive Gullfoss waterfall is the famous Strokkur Geysir. We watched it erupt 4 times and were shocked every time! The geysir erupts every few minutes (the longest we waited was 7) and the water fies as high as 100ft in the air! As with all geothermal fields in Iceland, it is a little smelly, but we found this one a breeze in comparison to Hverir- that one stinks!

8. Waterfall Walks

Did you know that Iceland is home to approximately 10,000 waterfalls? It is impossible to see every one of the falls on the island, so we picked the best and loved them all! Seljalandsfoss is a favourite- you can walk behind it. Here are our top 5:

1. Skogafoss- the big one!

2. Sejalandsfoss- the wet one!

3. Bruarfoss- the blue one :)

4. 2 for 1- Dettifoss & Selfoss

5. Gullfoss- the multi-storey

9. Whale watching

Whilst these aren't in any particular order, I probably should have listed this item as number one on the list because its a true bucket list adventure for sure. I did warn Jamie that I wasn't coming home without seeing a humpback, so it's lucky that we achieved this so early on our trip!

I have to rave about North Sailing

after a fantastic experience with them. We headed to Husavik after deciding to take the ring road anticlockwise (find our full 14 day itinerary here) and reading that the north was the best place to see humpback whales. We booked our trip for 1pm on the Sunday but, upon arrival 30 minutes before our departure, we were advised of strong winds and uncomfortable sea conditions. Upon noticing that we were planned to travel with two young children on board, North Sailing staff advised that we reschedule our trip for the following day from Árskógssandur as not only was the weather forecast to be calmer, but the sea conditions are usually gentler in this area because there is land either side. Husavik is an open area of sea without land either side, so the boats tend to be subjected to stronger winds. We took their advice and headed forther along the north coast, taking our trip from Árskógssandur the following day. We saw 6 different humpback whales on our boat trip, as well as dolphins and minke whales. It was an incredible sight to witness with our children and I am so incredibly grateful for the experience. I cannot recommend North Sailing enough to you!

10. Swimming

Linking back to number 1 in this list- the bounce pillows found on most municipal campsites, we also found many campsites with local swimming pools nearby. We were slightly confused on day one and our first campsite, to find that the swimming pool wasnt actually on the campsite as expected. We quickly discovered that this was the norm and the areas around the campsite are considered by the locals as one and the same. You also have to pay for entry per person, but it was a small amount, usually costing around £11 for the three of us. We used the swimming pools almost every other day, breaking up our travelling time, burning off some pent up energy and giving me an hour's peace! The swimming pools all had hot tubs in full view of the pool, so I would sit in the hot tub with my kindle while the children swam in the pool and launched themselves down the chutes! I was prepared enough for including regular swimming in our itinerary, so I packed multiple costumes, goggles and sinkies- a great tip for anyone travelling around Iceland with young children.

And that's a wrap- thanks for reading! I really hope that this Things to do with Children guide has been useful for planning your own road trip to Iceland. Please do consider sharing this with anybody you know who might be thinking of their own trip.

And as always, I share what I have learnt from our travels because I love to help and inspire others along the way, but if you would like to buy me a coffee in return for this guide, I would love you forever! You can do that here.