Fantastic ideas from around the globe

While searching high and low for new, exciting products for Born I've come across some great innovative ideas from around the world that I thought I'd share. Feel free to suggest some of your own at the end.

1. Take a trip on the Kids' minibus

Spanish bus company ALSA recently launched Pequebus, a kid-friendly bus service with features designed specifically for travelers aged five and under. 


It offers car seats, audiovisual entertainment and luggage racks specially adapted for strollers and other equipment plus dedicated pockets designed to carry bottles, baby food and other childhood necessities.

An ID card system tracks basic data about each child — including full name, age, weight, medical requirements, and the names of those allowed to pick them up — while a GPS system lets parents monitor their kids’ progress en route via the Pequebus website.

Certainly an improvement on the 76a down the Gloucester Road!

2. Chicken soup nursing

Is this the solution to the age old problem of when a child is too sick to go to nursery or school, so working parents often have no alternative to stay home and miss work themselves.

In the US a new company offers bed rest and supervised nursing care for kids with low-level but contagious illnesses. Chicken Soup + Nursing is a 20-bed facility aimed at kids up to 12 years old with fever, conjunctivitis, rashes or other problems that prevent their going to school.

Kids can bring toys, books, handheld games and movies along with a packed lunch or baby food, if appropriate. Chicken Soup + Nursing provides snacks and fluids, along with updates to parents throughout the day.

I really like this idea!

3.  Something for the weekend

Here’s a new take on portable baby gear.  New parents renting a car from Europcar in Australia can ask for something a bit unusual as part of the deal – a free highchair.

The only difference is that this high chair is a safe cardboard highchair that both folds and it’s recyclable!

4. The Train station nursery

If you’re anything like our family it’s not just finding a great nursery that can be a problem but finding one close to home.  For some working parents childcare involves extra travel time at the beginning and end of the day for pickups and drop-offs.

So here’s a great idea from France that is aiming to restore a few more all-too-precious minutes to such time-strapped families, French railway company SNCF has been experimenting with daycare services right at the train station, thereby streamlining workers’ commutes in both directions.

The railway company manage the nursery within or next to the railway station – giving you a little more time with your little ones.  Plus it means the nursery is on the way to work, not a 20 minute journey in the other direction.