If you are currently wondering what kind of holiday you should plan for your family next year, I think I have the perfect suggestion for you - a road trip! Some parents might shudder at the thought of taking their kids on a holiday that involves a lot of driving but, in actual fact, road trips can be super fun for all the family. Quite a few parents think that their children will really suffer with the boredom and will end up getting frustrated, but that is rarely the case if you plan properly for the whole trip.
As long as you have plenty planned up your sleeve, then your children shouldn’t get too bored. After all, you will have plenty of games and activities that you can suggest they fill their time with. Being organized well in advance also gives you the chance to plan where you will stop. If you have quite a few stops planned en route, then there will always be something for the young ones to look forward to.
So, if you are clever with your planning, a family road trip can actually end up being a really enjoyable trip for you and your family. Here are some pointers to remember that can help you with all the planning.
Plan Your Route In Advance
First of all, you need to spend enough time planning your route out. In some cases, it’s perfectly fine to keep things quite spontaneous and to simply decide where you are going to stop on the way. That won’t always be convenient when you are traveling long distances with kids, though, as you might need to stop more often for breaks and you might also need to plan a few child-friendly attractions and sights to head to. So, when the road trip involves a family, it’s always best to plan as much as you can in advance. Try to be too spontaneous, and you might end up with some very angry and annoyed kids in the back seats!
Pack Plenty Of Individually Wrapped Snacks
Your children will no doubt complain about being hungry numerous times in the trip. So, you will need to make sure to pack plenty of snacks for the whole trip. It’s also a good idea to pack a few bottles of water so that no one gets dehydrated. One handy tip for packing snacks is to buy some that are individually wrapped. That way, you don’t have to worry about a sharing-size packet of chips going stale if you need to open it to give something to one child. Instead, go for individual-size packets and cereal bars or single pieces of fruit. That way, you can feed a child and not worry about making a mess with any leftovers.
Play Some Games That Don’t Require Props
One way in which parents try to stop the boredom from hitting their kids is to give them games to play in the back. Unfortunately, if you give them a couple of board games, things could get very messy a bit too quickly. That’s because most board games feature a lot of small pieces and die, and the kids could easily lose these, especially in a moving car. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of games that you can play without any props and that won’t make any mess in the back of your car. One great example of a great non-prop game is Count the Cows. It’s a great game if you are driving through a rural area and can see farm animals in the fields - everyone has to simply count the cows in the fields and see how many they can spot. I Spy is another brilliant game that you can play anywhere without any props too.
Plan For Plenty Of Stops
If there were just you and your partner out on the road, you could probably drive quite far until you stopped for the night or to check out a cool attraction. Unfortunately, though, that isn’t going to be possible when you have kids on board. Children have very short attention spans, and it’s often best to plan for plenty of stops so that they don’t get too bored or frustrated in the back. Plus, making plenty of stops gives you all a chance to have a quick snack, go to the toilet, and stretch your legs. It’s always best to try and stop where there are toilets, as your kids will surely need to go - they won’t be able to hold it in for as long as you and your partner can!
Be Ready For The Unexpected
One of the best things about going on a road trip is the great unknown. You never know what is just around the corner, and you might stumble across some great attractions and sights while you are traveling. Most of the time, the unexpected can be fun and exhilarating, but sometimes it can be anything but. For instance,one child might unexpectedly fall car sick. So, it’s always best to try and plan for every eventuality so that you have everything you might need to react accordingly. For instance, if a child is sick in the car, you are going to need a lot of wet wipes and towels!
Set Some Nap Times For The Kids
Even though the kids won’t be exerting themselves too much, they might still be tired out from all the traveling. There’s something about long journeys in the car that always seems to wipe children out! So, it’s worth planning a few nap times for the kids. Don’t worry, you don’t have to pull over and stop your journey if you don’t want to. You just need to plan for some downtime in the car. Make sure you take all their books, toys, and games from them so that they can start to relax and will find it a lot easier to drop off without being distracted. This gives them time to catch up on some much-needed sleep, and gives you and your partner the chance to enjoy the journey in peace and quiet for a bit!
Have Plenty Of Safety Numbers With You
One of the main things to remember when you are out on the road is that safety should always be your number-one priority. So, it’s a good idea to have a few different phone numbers with you so that you know exactly who to call in the event of the worst-case scenario ever happening. For example, you might want the number of a car accident attorney so that you can get the ball rolling on multiple injury car accident lawsuits in the event of a crash. It’s also necessary to keep your car insurance provider’s number with you at all times when out on the road as well. Once you have planned your journey, you might also want to consider researching the nearest car mechanics that you will pass en route. You might want to take a note of their phone number so that you have someone to call who can pick you and your vehicle up in the event of a breakdown.
Do Some Driving During The Night
If you aren’t looking forward to the distractions that could come from your kids while you are behind the wheel, you might want to think about driving at night. The kids will be asleep, and you will find that you get a lot further as they won’t be expecting to stop so often. Not only that, though, but the roads will also be a lot quieter, so you should find that you don’t get held up in too many traffic jams.
Put An Adult In The Back
You and your partner might take it in turns to drive, with the one who isn’t driving in the passenger seat next to the driver. But you might find it more beneficial to have an adult in the back seat with the kids, if there is room. This gives the children some company, and they won’t feel so alone in the back. Not only that, though, but it also puts someone in easy reach of them if they ever need to be quietened down or told to behave.
Don’t Forget The First-Aid Kit
Something else that you shouldn’t forget when you head out on a family road trip is a first-aid kit. Even though the kids won’t be running around or playing outside, there is still the chance of them suffering from very small accidents and injuries. So, make sure you have a first-aid kit that is full of band aids, antiseptic creams, and burns creams just in case.
Always Put The Driver First
Don’t forget that the driver should always be put first. After all, they need to be in top form in order to drive safely and responsibly. So, if the driver ever feels tired, it’s important that you swap over or take a break so that they can have a nap.
Enjoy your family road trip!
Thanks for these tips. I will forsure be using them. When I go to Florida here soon.
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