September 19, 2018

Top Tips on how to survive a road trip with kids

Are you planning a road trip with kids soon? Last year we decided to visit Disneyland Paris by taking a road trip. This meant a 2.5 hour car journey down south followed by a Eurotunnel of 30 minutes and a 3 hour drive in France the following day.

In 5 weeks time, we’ll be doing the same again (Yikes, wish us luck!) Travelling for long distances with kids can have its challenges, so I decided to compile a list to share with you guys my top tips on how to survive a road trip with kids. Nothing is worse that not being prepared so PREPARATION is key. If you are travelling abroad, get yourself down to your local Halfords and ask them what items you will need. I would list what we needed for France but it can differ across countries. In addition, pop to Kwik Fit to make sure everything looks safe on your car for long distance travel.

If driving abroad and need some tips on what to prepare and pack for the kids, take a look at Playdays and Runways post. With that being said, let’s look at the top tips on how to survive a road trip with kids!

A map, magnifying glass and car keys are all ready for our next road trip with kids

My top tips to survive a road trip with kids

If you have tablets, kindles, mobile phones, DVD players etc then make sure they are charged. Download some of their favourites shows and films and games that do not require wi-fi. Take your charger with you incase you can charge in the car or when you stop.

Pack plenty of snacks. I use the sandwich/freezer type bags to pack an individual snack bag. I do this for each day in Disney anyway so I also include one for our journey there and back. Items I include are raisins, fruit wheels, bag of biscuits and mini cheddars.

Have some games already prepped. We often play the child version of Heads up which is good although does require me turning around awkwardly in the car but the children can play it amongst themselves in the back. We also play eye spy, name that tune, word association, or spot the red car!

Talking of games, if you haven’t already got one them purchase a magnetic game or a mini travel game. You can actually buy packs of 4 in 1 games. The types of games you can buy include hangman, guess who and uno.

Make sure your child has a book or a magazine (fresh!) to look though. Some children may suffer with car sickness so it all depends on if your child can read whilst travelling.

Prepare your vehicle. You never want to experience car problems in the middle of a road trip with kids. A few weeks ahead of your trip, bring your car to your trusted mechanic for a check and maintenance. Also, get ready with replacement accessories, such as mats, seat covers, sunshades, and liners, for backup because kids can make a lot of mess, and the nearest cleaners may be miles and miles away.

Take a children’s CD. We have a Disney Hits multi pack CD so this is perfect for when we travel to Disney. We are all singing along and get really excited! There are lots of different ones to choose from (admittedly I think I could only listen to Disney and definitely not Baby Shark on repeat!) Get the kids involved and get them to take it in turns to pick their favourite song. Or if you prefer, an audio book.

Take a break. We all need the toilet, or to stretch our legs. Try not to feel like your journey needs to be rushed and try to include it as part of your holiday. Sitting in the car for hours can be boring too so it is nice to have a change of scenery for a while!

Research the place where you are visiting, and offer your kids the chance to learn about it on the way. You could play games in association with your holiday. Or print off some information such as a brochure, and explore where you’ll be visiting.

If your children are comfortable enough or have a car seat lap mat, get them to create a scrap-book in preparation or their holiday or place you a visiting. Get them to design a front cover, and get them to draw a map of their journey.

Make sure essential supplies are at hand for your next road trip with kids. No one wants to go digging out a spare change of clothes out of the suitcase. I have a spare outfit for each of my kids to hand incase there are any spillages or accidents. I also have nappies, wipes and my ouch pouch to hand.