How to Survive a Road Trip with Kids

Going away over the holidays? Everyone looks forward to hitting the bach or beach for a couple of weeks, but what about the car journeys which, let's face it, can turn into a nightmare which has you questioning whether it's all really worth it??!! The squabbling, the impatient cries of "Are we there yet?"

Well, of course it is worth it!!!

No one likes to be stuck in a hot car for hours on end with little or no entertainment. There is only so much a book, CD or even a conversation can entertain tamariki.

Make the time spent in your vehicle more organised, more efficient and less stressful with some of these practical and fun solutions. I'm no Mary Poppins, but it is surprising what a little bit of imagination can do to shorten a journey! No magic needed. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!

Road Trip games

Road Trip Hunt

The rules:

This hunt is a fun way to keep the kids entertained on road trips as they look out for items as you travel along.

Before you set out on your road trip, write a list of items your kids need to find while you are travelling.

Give each child in the car a list of items to watch out for while driving.

Your list could include

• Stop sign
• Sheep
• Cow
• Bus
  
• Tree
  
• Red car
  
• Tractor

Your tamariki can mark off the list as they see the items. The first one to mark off all the items on the list

Family Trivia

The rules:

The adults will ask the trivia questions about family members. This is a great way to share family history with each generation and an opportunity to share knowledge about cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents.

Stops

Plan for a few stops between home and your destination. It's going to take longer than it did before you had kids. Our favourite places to stop are playgrounds with public toilets; there is a great one in Otorohanga, and another one we like in Levin and Bulls. Let the kids have a run around, go to the loo, and maybe eat a snack.

Gadgets

At the start of my parenting journey I was anti the kids watching screens in the car, my main reason was that I didn't have screens when I was a kid. I realised it was a silly reason, for a start, I HATED car rides when I was a kid, so why not make things a little more comfortable for my own kids? 

We download movies to the iPad from Netflix. Usually, we'll let the children choose one movie each, which is enough for pretty much any trip. You can get holders that attach the iPad to the back of a seat, or just get the child in the middle seat to hold it.  

Word from the wise- check the Netflix app before you travel. The movies you saved last time tend to disappear.

Snacks

Take some healthy, hi-energy snacks with you to keep those hunger pains at bay, and to draw out the length between stops. Our favourites are fruit, oreos, and something salty like chips or crackers. I tend to pack a small flexi bucket with a drink bottle each, some snacks, and a pack of wet wipes. I put the bucket on the floor in the front passenger seat for easy access while we're on the road. 

Safety

It's easy to forget how strong the sun is coming through the car windows. Whilst most adults will have a pair of sunglasses protecting their eyes it may not be that easy for infants. These nifty little sun shades from Brica are easy to put on, take off, and move around your car window. 

Before you travel, check that each child's car seat is installed correctly. The easiest way to do this is to give it a little wiggle with your hand on the top of the seat. It shouldn't move more than an inch across the back seat, and it shouldn't move forward at all. 

Don't forget to keep handy 

• Wet wipes
• Tissues
• Hand sanitiser
• Bottle of water
• Blanket
• Muslin
• Band-aid
• Antiseptic cream
• Hair ties
• Lip balm
• Ziplock bags
• Spare change of clothes for you and the children