With the summer holidays quickly approaching, parents across the country are thinking of ways to keep their kids busy. Whether you want to visit a relative in the Lake District, explore the UK countryside, brave Legoland or pack your bags for a short staycation, a road trip is almost always on the cards.
Jessica Hartwell, Head of Marketing and Customer Experience at VWFS said: “The idea of loading up the boot and strapping in your kids for a long car ride may fuel your desire to stay home. After all, trying to plan for a smooth, stress-free drive can feel overwhelming when you have young ones to entertain.
“Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks that can help make your journey easier, so you can keep your eyes on the road and focus on getting to your destination safely.”
Plan your route
Gone are the days where you have to get out the road map and meticulously plan your journey before you hit the road. We’re all most likely to rely on Google or Apple Maps to guide us to our final destination, often not considering the need to plan the journey beforehand.
But, as Jessica explains, sometimes, knowing the route beforehand can help.
“Having a rough idea of your route will allow you to plan your pitstops. Are you going on an A road? You may want to consider where you’ll stop if your children need a toilet break, for instance,” adds Jessica.
“You’ll also need to consider the unfortunate possibility of any in-car accidents occurring. Car sickness or accidental spills of drink and food may mean you will need to make an extra pitstop. It also means it’s very handy to keep any emergency supplies on you – from sick bags to wipes.”
Planning in stops is not just beneficial for your children to help break up their journey – it also makes sure the driver takes a break to refresh too.
“If you have very active children that can’t sit still for too long, you can plan your route to incorporate stops along the way – maybe a children’s park or a scenic spot to stop for lunch. This will help break up the journey, let them stretch their legs and make the overall journey more exciting,” says Jessica.
Journey planning will also make sure you leave at the best time of day. You can consider whether leaving first thing to avoid traffic is better, or if you want to leave around your children’s nap time.
Entertaining a tough crowd
Aside from making time to stop off at any sights or playgrounds to keep your children entertained, you may also want to keep them busy on the drive itself.
“As adults, we’re much more likely to enjoy the quiet, downtime a long journey often presents. Children, on the other hand, are harder to please. We all want to avoid hearing ‘I’m bored’ being repeated over and over,” explains Jessica.
As such, packing an emergency ‘boredom bag’, full of games or activities that are car-friendly can help you to entertain your children.
“If you want to avoid your children relying on a phone or tablet screen for entertainment, there are still some classic car games you can play – from ‘I Spy’ to ‘spot the yellow car’. If you’ve planned your route beforehand, you can also take note of any landmarks you pass and tell your children to keep an eye out for them,” continues Jessica.
“In your boredom bag, you can pack sticker books, for example, which will also help you avoid the mess of felt tips, or play car-friendly board games, such as road trip bingo, to keep your children busy spotting cows, trees and birds.”
Alternatively, you can help your children put together a road trip playlist, where you could incorporate audiobooks to keep them entertained, so you can focus on your driving. If audiobooks aren’t for your kids, you can encourage them to make up their own stories.
Remember snacks!
It’s always best to keep some emergency snacks to hand in case your children get peckish. Keep their favourites, as well as some lighter options, in case you have any children prone to travel sickness.
“Family trips can create unforgettable memories for you and your children, but long car journeys with kids can be difficult. The key is in the preparation – but when you do this, be sure to involve your children. It will get them excited and more mentally ready for the long journey ahead,” shares Jessica.
