“Are we there yet????”
These are the words we do not want to be hearing over and over again from the kids while we’re on a driving holiday. Children can be a hard audience to please on a long drive. We all know these kinds of holidays are totally worth it, though – the freedom of having your car on tour, the fact you can pack it up with as much stuff as you can fit, and the exhilaration of hitting the open road and getting a change of scenery…not to mention how economical and practical they are with a family.
So how do we please the little ones in the back to make the journey as fun as the destination?
We have driven countless kilometres around this country. Driving holidays are our very favourite kind. Whether we have a caravan hitched to the back or have booked a cabin, we love loading up the car with clothes, toys, food (and sometimes the dog) and heading away. We once drove for four months around Australia with our then two-year-old daughter, Charli. The drives were often long and, for a little one, probably quite tedious (personally, I loved the endless stretches of desert that went on into the horizon). Since then, we have taken her on driving holidays around Australia several times a year.
Planning ahead and safety
Firstly, before you even leave, we recommend getting the car serviced if it’s a long drive: topping up fluid levels, checking the tyres, and making sure that the kids’ car seats are in good nick and will be safe and comfortable for the journey. Nothing is worse than having a break down while you are on the road, particularly with kids. They don’t have much patience waiting for roadside assistance.
Also, before you leave have a conversation with your kids about where you are going, how long the drive is, and what they are likely to see along the way. Involve them in the journey and invite them to ask questions. Give them brochures about where you are going and an idea of the activities you can do when you are there. Get them to start thinking about which activities they would like to choose. Engage them in the planning and they will be more excited when on the journey.
Entertainment
Stock up on all the things kids like and will happily play with in the back of the car. Car puzzles, colouring books, sticker books, hand-held games, story books, and of course, the trusty iPad/tablet. Load it up with new apps they can explore, plus their favourite or new TV episodes and movies, ensuring that nothing you install needs WiFi. If you have two or more kids that will be sharing devices, try to find games that require multiple players. If they have a device each, invest in kids’ headphones so they are not competing with each other for sound.
Also think of a list of games you can play together. Eye-spy is an iconic one, but also try writing a list of all the things they might see along the way and they can tick them off on the journey when they spot them.
Make a playlist of songs you can all sing along to as a family, or get fun audio books that are made for kids, and you can play them to the entire car.
If you have a younger one who uses a dummy, secure it to their clothing with a dummy chain or else you will be constantly trying to reach into the back seat to retrieve it.
Food
Bring plenty of supplies of kids’ favourite healthy snacks and plenty of water to drink from water bottles that are spill proof. Consider how sticky/messy the food is that you are bringing and try to pack non-gooey snacks. Think about variety, as boredom stimulates the appetite and children will try and cure it with food. Bring substantial options, like sandwiches or a healthy slice, in case you aren’t near a suitable place when it’s time for lunch or dinner.
The above goes for the adult passengers, too!
Bring spare zip lock bags for leftovers, clips for open bags of snacks, and an ice pack to keep drinks cool.
Comfort
Sitting still for long periods of time can be hard for kids. Schedule regular stops for a stretch and toilet break. Try and plan the drive so you will be in a town for certain times, such as lunch. Or pack a picnic and lay out a blanket at a local park to allow the kids to run around or burn energy on a playground.
Try and make the drive part of the holiday. If you can, allow double the time you need to get there and split your time between driving and stopping off to see sights along the way.
During the drive, kids love to have blankets or their doona and pillows to get cosy, plus their favourite soft toy. Make them feel like little travellers by buying them fun travel headrests.
Our final piece of advice is to try not to pack too much in. Spending more time in fewer places is the key with kids and will lead to a more enjoyable, stress-free driving holiday.
This post was originally written for and published on big4.com.au
What are your top tips for driving holidays with kids? Share below in the comments!
Good on you Jen. Love the show,particularly in AUS. WE hope you and the team go from strength to strength,however we would love to one day be the winners of one of your competitions.
I travel with my two kids all the time. We managed a trip from Adelaide to Melbourne in one day. For the trip we planned a break every hour at a small town and would stop at a playground each time. We stopped at 9 playgrounds and spent 20 minutes at each one. When we got back in the car I asked the kids to rate the playground out of 10. By the time we got back to Melbourne there was a lot of talk about the best playgrounds we went on during the trip. We talk about that trip often and refer to it as the ‘Playground Treasure Hunt’ trip.