Whether it is near or far…We absolutely love going on roadtrips!

Are we there yet?  How long to go now? I need to go to the toilet! He/she is touching me!  I’m hungry! I’m hot! I’m cold! I’m bored! AND THE LIST GOES ON…These are just a few complaints that our kids will use during your road trip.  It amazes me how much space little people need all to themselves ‘apparently’!

Our number one tip for ALL parents preparing for a road trip is to BE PREPARED.

Include them all in the planning

Here are 7 things you should talk to your kids about before you leave:

• Discuss where you are going
• tell them how long it will take
• what is the destination famous for
• what activity options there are
• the weather & what to pack
• ask them what they think about the trip
• why/what the benefits are of the trip

Sell the trip to them and get them super excited with you!

Have a list of games and activities readily available for when the harassment starts; which will be around 30 – 45 minutes upon leaving your home.  So almost immediately…

The first thing I offer is foooooood. Pack their favourite goodies.  You can read more about snack ideas from a previous blog post, here.

If the food coma trick doesn’t settle them, here are 10 simple ideas to keep them busy.

1. EYE SPY – for the younger kids replace letters for colours. (e.g. I spy with my little eye something blue) this will save any arguments from the younger members of the family.  Our 3 year old is always gratefully excited when he can be included in some of the kids the older ones can play.
2. WINDMILL – my family and I have been playing this for generations. Simply find and keep a tally of how many windmills you can find FIRST before you arrive at your destination.  The person with the most WINS!  The simplest game and it kept us so quiet for ages.  Until Mum or Dad had to referee who actually spotted it first. Good Luck!  (Of course you can replace windmills with anything you like…maybe you will prefer to tally up how many white cars you can find first, etc.)
3. BINGO/SCAVENGER HUNT – using road signs, animals, landmarks, or number plates. A good one would be logos of fast food outlets and department stores, etc.
4. ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS – an oldie but a goodie
5. COLOURING-IN BOOKS/DRAWING – you can’t go wrong with activity books and colouring books, keep some plain paper in the bag for some drawing and other games like hangman and noughts and crosses.
6. WHO AM I – give some clues and wait for someone to guess who you are ( I’m an actress, I do mostly sci-fi, etc.)
7. MAGNETIC GAMES – mini magnetic games like checkers or tic tac toe, can be found in most book stores
8. DIY CRAFT – don’t forget your travel trays or a hard clipboard
9. BUBBLES – blow bubbles out the window or use them when you are stopped at your next rest stop
10. SURPRISE BAG – leading up to your trip collect little gifts as you go along. Wrap them up and reward the winners of the games and reward them for doing so well in the car during your travels.

REGULAR BREAKS

Don’t forget to take regular breaks this is probably the absolute best solution for the whole family to cope during the road trip of the year.

Sometimes simple thing like singalongs and allowing your kids to pick the playlist will help keep them happy and comfortable on your next road trip.

THE SECRET – TAKE YOUR TIME WHEN TRAVELLING WITH YOUR KIDS!

What games have you created or play during your road trips?

Mrs Bleakley