Long car journeys can be a challenge when you have small children. With the challenge of making sure you have everything to look after them as well as entertainment to keep them occupied, you can easily overlook planning this in advance. To help you get this right, we have compiled a list of 10 tips that you can use to make long car journeys with the kids a breeze.
Use Music as Entertainment
Entertainment is crucial when heading out on a long car journey with your family. One of the easiest ways to do this is through music. Whether it is music through headphones or on the radio for the whole family to enjoy, this is a great way to keep everyone entertained and have a sing-along.
Films & TV Shows
In addition to music, TV episodes and films can keep them entertained for hours. Applications such as Disney+, Netflix and Youtube Premium allow you to download content for your children to watch during the drive. These can then be attached to the back of the seat using a bracket to ensure that your children’s eyesight is not strained and provides comfortable, head-height viewing that’s hands-free.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Snacks
Snacks are another crucial step in keeping your children comfortable during a long drive and having them to hand will benefit you. Whether it’s sausage rolls, crisps, or healthier snacks such as fruit, this can help to keep your children happy and comfortable as you continue to drive long distances.
Make Regular Stops When Needed
It is important to make regular stops, and these should be planned beforehand to make time for toilet breaks and stretching your legs. This will help to prevent irritation and boredom, particularly in younger children. By setting them stops to look forward to, this will help them to feel more included in the drive and feel comfortable at all times.
Time the Trip Around Nap Time
If you have particularly young children, planning your trip around their routine is the best place to start. Whether this is leaving after breakfast or just before nap time, this will help to make travelling easier. This is a great way to plan regular stops as well. Whether it is feeding time or toilet breaks, this is a routine that you should stick to with your young ones to ensure that they are comfortable and relaxed.
Don’t Overfill the Car
When you are spending hours and hours in the car it is important to be as comfortable as possible. By making sure that you have enough room in the car, you can make room to stretch your legs and move chairs back if you need too. This will make the drive a lot more enjoyable. Additionally, a lighter load will help the car to run much more efficiently and not increase fuel consumption.
Plan Some Family-Friendly Car Games
Another popular way of keeping your children entertained is the use of car games. Whether it is a game of eye-spy or a guessing game, these games can always keep children entertained. In addition to this, making up games such as road trip bingo will allow them to tick off items as they go, giving them things to look for.
Encourage Listening to Audio Books
If your child is not able to look at a book and read, audiobooks are a great way for them to listen to their favourite authors on the go. Whether it is books for older children or books for young children, this can help them to drift off to sleep or learn something new as you are driving to your chosen destination.
Start Your Journey Early in The Morning
Starting your journey early in the morning is another way of making the travel process easier for the family as you can get to your destination earlier. If you leave early enough in the morning, your children will likely continue to nap for a portion of the journey.
Make Use of Ferries & Trains
The final tip that we can provide you with is to avoid using planes when travelling with younger children. By using trains and ferries you can get to several different locations and it is often much cheaper than travelling by aeroplane.
With this in mind, there are several ways that you can make driving with children much easier for all of you. Which of these will you be trying?
