Gone are the days when you would wake up one morning, feel like taking a road trip and then proceed to do so by hopping into your two-door sports car, with just the clothes on your back and the wind in your hair.
No map. No plans. Just the open road, and we hope, some petrol in your tank!
Now, that two door is long gone, that hair is either grey or falling out rather rapidly and you keep three power banks for your navigation system, just in case.
Yeah, you’re that person.
You even keep wet wipes in your cubby and rolls of toilet paper in your boot.
You are the dreaded, okay, not so dreaded P word….
A PARENT!
So parenthood has its moments, but the key to ensuring these moments are always magical, preparation is key!
This is especially true when doing long distance road trips with the kids.
To help you prepare and to turn what could possibly be a treacherous journey into a walk in wonderland, we have handpicked 6 of our top tips for travelling with kids:
1. Treats are everything
Embarking on a 3 or more hour road trip with small kids and not carrying any treats is suicidal! It’s like attempting to defeat Dracula without any garlic. Make sure that you have your kids favourite sweets and treats, and some more. Just in case.
Now, we know we said treats, but it’s important to make these treats as healthy and nutritious as possible; too much sugar and you have another problem on your hands.
2. Audio-books
There’s no better trick to keep the kids quiet and to bond over the shared love of a particular story. Get the kids involved before the journey by asking them which audiobooks they would like to take and get them excited by telling them they will get to listen to it on the journey.
3. Use your surroundings
There’s only so much I- spy you can play right?
Why not make your own games as you go along; get the kids to see how many drivers who are wearing sunglasses they can spot or how many kids in other cars they can see.
Make it a competition and let the winner choose the next song or audiobook.
4. Get them excited about the destination
Ideally, this step starts before you even get in the car; show kids photos of the places that you are going to visit and give them some intel on what you are going to do there. This will make them as eager as you to want to get there.
You can use a string and some cardboard to create a countdown as to how much longer it’s going to take to get there. On every hour, you can play a new game or participate in a new car and child-friendly activity.
5. Which kid doesn’t love Lego?
Okay, we know what you’re thinking, Lego in a moving car?! How?
Relax.
What if we told you that you could take your kids favourite Lego and make it car travel-friendly?
Well, you can.
You can make a portable lego kit for the car that will ensure hours of fun and no missing pieces! Voila.
Click here to learn how to build a portable lego kit.
6. Make sure your activity arsenal is stocked
What is meant to be a 5-hour journey can seem like a 500-hour journey when you’ve got kids. Now we know we spoke about Lego in the previous point, but we’re sure you will agree that kids get bored easily.
Apart from audio-books and Lego, make sure that you have colouring books, crayons or pens, finger puppets, magnetic snakes and ladders as well as their favourite teddy bears and activities on hand. A bored kid results in frustrated parents which then results in the worse road trip ever!
So now that you know that the key behind a successful and happy road trip with your kids is keeping them fed and entertained, why not head down to the KZN South Coast to try out our tips and let us know if they work? Book your family stay with us today.
