Road trips are the best kind of adventure to have with your family. If you want to explore as much of a country as possible, then a road trip is the way to go. There will be so many amazing things to see and explore during the journey and a road trip is unlike any other geography lesson your kids will receive in school. However, family road trips aren’t without their challenges and they can quickly become a stressful endeavour if your kids get bored or tired. If you’re planning your own road trip adventure, here are three great tips to follow to make the experience as smooth and memorable as possible:
- Entertainment is essential
Miles of beautiful scenery and ocean views might be entertaining for the parents, but it’s unlikely to capture the attention of your children for a long time. This is where entertainment preparation and planning is essential – you’ll need to have some fun road trip games up your sleeve for when you hear the dreaded ‘I’m bored’ from the kids. The license plate game is great to play during long motorway journeys and the classic ‘I spy’ is an excellent way to get your kids to take in their natural surroundings. If you’re in a more exotic location, a great game idea is a road trip scavenger hunt with iconic animals and landmarks of the region on the list; not only is this enjoyable, it’s also a great way to teach your kids about different cultures. If all else fails, it’s always useful to have an electronic tablet at hand with some educational apps and television programmes pre-downloaded onto it.
- Bring plenty of snacks
Snacks are arguably the most important aspect of any road trip, so make sure you come prepared. Fizzy sweets and crisps are okay for an occasional treat when your kids are especially well behaved, but they shouldn’t be the only thing you stock up on before you get on the road; get organised and pack some healthy options like fruit salad and yoghurts. Cottage cheese is a great snack for your children to have on a road trip as it is loaded with Vitamin B-12 which is essential for cognitive development. Give your kids a taste of the destination you’re visiting and buy some snacks that are popular in the regions you pass through.
- Be flexible with your travel plans
Important as plans are, road trips are difficult to schedule accurately so you should always have a back-up plan if a disaster should strike. Leave some wiggle room in your travel plans for extra stops or even an extended stay if you really enjoy a particular area on your travels. One thing you can plan for is your family’s safety: if you’re travelling to a more exotic location then make sure your whole family are up to date with their travel vaccinations; you might be in a car for a lot of your experience, but this won’t protect you from malaria or cholera.
