04 Jun 7 tips for a fun family road trip

Are you interested in road trips? Getting behind the headed to an unknown destination?  If that is the case, are you still able to feed your need for escape once a child or two comes into your life?

Here are some tips for those who are willing to go in a road trip with their family and who decide tackle the impatience of children, especially when they are confined in a small space.

(1)
Clearly explain the concept

First, to avoid hearing a thousand times “Are we there yet? “, it is preferable to explain to your children what a road trip is and, above all, to put the emphasis on the objective which is that one doesn’t know exactly where one is going and when we’ll get there.

At the same time, they must also be aware of some of the irritants, i.e. the number of hours that they may have to spend in the vehicle, but remember to try to focus on the adventurous side of the thing.

Very important, you must also discuss the number of stops possible during the ride. For example, to eat, to stretch the legs, to visit and to go to the bathroom.

(2)
Make them participate in the adventure

Since, technically, a road trip is supposed to be a trip to an unplanned destination, why not ask your children to choose, each one their turn, which direction you should take. “At the next corner, do we turn left or right?”

Not only this will stimulate their interest, but they will feel a certain pride in being the one who has made the whole family discover a very unusual place.

(3)
Get busy on board

Very important, bring fun games but not too noisy ones, otherwise the journey may be painful.  There are several card games (riddles, observation, memory) that are as interesting for adults as for children.

Try to change their routine by leaving video games or DVDs at home.

A fun game in cars is to ask children to identify vehicles of a certain color, like counting yellow cars, for example. They can spend hours on this exercise.

(4)
Plan an activity to stretch the legs

After more than an hour, it is inevitable that children begin to feel tired. So why not find a park where everyone can stretch and where children can run as they wish?

And if you had the good idea to prepare snacks or a lunch, you can turn the activity on a picnic if the season or temperature allows.

(5)
Be prepared for small discomforts

During long rides, your child may end up with motion sickness. If it’s your first road trip, do not take a chance and bring some pharmacy essentials (pills for headaches, nausea, etc.)

Also make sure that the temperature of the car is comfortable and make sure that the air conditioning is not too intense.

A good idea is to ask the children to bring their pillow. Thus, if they want to take a nap, they can snuggle comfortably.

(6)
Choosing a path without irritants

Because everyone’s patience has limits, verify that the roads where you want to drive are not under construction or jammed with traffic.

(7)
Surprises and rewards at the end of the day

To make the road trip even more magical and memorable, why not surprise or reward the children when you return home.  It could be, for example, to stop for an ice cream or camping in the garden. The idea is to end the day beautifully.

What you must keep in mind is that the experience must be as pleasant as possible for the whole family. This time with your kids must feel like a holiday, even if it is not.