Taking a road trip is possibly one of the most adventurous ways to explore your surroundings. With no restrictions and bondage of flight and train timings, it is one of the most free ways of travelling. However, when planning a road trip with kids, there are certain things which should be kept in mind to ensure that the road trip isn’t a spoilsport and both your kinds and you enjoy the vacation.
Here are a few tips and guidelines which can come in handy:
• Have your favorite trusted mechanic give your car a check-up before embarking on the journey. Ensure that the oil, filters, and tyres, all are checked and double checked. Get things fixed if your mechanic thinks anything looks dubious.
• Pack as much of our own food as possible, including bread, peanut butter, and plenty of fruit. This ensures a healthy mode of travelling.
• Plan your route in such a way that you stop a lot, and don’t try to get your kids to “hold it a little longer.” These breaks will also ensure that your kids stretch and move around and so do you.
• Put together a first aid kit pack with Band-Aids, antiseptic ointment, fever reducer, and any similar medications that you think your kids may need during the journey.
• Make them comfortable, specifically during the journey. Whether it’s their favorite pair of pyjamas or shorts and T-shirts, dress your kid in what you think would be appropriate for him/her. You could also carry some security items, such as a prized stuffed animal, blanket and even pillows to make the child feel more at home.
• Use plastic cups for snack service. These can be easily held by a child and will avoid any spillages which will get your vehicle dirty.
• Diaper wipes are a road trip necessity. These are great for cleaning faces and surfaces. They end up getting handy in some form or the other.
• For less traffic and better sight-seeing opportunities, consider taking an alternate route in comparison to the usual, traditional route.
• There are various ways to keep the kids occupied. Carry audio books, which will allow kids to close their eyes if they want to, or keep looking out the window. Let them take pictures of what you are driving by from a camera, if you think they’re old enough for it. Aluminum foil is the perfect crafting medium for road trips.
• Easy to tear, easy to fold, easy to bunch up and shape. Get a bunch of cheap toys and individually wrap them before setting off. This will help divert your child’s attention when he/she gets irritated from the journey.
• Ensure that your kids participate in every aspect of the vacation. Try to involve them as much as you can. Ask them to help pack the bags and load the car. Let your kids order for themselves in restaurants. This will help them feel a part of the ongoing journey and vacation.
And last but not the least, have lots of fun on the road trip!
