When you live in New Zealand, going on road trips is unavoidable. Both North and South islands have generally good highway systems so it’s easier, albeit longer to get from one city to another. Of course, you can opt to go by plane, but where’s the fun in that? A road trip allows you to stop by small towns that you wouldn’t otherwise know of, and see more of the country at your own pace. We’ve gone on several road trips to visit different cities in the North Island, and last month also did the same when we visited Queenstown.
Going on a road trip with kids (in our case, both under 5) is quite different, though. There’s a few things you need to consider when travelling with kids. Fortunately, JP and I have some sort of system already in place when we travel. Here’s a few tips you may find useful if you’re going on a road trip with your children.
1. Dress them up the night before, wake up early.
Our road trips start early in the morning, especially when we know the trip is going to be quite long. We wake the girls up so that they can stretch and run around the house, and even have breakfast, while we load up our things in the car. Dressing them up the night before helps us save time before we leave. Just a quick nappy change, and they are ready to go. Also, we know that they will make a mess of their clothes in a few hours when they eat in the car or when we stop for a break, so this also lessens our laundry.
2. Take breaks frequently–and be strategic about it
As adults, we can go on a long drive with taking just a few breaks. For kids, this just isn’t the case. If you’re travelling with an infant, it’s especially important to take a lot more breaks, as it’s dangerous to let the baby sleep for a long time in the car seat. For toddlers, they will definitely get antsy from sitting down for a long while and there’ll be tantrums if they don’t get out of the car for a little bit.
For us, if both girls are down for a nap, we drive on. When they wake up, that’s the time we all get out of the car. We usually look for a park or playground (you will always find one or several in any New Zealand towns) so the girls can run around and stretch, have some snacks, and also do a nappy change.
3. Bring (mostly healthy) snacks
When you go on road trips, there’s always the temptation to simply buy any snack at a convenience store along the road or in a petrol station. A better way to do it is to pack your own food. This way, you get to save a bit on money, as well as make sure you’ve eaten something healthy on your trip.
For me, it’s also an opportunity for us to avoid food wastage, ie. those foods that we would leave at home. So before we go, I’d usually pack a few sandwiches, a mix of sweet (Nutella or peanut butter) or savoury (ham and cheese). I also take some fruits from our fruit basket and even pack dinner from the night before (I usually cook adobo–always perfect to bring along). This way, I’m sure that we all get to eat something healthy and filling.
Of course, we also bring along some snacks–chips, yoghurt, nuts, chocolate. These are mostly already in our pantry, so we don’t buy as much when we’re outside.
4. Entertainment and music
A few days before any trip, I usually pass by the Dollar Store to look for some cheap toys that the girls can play with in the car. I get stickers, some sticks, small books, just little things that will keep them occupied.
We also bring a tablet with some games and shows downloaded, but we only bring this out when a major tantrum comes on. No judgements, please! Glad to say the meltdowns in the car don’t come often, as we mostly find a way to distract the kids.
5. Try to stay calm and patient
Well, road trips and vacations are supposed to be fun and relaxed, so it would really be a failure if everyone ends up grumpy and not enjoying it, right? I have to admit that it’s mostly me doing the entertaining bit with the girls, as JP is the driver, and I always remind myself to stay calm. I think that you have to get into the right mindset when travelling with kids. There will be tantrums, nappy blowouts and spills in the car–they’re all part of the “adventure”. But if you stay positive, there will also be lots of memories that your family will talk about and remember for a long time.
What about you, have you been on road trips with your kids? Please share your own hacks that make your travel with children easier (and more fun). I’m always looking for more tips!
