15 Tips for a Road Trip with Toddlers: The Ultimate Checklist for Parents

15 Tips for a Road Trip with Toddlers: The Ultimate Checklist for Parents

With plenty of interesting places to visit, Australia offers enriching opportunities for family road trips.

You may not even need to travel far just to spend quality time with your kids and the entire family.

But you do need to prepare properly, which goes beyond packing just a few bags. When travelling with infants, for example, you need to protect your baby from UVA and UVB rays.

Plan Your Route and Schedule

The goal is to ensure a smooth ride and an enjoyable time for the whole family.

• Make sure to follow a family itinerary, listing locations that are perfect for everyone. A road trip in and around Sydney, for example, may include the Royal National Park, Palm Beach, and Kangaroo Valley.
• Your itinerary should accommodate frequent breaks along the way, especially when travelling with younger children. A 15- to-20-minute break every two hours, for example, will keep kids from becoming irritable and bored.
• Plan your breaks where there are rest stops available, parks, or other areas where the children can go on bathroom breaks and stretch their legs. When travelling with an infant, schedule feeding and nappy changes accordingly.
• Stay updated on the weather, traffic reports, and whether there are road constructions along the route, so you can adjust your itinerary.
• Research your destination thoroughly, including the best time of the year or day to drive and any road rules you need to be aware of.

Get Everyone Involved

Spending time with your children is one of the best parenting advice, and going on road trips is the perfect opportunity to do so. Having them help plan your trip will be a great experience for them.

• Ask your children where they want to go and what they want to see or do along the way.
• Have them view a map, then add pins or stickers to their choice of destination and attractions.
• Make a game of it by checking out pictures or treating it like a treasure hunt.

Pack Light and Smart

It’s easy to overpack when travelling with the family, which can be just as problematic as underpacking. Try to maintain a balance between what’s necessary and what’s comfortable enough to lug around.

• Use packing cubes to store clothes, toys and other items separately and make everything accessible.
• Pack snacks and meals to keep hunger from triggering a tantrum during the ride.
• Bring a variety of entertainment options to prevent boredom and keep your children engaged while on the road. These include toys, books, puzzles and colouring supplies.

Read 7 Parenting Top Tips For You To Consider

Stay Two Steps Ahead

No matter how well you plan, unexpected things can still happen.

• Pack an emergency kit, complete with a first-aid kit, medication and plastic bags for motion sickness.
• Even when your car is 100% roadworthy, prepare for possible car troubles and bring the appropriate tools.
• Know who to call for roadside assistance wherever you are in your planned route.
• Bring portable or backup power sources to keep devices charged.

In addition, stay sun-safe throughout your road trip, especially when travelling during summer. See these 30 Tips For Summer Heat.

Use removable window shades, apply sunscreen and reapply as needed, and park in the shade as much as possible.

If you’re looking for baby car shades for your specific car model, check out what Snap Shades offers.