There are so many benefits for travelling with your kids.
It gives them the opportunity to explore their passions and face their fears, allowing them to grow and over come them. Travel has made our children more resilient, confident, it has improved their social skills, and gives them a deeper understanding of people, relationships and how they can impact the world around them. Travel has also given them a love and appreciation for nature and what role they play in looking after it.
Below I cover some top tips for travelling with kids, as requested by the People of the Sun community;
CAR TRIPS- SNACKS & ACTIVITIES
We try to avoid long days in the car. The beauty with travelling full time means we have no set time restrictions and can stop frequently. We have learnt that 3-4 hours in the car is the maximum before our kids start to get unsettled. We are fairly strict on our kids technology use but we are more lenient on travel days. Our kids are more than happy for the treat and it sure helps to make the trip easier. We download movies to their devices or hotspot to our phone , depending how the internet coverage is on our trip. Having the car well organised helps too, having everything handy, such as full water bottles, snacks and activities, means less interruptions and frustration. We have car seat organisers which means everything they need is within reach. We also find long car trips a great opportunity to get some of the kids school work done.
KIDS LIKE DIFFERENT THINGS, HOW DO YOU KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY?
We don’t plan our days out to please everyone, it’s impossible to please everyone, and to be honest we rarely even plan our days. We like to see where the day takes us. Travelling full time means there is always something to see as we are constantly travelling to new destinations and areas. Not every activity, is going to suit everyone but this whole trip is about spending time together as a family and doing things together regardless of what it is. Sometimes we end up doing something that one or two of our children aren’t that fussed on doing but one thing travel has taught our kids is that not everything is going to go their way. It’s important kids understand that in life they are going to have to put up with doing things they don’t want to do. Though we often find if one is being resistant they usually always come around, they get distracted and end up having a great time.
HOW DO YOU PLAN OUT YOUR DAY’S?
Be realistic and don’t try and jam too much in. It’s also important to allow yourself days to just do nothing and relax. You can’t go on crazy adventures every day! When we are planning our day, we just pick one or two activities in the area and leave plenty of time for mishaps or things not going to plan. It’s a good idea to research the activities you want to do before you get there. For example, you don’t want to drive all the way to do a walk with the kids and find out when you get there it’s a 20km hike or don’t realise it’s difficulty until you are 3kms in... there is always plenty of information online to help plan your day.
ESSENTIALS FOR DAY TRIPS, OVER NIGHTERS OR LONGER TRIPS.
This all depends on the age of your children. A baby/toddler has very different needs to a tween. Kids are pretty resilient and don’t need a lot. We do keep a set of hiking shoes and socks for everyone in the car, we have been caught out a few times with us all in thongs and wanting to walk over rough ground to get somewhere. Otherwise, as long as you pack food, snacks, and a change of clothes, kids don’t need much else. The beauty is the great outdoors is their entertainment, sometimes you just have to let them be bored so that they create their own entertainment. Kids will find their own games to play if they are outside, just give them the freedom to immerse themselves in it!
Written by: Jayme- Full time traveller & Mother of 3