The summer holidays are finally here and the UK is enjoying the longest heatwave in decades. Therefore, it’s time for families up and down the country to pack their bags and enjoy a road trip. More than 50% of Brits are expected to holiday at home this summer, but with a car full of kids, travel chaos to contend with and temperatures rising, the likelihood of a family drama on your travels is high. Thankfully, though, with some careful preparation, you can be sure of a fun family road trip without any hiccups.

When the kids get bored 

It’s inevitable that your kids will grow bored at some point during your journey. You may have packed half of their toy box collection to keep them entertained in the car, but that’s probably not going to stop them from whining. Rather than seeing this discontentment as a negative, use it to your advantage. Turn up the radio and sing along to your favourite tunes together and when this grows tiresome, get a map up on your phone, list the top destinations which are currently within a 10 mile radius and get the whole family to vote on where your next pitstop will be. You’ll find that the little ones will be so excited about the pending stop, that they’ll keep quiet until you get there.

Stuck in the car

According to the Department for Transport, the most common months for car breakdowns is July and August. This is because the hot weather wreaks havoc with cars. Therefore, it’s essential you take out appropriate cover for your vehicle, including car insurance and breakdown cover. Should you experience a breakdown, make the most of the situation by playing games such as eye-spy together, or count how many green cars you can spot, with the winner getting to choose a treat once your back up and running.

Make food choices fun

There’s something about travelling that makes you hungry. Research has found that being exposed to the large variety of foods that are available when travelling increases your desire for them. Feeling stressed from getting lost for example will cause your body to produce hormoneswhich make you crave calorie dense foods. Use this to your advantage by planning your food choices before you head out on the road. Put your top choices in a hat and get the kids to pick out which one you’ll eat at. You could even show them the menu online and get them to select what they want so that when you get there you can order immediately.

Anything can happen on a family road trip, but the key is to make it fun regardless of the situation. Therefore, when the kids are unhappy with being cooped up in the car, you vehicle malfunctions or when hunger kicks in, take it upon yourself to make the most of the situation by creating fun games for the whole family to enjoy.

Katie
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