Fun Things To Do On A Road Trip
Take To The Open Road With Road Trip Essentials For Back Seat Fun
Have you got a long-awaited road trip coming up on the calendar? Road travel needn’t be stressful or tedious if you pack it full of memorable experiences and moments. A well-planned road trip can be a fantastic way to have fun with the family or deepen your relationship with friends so long as you plan ahead for things to do in the car along the way. Being crammed in the car with those you love most is always an experience!
Whether you get lost along the way, have some cool adventures, or put the world to rights, time on the road should always be spent laughing. At Gifts Australia, we love planning road trips with friends because they’re about being silly together. Sharing some amazing times, giggling at problems that arise, and being there for each other is what friendship is all about.
With a car full of youngsters, of course, we all have to get a little more creative for things to entertain the troops. However, with the right preparation, road trip packing essentials, and car activities for kids, even this kind of road trip can be lively and entertaining. So, here are our tips on road trip survival and road trip gifts to make the whole thing a walk in the park!
Road Trip Essentials For Fidgety Friends And Family
There is no better vacation than a road trip with friends, but long-distance family travel can be a little more challenging. Still, we don’t think you can’t beat being on the open road with a playlist of favourite songs and a list of exciting stops. Whoever you’re travelling with, there are many ways to make road trips fun and keep on top of boredom or fidgeting! For anyone who loves a good road trip, Lonely Planet's Epic Drives Of The World book breaks down 50 of the most inspiring road trip itineraries to fuel the imagination.
Plan a Road Trip With Regular Pitstops
Keep everyone’s energy levels high by stopping whenever possible to let off steam. At some point, you'll run out of ideas for things to do in the car for kids and will need a break. Do something active, play a sport, or go for a short walk. Try to find somewhere with grass and have an awesome picnic and hot coffee before you get back into the car. Always try to take your own food and eat outside in a beautiful setting, breathing in the fresh air and nature.
Think Creatively
Document your trip for all to see and share when it’s complete. Everyone can get involved in the fun by jotting down the route and favourite activities in a journal. You could take photos of place names and buy cool souvenirs from each place. Write a blog post about the journey or take short videos at each stop and edit them together later as a road trip combo.
Make Detours
Planning a route is important but try not to plan too much detail. One of the exciting things about any longer road trip adventure is spontaneity and flexibility, especially when you’re with friends. When the mood takes you, set off on a short detour, stay the night if you find somewhere new, and do something interesting or cool. Road trips are all about freedom, so take advantage of it and change plans whenever you want.
Camp Out
There’s nothing nicer than being out in the open and setting up camp under the stars. If you need a night stop, save some money and enjoy being at one with nature. One of the biggest perks of any road trip is that you’re in control of your time and route. Find a free camp, pitch your tents close to the beach if you want to, get the campfire roaring, and have some awesome fun.
Collect Souvenirs
Fun for friends and kids, collecting something from each stop will keep everyone occupied and competitive. You can amass anything from fridge magnets and postcards to sugar packets or beer mats. Choosing something related to the road trip will remind you all about the fun times when they’re over. Souvenirs should immediately make you smile and reminisce!
Essential Road Trip Survival Kit For Kids
For any of us to survive the terror of a road trip with kids, some serious travel games for family entertainment are needed. Coming up with creative pastimes and road trip activities for kids will help make the journey a complete success. Try to occupy them for as long as possible without resorting to technology. Have your DVD players and devices ready for emergencies, of course!
When you’re tired of playing I-spy and spotting number plates, there are lots of fun things to do on a road trip with family and pass the time. So, here are some of our suggestions for kids, from toddlers to teens.
Car Activities For 2 Year Olds
This is probably the hardest age to entertain kids in the car for a long road trip. Young toddlers will probably sleep for most of the journey, and older kids will love to read or play group games. But from 2 years to 4 years, kids have a lot of energy and don't cope well being confined. If you don't mind the noise, a nursery rhyme music book or Wiggles interactive tablet can be good at this age. If you'd rather quiet car activities for toddlers, a magic colouring in set can be a great solution. They just use water so are entirely mess-free, and can be done again and again.
Books For Road Trips
If you’re blessed with kids who love reading, then choose some new books for kids for the road trip. They can read individually or take turns to read out loud and keep everyone entertained. Alternatively, opt for digital players with earphones and try some fun family audiobooks. Reading is a boredom-busting road trip activity all ages will enjoy, even the teens and grown-ups.
Colouring Books & Sticker Activity Kits
These are a great option as entertaining back seat car activities for 2-year-olds and upwards. Pack a box full of their favourite coloured pencils and washable markers, but ditch the crayons, which might melt. If colouring outside the lines is a worry, then sticker activity sets are perfect car activities for kids.
Maps & Atlases
One of the best car activities for tweens is challenging them with maps, even though you have the GPS on! Print out your planned road trip from Google maps for each passenger, and mark it with things of interest. They will love tracking your road trip progress and learning as they go.
Trip Journals
A super road trip idea and perfect travel gifts for kids are travel journals. They’re sure to help pass the time along the way, and you can give them fun prompts like “I can’t wait until we…” Buying postcards along the route is also great fun, and they can send them to friends at home.
Scratch Art
For something different for things to do in the car for kids, scratch art notepads are a sure-fire way to keep kids engrossed, make no mess, and take up hardly any room. They come with blackened pages, and kids use a wooden tool to carefully reveal hidden images. Ideal for all ages, you can find crafty car activities with a huge variety of arty subjects.
Magnetic Travel Games
From chess to checkers, any magnetic travel game is the perfect road trip activity for 10-year-olds and upwards. Older youngsters either understand the games or will be keen to learn a new one. They usually come in compact carry boxes and can pass many happy hours.
Word Trivia or Puzzle Games For The Car
If you need ideas for things to do on a car trip for a teenager, they’ll love any trivia or guessing games. There’s a huge variety of card and party games to choose from, including Mensa intelligence tests and challenging memory games. They’re good old-fashioned family fun! Mensa card puzzle games are good for solo play for a car activity for a teenager, but you can also turn it into some road trip fun for the family. Divvy the cards up and see who is the first to complete five challenge puzzles.
Make The Journey Half The Fun
Before you start off on your holiday adventure with a road trip to remember, get organised with travel gifts for the family or road trip survival gifts for kids. Get each child to pack a little bag with a selection of activities, car-friendly snacks, and a cuddly teddy to rest their head on. You'll be there before you know it!
