In collaboration with Skiddle
This time of year I like to sit down with Dave and plan places we like to visit with the kids. we always try to fit in a few UK breaks and previous years we have travelled to Cornwall, Great Yarmouth and Perth.
However this year we have been talking about driving to Scotland and on Dave’s bucket list he has been wanting to visit Glasgow. A few of the Glasgow events we are interested in visiting is an Escape Room, as Leo is fantastic with logical thinking, and we find it thrilling being under a 60-minute countdown. Another event that I know the kids (and Dave) would enjoy is the R-cade with over 1900 video games to play on retro consoles. The girls and I are massive on musicals and theatres and would love to see some shows while we are staying in Glasgow.
With this in mind, it made me think of a longer car journey and gave me a great idea for a post and how to prepare for a long journey with the kids, as it’s always best to be prepared and organised.
Before you leave:
- Make sure you have a breakdown cover and it’s up to date. When we broke down in Cornwall, we would have ended up paying a substantial amount.
- Treat yourself and your car to a front and rear Dashcam to record your journey in case of any accidents. We use a Nextbase 422GW and I feel much safer having both front and rear cameras, especially after almost being involved in a ‘crash-for-cash’ scam.
- Examine your tyres and make sure they are not bulging, flat or cracking, and check their pressures to ensure they are adequately filled, to avoid uneven wear, plus will save on fuel during the long journeys. Also, consider the load you will be carrying when putting air in your tyres.
- Check your windscreen, water, and oil levels.
- Fill up with fuel.
Handy tips for the journey:
- The number of times we have been caught short, so my number 1 rule before we leave is “Go to the loo!”. Even if they don’t want to, we always insist they have a sit-down and try before we leave, and surprising how many times they end up going.
- Make sure to take regular breaks to stretch their legs and plan the stops when planning your journey so you know where stations are, and kids can go for more toilet breaks (plan the distance according to your kids).
- We fully charge power banks and take plenty of USB leads with us. These are essential to keep kids entertained. When we broke down in Cornwall, it took us over 11 hours to get home and the power banks kept both our phones charged and the kid’s tablets throughout.
- Fully charge all electricals the night before you leave.
- I pack the kids a backpack each that includes a blanket, sunglasses, colouring book, notebook, colouring pencils, and headphones.
- Pack plenty of snacks, there is nothing worse than a hangry child on a long trip.
- Take a refillable bottle. We filled them up at every stop and I packed a little Squash’d concentrate bottle which made up to 20 drinks.
- Keep an extra large bottle of water in the boot for emergencies.
- Take toilet rolls, baby wipes, and nappy bags. For those with younger kids, a portable potty if you still have one. These are amazing for cases where they are busting but there are no facilities for miles (especially if you have little girls). We used to take the girl’s little ladybug potty for those moments when they got desperate.
- Play car games like eye-spy, guess the song by humming, spot the yellow car, alphabet memory game, and one game that David introduced the girls that kept them entertained for surprisingly long times was making a three-word sentence from the registration plates of other vehicles on the road. Some of the whacky sentences really get them laughing.
- Make a decent playlist on Spotify to play. If your car is an older model then plenty of CD’s.
- Pack spare clothes, plastic bags, alcohol gel and tissues and keep them close in case of any travel sickness.
