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“Mum I need the toilet”  “Are we nearly there yet?”  “Super Kid bit my arm!”

Car journeys with kids can fill the heart of even the most laid back parent with fear. Kid’s aren’t known for patience, sitting still or being quiet so if you’re planning on taking your children on a car journey it’s definitely worth being organised and having a plan. As my children are now three, five and seven we’ve taken lots of car journeys with them, so I bring you my five top tips for car journeys with kids.

Five top tips for car journeys with kids;

1. Pack snacks and drinks; I always pack a cool bag with cartons of juice, cereal bars, rice cakes etc. Nothing too sugary or likely to make them hyperactive. This saves you from paying captive audience prices for limited choices at services stations when the children get hungry. It’s also handy if you find yourself stuck in a traffic jam, and the kids are hungry, because you have something to hand to give them.

2. Play games; You can break up the journey by playing car games. A purple family favourite is the numberplate game, spot the letters in a numberplate and make it into a sentence. So PFP becomes Pretty Fast Pigs. For younger children play ‘can you see a’ and try to choose something that’s not going to disappear to quickly.

3. Pack activities; I pack reading books, sticker books etc. If you have an tablet with children’s films or games loaded that can occupy an hour easily. Audiobooks and children’s music CD’s can also be really fun for the children, and are great for anyone who might get car sick staring at a book or tablet.

4. Take regular breaks; On a long journey it’s a good idea to plan breaks into your route. You don’t always have to stop at service stations. There are all sorts of quirky, fun, little places to be found just off some of the major driving routes. Google search your route and see what you can find. We’ve visited little museums and even had a wonderful impromptu picnic in a cornfield on one journey in Cornwall.

5. Encourage children to sleep; Travel can be tiring, and regular bedtime routines upset. So if you can persuade your children to take a nap it can really help with their mood for the day, also it will give you some peace and quiet.

Those are my five top tips for car journeys with kids. I hope you find them helpful, and I’m wishing you peaceful travel with your family.