Ten tips for the perfect family day trip

Ten tips for the perfect family day trip

Whether your trip is to a local beauty spot for a picnic or somewhere further afield, be sure to prepare thoroughly for the perfect day out.

  • Plan your day… allowing bags of time

The greatest thing you can take – whether sightseeing or getting from A to B – is extra time. Young children love to explore and don’t care for the time pressures of travel, so you’re more likely to all retain your cool if you factor the faffing, toilet stops and, dare we say it, tantrums into your timeframe.

  • Book/research ahead

If you’re going to a special event, place or restaurant, it pays to book ahead, or check opening hours if this is more relevant. If you arrive at your destination to find you can’t get a seat, need to wait an hour for lunch, the museum is closed on Mondays, or whatever, then tempers will soon flare. And there’s nothing more demoralising than having to hit the road again with tired, hungry children melting down in the backseat. So, where you can, do your homework before you leave home…

  • Bag of essentials

For going anywhere, even on a very short trip, keep a small bag containing all your essential ‘bits’ – a couple of wipes, tissues, some kitchen towel, sun cream, anti-septic cream, plasters and any prescription medicines/inhalers etc.

  • Involve the kids

When you’re planning your trip, encourage your children to find out about where you’re going. Let everyone choose one activity, if that is viable, so it’s truly a family trip that involves everyone.

  • Document your trip

Hang on to bits and pieces from the day as keepsakes: tickets, brochures, a couple of postcards, etc. Your children can then make create a way to remember their day when they get home – and share their experience at Show & Tell at school or nursery.

  • Let the kids take some photos

If you have a suitable device or camera, or the kids have their own device, encourage them to take some pictures. It’s another way to get the kids more fully involved with the day, and allows them to record the trip from their perspective, which will be very different from yours!

  • Get all your ducks (and ducklings) in a row

If you’re going on holiday with another family, make sure you discuss the basics before you go – for example what everyone wants to do, whether you’ll all stick together each day or whether you’ll spend time doing things apart, what you’ll do for meals…

  • Consider needs of toddlers and very young children

For young children, even if they are generally good walkers, it’s often a good idea to still take a buggy.  It’s always useful for carrying your bags and is good if they need a rest or get tired in a restaurant.

  • Take some activity stuff

Whether it’s to cover a long wait in a café for food, or you’re trapped in a delayed train, you never know when you might need to suddenly occupy the kids. So take paper pads and crayons. A must-have for any urban trip!

  • Take healthy snacks and water.

Similarly, you need to be prepared for any delays to normal mealtimes, so take plenty of healthy (ish) snacks like breadsticks, carrot stocks, grapes, raisins etc. Filling up on sweets and chocolate could mean kids are more likely to get travel sick, or get a sugar rush at an inopportune time.

 

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