How to make road trips fun for kids??
At Yumthang Valley, Sikkim
I am dedicating this
blog to some of my very close friends who often question me, “How I travel with
my kid for days together?” The matter is not that my friends don’t travel with their
kids, but they mostly travel through cities and tourist places.
I am sharing some
tips for everyone who wishes to do road trips with kids, but yet avoiding
thinking if everything should work fine.
Some pass time during break at Lavasa, Maharashtra
How to make road trips fun for kids??
Road trips are adventurous but when you have children
accompanying you, lots of planning should go in the trip. How to make road trip
fun for the kids is an activity in itself. Nevertheless you take a short
weekend trip or a long one, your itinerary and luggage should make feel the
presence of your children. Including some planning and inculcating some habits
can go a long way if you often travel with children.
I have been
travelling with my 6 year old daughter since she was a toddler. The longest
road trip taken was for 17 days at a stretch combing length and breadth of
Karnataka. My daughter was merely 11 months then. In transit, I had to request at the
dhabas, hotel or the resorts we halted for food, to prepare the porridge for my
daughter or let me prepare. Porridge was her main food then. The kind people always obliged and
offered their kitchen on seeing the baby. Making porridge and asking for boiled
water for making powdered milk made me visit the kitchens of many a hotels in
the coming years.
A break to pose at Tamhini Ghat, Maharashtra
Here are some of the tips that come handy while travelling with children-
Where are we going?
The first question any kid will ask is “Where are we going”?
Let the kids know where you are heading, what’s in store for them and what they
should be expecting. Give them snippets on the place. Show them photographs of
the place you are visiting. This creates a sense of curiosity among the kids.
Highlight on the transport source and how much time you might take travelling.
The major cities, airports, rail heads you will be covering. The idea is let
there be some learning.
At Gangtok, Sikkim
On my recent trip to Sikkim, my daughter who is a first
grader now caught the fancy of memorizing Sikkim’s spelling and kept saying the
entire journey S-I-K-K-I-M. She remembers Gangtok too as a part of Sikkim.
Itinerary
When travelling with children chalk out an itinerary which
include something attractive and adventurous
for the children. Including a beach, zoo, amusement park,
waterfall in the itinerary would certainly help. Children should be informed in
advance of what they should be expecting from the trip. A sense of interest
generates when children know where they are vacationing. Plan a composed
holiday, not somewhere where you are on your toes every day. Explore places at
a slow pace this offers the little ones to refresh for the further travel.
At Bulbulay Zoo- Gangtok
At Yashwantgad Beach,- Malvan, Maharashtra
Short breaks
A break to merely stretch helps in the long distances. Stopovers
with packed lunch could be a joyful experience for the kids. Pulling the car beside
a water body, a meadow, a waterfall or a shady tree and having packed lunch
under open sky is a marvelous experience.
A break on the way to Lachen, Sikkim
Travel plays
I have inculcated in my daughter a habit to observe her surroundings
while travelling. Often making her notice the hills and plateaus, city and
village, hot or cold climate, fields and rivers and other interesting things. Yet, she often keeps observing the car's speedometer and tells me “Daddy is driving at 80,
mummy. Ask him to drive slowly”.
Children can also be indulged in reading maps, reading road
signs and milestones etc.
Checking on the rain clouds at Lonavala, Maharashtra
Plucking some flowers on the way to Satara, Maharashtra
Walking amidst paddy fields at Chiplun, Maharshtra
Plan and book in advance
When travelling with children, it’s a golden rule to make
bookings in advance. Children are already tired of long travels and need to be
at ease. Not to mention having their meals on time. An advance booking can save
on time.
A local cuisine at Sikkim
Local Cuisines
Inspire children to have local cuisines. Pick the food they
like. Be generous in treating them with cold drinks and ice creams as it is
their vacation time. If your child is queasy with local cuisines, Maggi could
make their day. I have travelled in remotest India in Ladakh, Assam, Arunachal
Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Sikkim, Maggi is available everywhere and it won’t let
your kids go empty stomach.
Albeit, never compromise on carrying some dry food stuff
thinking you might pick up something on the way. You might not be lucky for hours
at stretch at remote locations.
Documenting the journey her way
Travel Journal
Inculcating a habit of maintaining diary helps and such
habit should be started from small age. Recently during my last trip to
Rajasthan with my daughter, I had handed her my spare digital camera. She went
freak capturing places, people, animals and also a decorated auto rickshaw.
These days many phones too have inbuilt cameras which the younger generation
are too apt at using. Hand them your phone if they want to capture something
interesting, they think. The more the children are involved the more they
enjoy.
In winter clothes at ZeroPoint, Sikkim
An umbrella for the September rains at Kas, Maharashtra.
Luggage
Often city dwellers lead a perspiring season all round the
year, especially Mumbaikers. The same doesn’t hold true when you leave the
city. Take in to account the season and the climatic conditions of the place
you are travelling to. Nevertheless couple of warm clothes (a jacket and pairs
of socks) and beach wear for the children always come handy. T-shirts and trek
pants are the most comfortable outfits while travelling. Indulge the children
in doing their own packing yet, you supervise. Needless to say, the bag might
just be loaded with their favorite toys.
Entertainment
Some music for the soul always helps. Do have your kids
favorite songs stored and played while travelling. Carrying card games, dice games makes for an good environment when travelling in group. Some chitchatting, sharing
jokes and information always serves better.
Medicines
Often travelling to remote places leaves you un-accessible
to facilities from the town. Pack your kids kitty of most used medicines. “Ajwain”
works best for stomach ailments and should be kept handy, considering your kids
are eating an altogether new cuisine.
A toddler at Kashid Beach, Maharashtra
Exposing your children to hard core travel at an early age
might be a concern with most parents. But, Children take it well to fresh air
than the city life. Yet, I believe, “the journey has to begin and the curiosity
maintained”.
Tags - Travelling with kids, making travel easy for kids, tips for travelling with kids , road trips for kids , simple ways to travel with kids, travel tips for kids.
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