Top 5 Tips for Summer Driving

During the summer, I love nothing better than packing the family into the car and heading somewhere beautiful to enjoy the sunshine.

Road trips can be great fun, especially in nice weather. But when you’re traveling with kids, you need to be prepared for every eventuality. These are my top five tips for preparing for family summer driving, including what you definitely should take along on a road trip.

Snacks

I always pack a big cooler box to be kept in the back seat, so that anyone feeling hungry or thirsty can grab something quickly.

When you’re choosing snacks, it’s best to avoid the junk food. It’s likely to cause a big spike in energy, followed by a comedown that’s going to leave little travellers irritable and moody, especially if they have trouble falling asleep in the car. Pack lots of fruit and of course, lots to drink.

I also keep a damp flannel in the cooler box. If anyone is starting to feel too warm or a bit sick, applying a flannel to the insides of the wrists or the back of the neck will cool them down quickly. 

Sunglasses

When I’m planning my summer driving, my obvious priority is my kids. But it’s also important to remember that whoever is driving the car needs to ensure that they’re going to keep everyone safe. It may seem like common sense, but remembering to take sunglasses for driving is a must when you’re taking a long trip in sunny weather. The last thing you want to be doing is using your hands to shield your eyes in bright conditions!

Rayban aviator sunglasses are a great choice for driving, as they’re lightweight, comfortable and provide total UV protection. Take a look at Red Hot Sunglasses which offers free worldwide delivery on all orders, including aviators which start from $109. 

Music

Making a CD of your kids’ favourite music will keep everyone entertained. What’s more, making the CD is a nice activity to do together on a rainy afternoon and will get your kids excited for your upcoming trip. 

Looking for even more ideas to your kids entertained on a road trip? Just take a look here for a list of games that are perfect for playing in the car.

Crayons

When I know that I've got a long car trip coming up, I keep a lookout for discounted crayon and coloring sets in stores.

A car journey isn't the best environment for coloring (brace yourself for the odd complaint from the backseat that your driving is causing little artists to ruin their drawings) so it’s not worth spending a lot on a high quality coloring set. They’ll probably get thrown away at some point on the trip but it’s guaranteed to keep kids entertained for at least a few hours.

Sick bags

You've planned to keep everyone fed, watered and entertained on your road trip. But no matter how efficiently you plan, sometimes there’s just no avoiding car sickness.

When the cool flannel hasn't done the trick, having a sickness survival pack on hand is a big help when someone becomes ill. Companies such as Chuckie Bags sell these packs for around $7 and offer worldwide delivery. These are great for long car journeys with kids and will minimize the impact of a bout of car sickness.

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