The Easter holidays are the perfect time for a family getaway with your kids or grandchildren, and what better way to spend the holidays than an exciting adventure together in your motorhome or campervan?
Whether you’re new to family road trips or a regular out on the road, you likely understand that travelling and going away with the kids comes with its own set of challenges. But not to worry that’s why we’ve put together our top tips for making long drives with the kids easier! We’ve also listed some exciting Easter activities to keep the family entertained during your trip, and shared our best insights on finding the perfect campsite to create lasting memories this Easter!
Our Top Tips for Long Drives with the Kids
From keeping the kids entertained on long journeys to tips to making sure the drive goes smoothly, here are our top travel tips for your Easter road trip.
Two caucasian children, brother and sister, drawing inside a campervan during a road trip stop. Camper vacations travelling with kids background with copy space.
Image source: Silvia – Adobe Stock
Plan around the traffic
The best plan of action for avoiding the traffic is usually to leave early. But if you’re travelling with young children on a long journey, travelling in the evening so they can sleep away some of the journey can also be a good idea.
Audiobooks
Audiobooks are the perfect way to keep the kids entertained and distracted while on a road trip, there are audiobooks to target all ages and interests from Peppa Pig and Bluey for younger travellers, to stories to captivate a slightly older crowd like the Rohl Dahl books and Harry Potter narrated.
Make a family road trip playlist
Making a road trip playlist is a great way to get the kids excited about vanlife. It makes a fun pre-travel activity where they can contribute their favourite songs to add to the mix. It’s a great way to make them feel genuinely involved in the adventure and they can enjoy singing along and jamming out while you’re all out on the road!
Pack comfortable clothes
Making sure the kids are comfortable is vital for making sure the journey goes smoothly. Tight fitting, thick clothes, multiple layers, or denim materials can lead to your child getting restless and uncomfortable, so it’s a good idea to aim for soft loose fitting clothes for the drive.
Games
Games are a must for travel and keeping everyone entertained, some classic games to play while driving are:
- Eye spy: One player chooses something in view and provides a clue by saying, “I spy with my little eye, something that…” followed by a description of the object’s colour or the letter it begins with. Everyone takes turns guessing the object.
- Category ABCs: To play category ABCs you choose a topic e.g. animals. Each player takes it in turns naming something from the chosen topic starting with the letter A and moving through the letters of the alphabet. For example the first player might say “Antelope”, followed by the next player saying “Bear”, and the next saying “Cat.” The game continues until you reach the letter Z or when the players run out of ideas.
- One word story: The rules for one word story are easy, one player starts with a single word to start the story, then each player will take it in turns adding a word to build the story. This is the perfect game for sparking creativity and laughter as your group story unfolds.
Activity sheets/ activity books
Activity books are an amazing way to kill time on the road as well as encouraging educational entertainment. We have a range of free activity sheets for your children to enjoy as well as some fun filled Easter sheets, print them for free from our Just for Fun zone!
Make exciting stop offs along the way
On long journeys you’ll need to make stop offs so everyone can stretch their legs and take a break from travelling, why not make these stop offs interesting by planning a short activity to do at the stop off or planning a point of interest to visit.
Snacks and drinks
On longer drives with the kids it’s important to have snacks that are easy to eat and create minimal mess. Here are some great snack and drink ideas for your trip:
Snack ideas:
- Cut apple slices or grapes
- Rice cakes
- Cereal bars – opt for soft cereal bars that tend to stay together better to avoid mess (avoid brands like nature valley that tend to be crunchy and crumbly.)
- Precut veggies like carrots, cucumber, and celery
- Mini sandwiches
- Fruit snacks like dried fruits, raisins, or fruit leathers
- Popcorn
Drink ideas:
- Water
- Squash
- Juice boxes
Food and Drink Tips:
- If your child suffers from travel sickness avoid heavy, greasy, acidic, and spicy foods before and during your journey, instead opt for light and plain/bland foods.
- Organise the snacks into small kid friendly containers to make it easy for them to grab during the drive.
- For younger children consider putting drinks into a spill proof bottle to avoid any mess.
- Try to limit high sugar foods and drinks for your journey as this can lead to a short burst of energy followed by a sugar crash making children feel restless and irritable.
Sick Bag/box
Even if your child hasn’t previously suffered with travel sickness it’s a good idea to have a sick bag/box on hand just in case. If you need advice for easing motion sickness or remedies to help prevent motion sickness you can visit this page on the NHS website.
Motorhome checks
Finally, before you set off don’t forget to do your vehicle checks to make sure everything is in order and your journey goes smoothly, you should check the following:
- Tyre Pressure: Ensure all your tyres are at the recommended tyre pressure.
- Tyre Tread: Check your tyre tread is a safe depth for driving, and look for any signs of wear and damage on your tyres.
- Fluid levels: You should check that your oil levels, coolant levels, and brake fluid levels are all at the recommended range.
- Battery: Make sure that both your motorhome engine battery and your leisure battery are working, if your motorhome has been sitting idle and unused over the colder months it’s possible your batteries will need charging.
- Lights: Test all lights to make sure they are working correctly.
- Brakes: Test the brakes, ensure that they don’t feel spongy or slack.
- Appliances and Electronics: Test that there are no issues with your electronics or appliances before you start your journey.
- Documents and paperwork: Before you hit the open road make sure you have valid insurance, an up to date MOT (if applicable), and that your vehicle is taxed. You should also make sure your license is valid to drive your vehicle and that your motorhome registration is all up to date.
- Claims numbers and breakdown numbers: In the event of an accident or breakdown make sure you have the numbers for your claim line or breakdown provider
Easter Activities
Here are some fun activity ideas that the whole family can take part in this Easter!
Easter egg hunt
An Easter egg hunt while on your campervan getaway is the perfect fun and engaging way to celebrate Easter and get your kids engaged with and exploring their surroundings; whether you’re in the countryside, on a beach, in the woods, or on a campsite, the hunt can be tailored to any location. It’s an exciting activity that is easy to set up and low in cost that the whole family can take part and bond over while in search of colourful eggs!
Easy no-bake Easter treats – Cornflake cake Easter nests
Cornflake cakes are a classic and easy to make treat that don’t take long to make. Here’s a recipe with an Easter twist that you can have fun making with the help of the kids!
Ingredients:
- 200g Milk Chocolate
- 100g Cornflakes
- 50g Butter
- 2 Tablespoons of Golden Syrup
- 1 Bag of mini eggs
- Paper cupcake cases
Method
- Layout 12 paper cupcake cases.
- Breakup the chocolate into small pieces and add them to a heatproof or microwave safe bowl along with the butter and golden syrup.
- Melt the mixture over a saucepan of simmering water (ensure that the heat proof bowl does not touch the water), stir regularly until the mixture is well combined. Alternatively you can melt the mixture on low heat in the microwave, you should heat the mixture in short bursts stirring in between to prevent burning.
- Pour the cornflakes into the bowl and combine them into the chocolate mixture.
- Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases.
- Decorate the tops of the cakes with mini eggs.
- Put in the fridge to set.
- Enjoy your crunchy, chocolatey Easter treats!
Scavenger hunt
Scavenger hunts are another great way to get your kids engaged and exploring their surroundings, you can make your own scavenger list based on where you are going and what you expect to see or you can download our free scavenger hunt sheets below!
3 Printable scavenger hunt sheets that your child can enjoy ticking off on your adventures and colouring in:
Picnic/Barbecue
A scenic picnic or barbecue is the perfect way to wind down after a day of exploring and recharge with some tasty food! The great thing about picnics and barbecues are the portability, whether you’re parked by a picturesque view, at the beach, or enjoying nature in a national park you can easily set up a space and enjoy food with the family, fresh air, and great views.
Easy Easter crafts
In case of a rainy day crafts can be a great and inexpensive way to entertain the kids this Easter, many crafts can be made from repurposed items you may have laying around in your motorhome like toilet paper tubs and egg cartons. Here are 10 cheap and easy Easter craft ideas that your children can take part in!
Finding the Right Campsite
Finally, you’ll need to decide where you’ll be camping on your getaway, here are some ideas of what to consider when looking for a place to camp in your motorhome:
Happy multi-generation family unpacking and talking by car, caravan holiday trip.
Image source: Halfpoint – Adobe Stock
Consider the distance
If you’re travelling with younger, less experienced travellers, it’s a good idea to start with a campsite that’s just a few hours from home. A long road trip across the country could be overwhelming for a newer traveller. Starting off small will help them ease into the experience and build their confidence for any future motorhome adventures!
Family friendly amenities
Check if the campsite you plan to stay at offers kid-friendly amenities like playgrounds, swimming pools, or organised activities such as arts and crafts, sports, or family entertainment. Family-oriented campsites can create a fun social environment allowing kids to make new friends and play together.
Budget friendly alternatives
Campsites in the UK can be pricey especially during the school holidays. If campsite costs don’t fit into your budget and you’re planning a shorter trip, overnight stopovers are a great cheaper alternative that allow you to park overnight in certain hosted spots by businesses. You can find maps showing stopovers, affordable camping, and UK Aires and MH Parking Plus service Points here.
Nearby attractions/things to do:
On your motorhome adventures you’ll likely want to get out there and explore, so make sure the place you are camping is close by to family friendly attractions. Look for nearby hiking or nature trails, beaches, parks, or attractions geared towards children like zoos, adventure parks, or interactive museums. Planning the right location ensures plenty of fun and memorable experiences for the whole family that are just a short drive away!
Cover for your family road trip
Make sure your covered for your Easter road trip! Our Horizon Motorhome and Campervan policy is rated 5 stars by Defaqto, so you can travel with the peace of mind knowing you’re covered with one of the most comprehensive policies on the market.
To get a quote you can speak to one of our motorhome insurance experts on 0208 984 0777 or get a quick and easy quote online.
