How to Plan Great Day Trips with the Kids – Mummascribbles
This is a collaborative post
We absolutely love going on day trips with the boys but we’ve come to learn that their success depends entirely on the pre-planning. Creating these awesome memories is one of the lovely parts of parenthood but if you’re not careful, it’ll be remembered for the awful car journey, the lack of food, or the utter boredom!
If you feel like you’re not very good at planning day trips with the kids or it’s something you’ve never really done before now, you’re in the right place. Here’s how you can plan memorable days out that everyone will enjoy.
Plan Trips Around Your Child’s Interests
“I’m bored” is something you don’t want to hear when you’ve gone to the trouble of organising a day out, so it makes sense to ensure they’re planned around the interests of your children. If they’re fascinated by space and astronauts, a trip to a science museum would be perfect. If they’re not bothered about traipsing around a zoo looking at animals, it’s probably worth rethinking! Making sure that the day trips you plan are relevant and interesting will make them more enjoyable for everyone.
Surprise Them Occasionally Too
Zach always says he hates surprises but when I do manage to keep a location secret, he always has a fantastic reaction when he realises where we’ve arrived at. Sometimes, kids can really enjoy things that they never knew they wanted to do. We know our kids well don’t we? So it’s pretty easy to gauge an idea of whether they’re going to enjoy something and so surprises can be a lot of fun!
Stay on the Lookout for Deals
Days out these days cost an absolute fortune so staying on the lookout for deals that you can make the most of is definitely a good idea. Looking online for discount codes and coupons for days out and activities that you think your family will enjoy is a great way to keep it as cheap as possible. Often you need to get these or book them in advance so being well prepared is key.
Ensure Your Car Isn’t Going to Let You Down
If you’re heading out on a day trip that involves quite a lot of travel and driving, you’ll want to make sure that you’re able to make that journey in comfort. Part of that involves making sure that your car is up to scratch and that it won’t let you down in terms of either performance or comfort. Having your car serviced regularly will help you trust it on those longer motorway trips, but if you feel it’s time to upgrade to a more reliable family car, you might want to head to edmunds to see what choices you have.
Have a Plan for the Whole Day
Winging it can result in a lot of wandering around not knowing what you’re doing or where you’re heading – which also results with a lot of “I’m bored” or even worse, “I’m hungry”. Having a plan in place for the whole day is usually a good idea. Have a good look around on Google maps for places to eat and things to see nearby, and check distances between locations so you know how far they’ll need to use their weary legs. Having a plan in place can give the day some structure so it never gets boring for anyone. Don’t forget to pack snacks too!
Planning a day out with the kids can be a really great experience and they create the kinds of memories that you’ll hold on to forever, long after they’ve grown up. Being pre-prepared will make it more fun for everyone and give them fond memories to look back on too.