Camping guides
Family road trip packing NZ: complete essentials list
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There’s so much to think about when putting together a family road trip packing list. How will you keep the kids entertained? What should you include in a first aid kit? What snacks should you pack? The list seemingly never ends! So, make life easy for yourself and ensure that you don’t miss a thing by following our advice on how to pack for a family road trip!
And don't forget, you’ll find everything you need right here on Camplify when planning a family road trip - including van hire on the North Island and van hire on the South Island!
How to pack for a family road trip: ultimate checklist
Entertainment
How you pack for a family road trip will depend on the age of your kids - particularly when it comes to entertainment. Remember, you don’t want to pack too much. It’s good for kids to get bored and use their imagination every now and then. Stick to as many open-ended toys as possible that can be used in a multitude of different ways to keep them entertained.
Here are some great entertainment ideas for your family road trip packing list:
Sticker books: perfect for keeping younger kids entertained.
Play silks: ideal example of an open-ended toy that can be used in so many ways. Plus, it doesn’t take up much space at all!
Animal figures: can extend this to include dolls, action figures and other interests your child has.
Dress-ups: even toys such as a doctor’s set can be used over again in imaginary play.
Building blocks/ train tracks/ etc that can be used over and over.
Beach play set: include a bucket and a small spade for beach days.
Print outs: head to a site like Pinterest and print out Spotto, I Spy and other games.
Colouring and activity books.
Check out these fun road trip activities for kids andfamily podcasts for road trips to get more inspiration!
Technology
Ah, wouldn’t it be nice if we could leave the tech off of the family road trip packing list altogether? But the truth is, road trips can be long and tedious and they can test everyone’s patience along the way. Having tech on hand for those moments will save you a lot of arguing. So embrace these techy family road trip essentials for when you really do need them:
Tablet: preloaded with games.
Portable gaming consoles.
Charging cables.
Power bank: to recharge devices during long days of driving.
Camera gear: for the kids to practice their photography along the way.
Headphones.
Wireless speakers: perfect to set the atmosphere at your destination.
Clip-on reading lights: so that older kids can keep reading their books while little ones sleep!
If possible, make sure every child (if old enough) has packed their own tech device so you can avoid arguments along the way.
Also, you might not have access to the internet at each stop. It helps to have your device preloaded with games and apps, so kids can play even when not connected to Wi-Fi.
First aid
Kids have a knack for finding themselves in trouble. Whether it’s a grazed knee from a fall or an insect bite that needs attending to, you want to make sure you know how to pack for a family road trip so that you’re prepared for all disasters.
Rentals vans on Camplify come with a first aid kit so you can always contact the owner to see what’s included and build on it if you’d like. Here are some first aid kit items to include on your family road trip packing list:
Bandaids: have more than you think you’ll need. Kids are great at going through these.
Cold pack.
Pain medicine: both for parents and kids.
Mosquito repellent.
Sunscreen.
Motion sickness tablets.
Sanitiser.
After sun gel: for those times the kids get a little too red.
Tweezers: handy for splinters.
Nail clippers.
Antiseptic cream.
Scissors: come in handy for many reasons.
Safety pins.
Matches.
Cotton buds.
Gloves.
Learn more about what is in a first aid kit for camping.
Food and drinks
Never head off without adding snacks to your family road trip packing list. Each stop, make sure you stock up on snacks to keep the kid’s hungry mouths fed. It will save a lot of whinging! Here are some great snack ideas for family road trips:
Muesli bars
Chips
Cheese and crackers
Nuts
Sliced vegetables and dip
Sultanas
Fruit
Biscuits
And here are some useful ideas on how to pack for a family road trip when it comes to storing all those snacks:
Ziplock bags: for carrying loose snacks.
Reusable tupperware containers.
Travel mugs: stock up on tea or coffee during stopovers.
Reusable water bottles.
Cooler bag: keep food nice and cool in between stops.
Serviettes or baby wipes.
Trash bags: so you can tidy as you go without all the mess.
Plan your stops around mealtimes, so the kids are still getting regular meals. A full stomach can go a long way to keeping kids (and parents) happy. Mix it up and don’t always opt for the fast-food options, as they can make you feel very sluggish afterwards. Healthy wraps and sandwiches also fill those little tummies just as well!
Helpful extras
There are some essentials for your family road trip packing list that you want to keep handy. Instead of packing them into the bottom of a suitcase, have a backpack reserved just for these items, so that they’re nice and easy to access when you need them:
Sick bags: you just never know when a child is going to eat too much lunch and find themselves in need of one of these.
Extra nappies and wipes to leave in the van: saves parents from searching through all the bags when kids are in desperate need.
Ball: perfect for those stops along the way where kids need to burn some energy off.
Flashlight.
Stain remover.
Hats.
Sunglasses.
Walking shoes.
Raincoats.
Umbrellas.
What not to pack for a family road trip
Just as important as knowing how to pack for a family road trip, is knowing what not to take! Adding too many items to your family road trip packing list is only going to make the van cluttered. Here are some things that you can definitely leave behind:
Too many toys: while you want the kids to be entertained, you don’t want lots of loose toys lying around the van all the time. Let them rely on their imagination for a little while.
Hard suitcases: these aren’t practical when it comes to packing the van and they take up a lot of space. Pack your items in soft bags instead.
Too many clothes: it’s much better to plan some washes along the way than to pack clothes for every single day.
How to pack for a family road trip in a rental van
Planning on visiting New Zealand’s best family road trip destinations? If you hire a campervan, motorhome or caravan through Camplify, chances are that the owner will provide you with most of the essentials. But if you're unsure about what’s included, you can always send the owner a message and ask whether you need to add a specific item to your family road trip packing list!
Want some more general packing tips? Check out our camping checklist for NZ! Or read our camping with a baby checklist and guide to a road trip with a 1 month old baby to make sure you're ready for a stress-free trip.
And don’t forget, Camplify also provides you with a heap of other benefits when hiring a van…
Why Camplify?
We are proud to be New Zealand’s fastest-growing private caravan, campervan and motorhome sharing community. When you hire a van through our platform, it comes with lots of advantages:
Comprehensive hire insurance
Nationwide AA roadside assistance
24/7 customer support
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By hiring with Camplify, you are also helping local families who share their van on our platform and supporting many local companies across New Zealand in addition to ours. So we are very grateful to you.
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