Camping guides
Fun road trip activities for kids
)
If you’re headed out on the road with your kids in tow, you’re in store for some incredible adventures together! New Zealand’s crystal clear beaches, lush rainforests, towering mountains and more make it the perfect destination for holiday makers of all ages to enjoy! Of course, you’re going to need some fun games and stopovers for the little ones to keep them entertained along the way. Plan a drive the whole family will enjoy with these 7 great road trip activities for kids!
7 best road trip activities for kids
1. Magnetic board games
With magnetic board games, the pieces actually stay in place while you’re driving along the road. It’s one of the best road trip activities for kids and means no more scourging for lost pieces underneath seats!
This set of 4 is perfect for on-the-go gamers, coming with Draughts, Snakes & Ladders, Ludo and Chess. Set the kids to some friendly competition and get their brains fired up from the backseat to keep them nice and preoccupied on long drives. They won’t even notice the time passing!
2. Scavenger hunt
This game takes a little prep work from the parents, but guarantees plenty of fun on the road! Put together a list of things your kids can find on the trip. They can then tick off each item as you go. Make sure you add some hard ones in there to make it a challenge that will keep them amused for even longer.
You can choose general objects that will be around you, such as a bike, church, playground, stop sign etc or get specific with sites you can only find on your route! Or you might play a car version and write down different makes and models to find.
To really get the kids excited about this one, have a prize ready for the winner - the kid who finds all the items first. Looking for a little inspiration? Head to Pinterest for some ideas to get you started.
Get some scavenger hunt ideas.
3. Books, books and more books
One of those family road trip essentials, you can’t go wrong with a good book to keep young minds occupied while driving. Many kids are blessed with the ability to read on the road - a talent that seems to disappear for us older travellers!
Of course, if car sickness is an issue, you can also opt for audio books, so your kids can settle back and daydream as they listen. Audible is the perfect place to start. You can enjoy a free two-month trial with access to thousands of original audiobooks and podcasts to be enjoyed.
Can’t agree on a book for the whole family? No problem! Invest in a pair of wireless earbuds, so everyone can choose what they listen to, without the fights.
Download Audible.
4. Car cricket
Ever played car cricket before? If not, you’re in for a treat! Kids can take it in turn to bat and bowl. The oncoming cars are the ball, and each type gets you a different number of runs:
Regular cars: single run
Utes: 4 runs
Trucks: 6 runs
Buses: 6 runs
The batter gets to keep score of all their runs as the vehicles go past (great for their maths skills!).
Now you need a wicket. Pick any type of car, but one that isn’t too common - maybe a motorhome! When the bowlers spot it, the batter is out and the round changes. It’s one of the best road trip activities for kids that’s sure to keep everyone in the car nice and entertained.
5. Disposable camera
This is one of the easiest road trip activities for kids, and they’ll just love it! Set each child up with their own portable camera for the road, so they can snap everything they see along the way between all those caravan parks for families you’ll be setting up camp at.
To really make the most of these shots, get your kids to keep a journal along the road. They can write about what they see on the way and where you stop as a family, then when you get home you can print out their camera photos and stick them in.
It’s the perfect way to remember the trip from their own eyes and makes for the perfect memory years down the track!
6. Plenty of pit stops
Little ones need to stretch their legs and break up drives more frequently. One of the best ways to keep the kids busy is by getting their help to choose the family road trip destinations and pit stops to visit along the way.
And if you missed this step before you set off, no worries. Hand over a phone or tablet, so they can access the internet and start looking up things to do nearby.
Otherwise, you can print out some information on your destination and get the kids to do some reading and highlight any spots that sound interesting for them. They will be even more excited about their travels if they have a say in some of the amazing places you visit in New Zealand!
7. Lego on the go
What kid doesn’t love Lego? It’s time to load up their favourite pieces and let them get building while on the road.
All you need to do is invest in a travel car tray that they can tip their Lego onto and get building. The brilliant part? These car trays are nice and versatile too. You can bring along colouring, word searches, crosswords, activity books and so much more, and your kid can set themselves up for hours of endless fun - just like they are at home!
Shop car trays.
Hire a motorhome for your road trip with the kids
With these road trip activities for kids up your sleeve, the road just got a whole lot more appealing. Whether you’re planning to sort out motorhome hire on the North Island or motorhome hire on the South Island, New Zealand has so much to offer with its rich culture, stunning natural beauty and kid-friendly activities. Book one of the best family road trip vehicles and get exploring!
Looking to keep the toddlers busy instead? We have you covered - you can check out these ideas to keep toddlers busy on road trips. Plus, play these road trip games for two when the kids have fallen asleep!
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
All members are verified
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.
Sign up if you want to join our beloved community of van life lovers and receive our most recent news and offers