How to Plan a Family Road Trip with Kids

TL;DR

• Involve kids in the planning process from the start. It builds excitement and cuts complaints on the road.
• Book family-friendly accommodation early, especially on popular routes during school holidays
• Pack a first aid kit including motion sickness medication before you leave
• Stop every 2 to 3 hours on long drives to let kids stretch and move
• Bring a mix of entertainment: books, drawing supplies, travel games, and audiobooks
• The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s best family-friendly road trip routes

Anyone who’s driven more than two hours with kids in the car knows how quickly the atmosphere can shift. Someone needs the toilet 20 minutes after leaving. Someone else is carsick. The youngest wants to know if you’re there yet, and you’ve barely left the suburbs.

Most of this is manageable with some planning. This guide walks through what to do before you leave, how to keep kids calm and occupied during the drive, and what to pack so you’re not scrambling at a petrol station 300km from home.

Before the Trip

Getting the preparation right makes every day on the road easier. A few hours of planning before you leave saves a lot of stress once you’re moving.

Involve Kids in the Itinerary

Let kids have input into the trip planning. It doesn’t have to be every decision. Even small choices build genuine investment. Show them photos of the stops you’re considering. Let older kids help map the route. Ask the younger ones to pick which beach or lookout to add.

The payoff is real: kids who helped plan the trip are more patient during the slower parts of the journey because they have something they’re specifically looking forward to.

Make sure any planned activities suit your group’s ages. A 5-year-old and a 12-year-old have completely different tolerance levels for standing at a viewpoint. Mix stops that offer physical space (beaches, parks) with the ones on your must-see list.

Book Accommodation in Advance

Family-friendly accommodation fills quickly on routes like the Great Ocean Road, particularly in January and during the April school holidays. Book as early as possible.

When choosing, look for:

• Kitchen or kitchenette access (reduces the cost and stress of eating out every night)
• Enough space for kids to have some separation from adults at bedtime
• Proximity to your planned stops for the following day

Pack a First Aid Kit

Put together a basic kit before you leave: bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain relief appropriate for your kids’ ages, tweezers, and any regular medication. Keep it in the car cabin, not buried in the boot.

If anyone in the group is prone to motion sickness, speak to a pharmacist before you leave. Several effective options are available for children, but they work best when taken before the journey starts, not after symptoms appear.

During the Journey

Entertainment Ideas

The basics work well. Books, colouring-in, small toys, and drawing pads are reliable for younger kids. For primary school-age children, travel games hold attention longer than most parents expect:

• 20 Questions: one person thinks of an animal, object, or person; everyone else asks yes/no questions
• The alphabet game: find letters A through Z on road signs, in order
• I Spy: classics hold up for a reason
• Travel Scrabble or Bananagrams: good for kids aged 7 and up

The goal is keeping hands and minds occupied without defaulting entirely to screens. Save the tablet for genuinely long stretches of highway with nothing to look at.

Audio Entertainment

A road trip playlist takes you a long way. Beyond music, kids’ audiobooks and podcasts are useful for highway sections and can hold a car’s attention surprisingly well.

Audiobooks worth trying:

• The BFG by Roald Dahl
• The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
• The Enchanted Forest series by Enid Blyton

Podcasts for kids:

• Wow in the World: science for curious kids
• Story Pirates: stories written by kids, performed by comedians
• Brains On!: science questions answered for young listeners

Healthy Snacks and Drinks

Easy to eat, not too messy. Pack more than you think you’ll need. Hunger is a fast route to a bad mood in the back seat.

Snack type	Good options
Fruit	Apple slices, grapes, mandarin segments, banana
Savoury	Crackers and cheese, rice cakes, veggie sticks and dip, plain popcorn
Sweet	Dried fruit, muesli bars (low sugar), date balls
Drinks	Water, diluted juice. Avoid sugary drinks that spike energy then crash.

Avoid anything that requires two hands, melts easily, or leaves crumbs in every seat crevice.

Bonding Time

Some of the best moments on a road trip happen between stops. Conversation, storytelling, and simple games don’t need preparation. A few prompts that work in the car:

• Ask each person their highlight of the day so far, then their prediction for the next stop
• Tell a round-robin story where each person adds one sentence at a time
• “Would you rather” questions. Kids of all ages get into these quickly.

Practical Tips for the Road

• Stop every 2 to 3 hours. Use rest areas, beaches, or parks. Give kids 15 minutes to run around before getting back in. Long stretches without breaks make everything worse.
• Check the weather the night before each day. Have a rough backup plan if outdoor stops become difficult. Most coastal routes have towns with cafes and indoor options for exactly this situation.
• Watch for tiredness before it peaks. An overtired child in a car is one of the harder situations to manage on the road. A 20-minute rest stop or quiet time with an audiobook often heads it off.

Family Road Trip Packing Checklist

Category	Items
Health and safety	First aid kit, motion sickness medication, prescribed medications, sunscreen SPF 50+, insect repellent
Comfort	Blankets, travel pillows, favourite stuffed toys or comfort items
Sun protection	Hats (one per person), sunglasses for kids, UV-protective swimwear
Entertainment	Books, colouring books and pencils, travel games, small toys, downloaded audiobooks and podcasts
Food and drink	Reusable water bottles, snack containers, small cooler bag for perishables
Practical	Wet wipes, spare change of clothes for younger kids, rubbish bags, paper towels

Conclusion

Family road trips work best when kids feel like participants, not passengers. The planning matters, but so does giving them room to engage with each stop rather than just observe it. Get the preparation right, and the rest tends to look after itself.

Ready to plan your Great Ocean Road family trip? Browse our Great Ocean Road tours or view all attractions along the route.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a family road trip with kids be?

For children under 5, three to four days is usually the right length. Older kids manage longer trips well, particularly if the itinerary varies between active stops and quieter ones. The Great Ocean Road works well as a three-day trip with enough variety to hold kids’ attention from start to finish.

How to handle car sickness in kids during a road trip?

Speak to a pharmacist before you leave about appropriate options for your kids’ ages. Most motion sickness medications are more effective when taken before departure, not after symptoms start. On the road: keep windows slightly open, avoid screens on winding roads, make sure kids can see ahead through the front window, and pull over immediately if anyone feels unwell. Sitting in the front helps for older children who are old enough to do so safely.

What age is best for taking kids on a road trip?

There isn’t a wrong age, but the experience changes a lot by stage. Toddlers need more stops, simpler entertainment, and familiar comfort items. Primary school-age kids (roughly 5 to 12) tend to engage most with nature spotting, interactive activities, and attractions they’ve helped choose. Teenagers respond well when they have real input into the itinerary and some independence at each stop.

Which road trips in Australia are best for families with kids?

The Great Ocean Road in Victoria is one of the best. The variety keeps kids engaged: surf beaches at the start, koala spotting in the Otway Ranges, the 12 Apostles, and historic lighthouses along the Shipwreck Coast. You can cover the main stops in three days at a pace that works for families. Other popular family routes include the Great Alpine Road in Victoria and the Pacific Coast highway between Sydney and Brisbane.

What can kids do on a road trip?

More than most parents expect. Travel games (20 Questions, I Spy, the alphabet game) work well in the car. Audiobooks and podcasts cover the longer highway stretches. At each stop, give kids something specific to look for: a koala, a particular rock formation, or the best viewpoint. Older kids respond well to having a small task like navigating or keeping a trip journal.