Tips for keeping children entertained on coach and minibus journeys

With the Easter, summer holidays and a number of Bank Holiday weekends all on the horizon, here are some handy hints and tips to help you keep the younger members (and some of the older ones too) entertained on long coach and minibus journeys.

One way to ensure your coach journey is no longer than it needs to be is to get on the road early in the morning, or late in the evening to travel through the night. A clear road will help you make serious headway in your trip plus you'll hopefully avoid hitting traffic jams at peak travel times of 9am and 5pm.

By travelling late at night or early in the morning, there's the added advantage that the children travelling with you will sleep through the early part of the journey so there's less time for them to get bored and ask the dreaded question, 'Are we there yet??'

Planning ahead is crucial to making a success of your coach or minibus journey. Look ahead at the route you're going to take and do a bit of research to see if there are any points of interest along the way you could stop off at. Maybe there's a picnic area with a children's adventure playground? Or a motorway services with a children's arcade? A well chosen pit stop will give the little ones something to look forward to which breaks up the journey, plus they'll be entertained while they're there.

Pack the bag you plan to carry onboard the coach or minibus in advance, ensuring you're well equipped with snacks and drinks. Other items you should consider are children's car seats, first aid kits and a cool bag to keep food and drink liable to melt at a cool temperature. Pillows and blankets may also be a good idea if you hope to have a sleep on the coach.

If all else fails, have a few games up your sleeve to keep everyone entertained. While carrying portable DVD players, computer tablets and laptops are popular with keeping kids entertained on coach journeys, the old classic such as a game of I Spy or the alphabet game (you'll need to spot an object starting with the first letter of each of the alphabet) never fail to keep minds occupied and help the time fly by.

For more information on the coach hire services available with Coach Broker for holiday getaways with the family, get in touch today.