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When travelling with the family, it’s all about efficiency and organisation. To make the most of every inch of car space, ensure your passengers will be entertained for the whole trip, and that the car won’t end up looking and smelling like a pigsty, you need all the hacks you can get!
From genius accessories to a state-of-the-art infotainment system, read on for the top hacks from SKODA KAMIQ to make every family journey a breeze.
Before you set off, get organised – give your car a good clear out from the last outing, remove all the discarded toys and broken crayons, and make sure your car is in tip top condition.
When you're ready to repack make the most of your boot space. Children come with a lot of stuff, be it wellies and coats, prams and travel cots, or just squeezing in that extra favourite teddy. The solution? A boot organiser – use one that hooks on the back seats and lifts off the boot floor to free up space below for sliding in your buggy.
If you’ve managed to max out the boot space, handy transport accessories such as a roof box and roof rack are indispensable, particularly for family camping trips. If you’re keen cyclists, or your tot refuses to go anywhere without their trike, a towbar rack is essential.
When packing we know it can get a bit hectic and may feel like you're losing at a game of Tetris, but be sure to keep track of exactly where all of your road trip essentials are and what you need within reach so you're ready to grab the snacks when they get hangry, or that spare no spill water bottle when they knock theirs under the seat.
Talking of road trip snacks, the trick is to avoid mess as much as possible (which we know isn’t easy with toddlers). So, leave the banana at home before it ends up mushed into your back seat, and instead opt for dry snacks such as crackers or bickiepegs – perfect for teething tots.
You can buy car seat organisers which hang from the back of the front seats and have a place for everything your tot needs, or even use a shoe rack – look for a clear one so that your child can see exactly what is in each pocket and won’t be asking you where something is every two seconds (they also help protect your seat from muddy shoes kicking it).
It's a must to keep a supply of snacks and distractions beside you on the front seat, in preparation for tantrums, so you can pull over, grab a snack and pass it back to your passenger. Think finger food, and healthy savoury snacks rather than sweet (to prevent those sugar rushes and crashes!)
While these hacks aim to help you avoid mess, we know it's inevitable that there'll be a bit of clean up after long family car journeys, whether that’s crumbs and spillages from snacks and drinks, or a toy/game explosion on the back seat. The SKODA KAMIQ Genuine Accessories protection pack features everything you need to keep your new car clean (for as long as is possible with toddlers). SKODA also do protective pads that fit under the car seats – genius!
Another way to reduce clean up is to make sure you have a bin at the ready before any long journey – rather than scrabbling around for a spare plastic bag, this bin fits into the door panel of your SKODA, and has a tight fitting lid to help prevent smells escaping.
As well as cleaner, driver, chef and PA, you're also your child’s personal entertainer in the car, so be ready with options! Create a playlist of their favourite tunes, including a naptime playlist for when they start to get sleepy. Having different playlists ready to go will mean you can easily switch as the yawns start.
To keep your kids entertained for the whole journey make a list of car games you can play together and let your toddler choose what they’d like to play, be it ‘I-spy’, ‘I went to the shop and bought…’ or 'travel bingo'. You can print off sheets with pictures of animals or vehicles they’ll likely see on route – pop it in a Ziploc bag and they can use a whiteboard marker to check them off.
It’s a good idea to also pick a few audiobooks and podcasts that the whole family can enjoy, particularly on long journeys these can really help to break up the trip. The SKODA KAMIQ's Bluetooth connection and infotainment system with touchscreen control lets you have all entertainment solutions within easy reach.
Don’t forget to make sure all your devices such as iPads etc are fully charged, and that you have charging cables to hand if they need an extra boost from the USB ports. The [smart multimedia holder]{href='https://shop.wingsskoda.co.uk/products/skoda-smart-holder-multimedia-holder' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow'} is also an essential so your toddler can watch their favourite cartoons hands-free.
For screen-free entertainment, play tray tables can provide an array of activities to keep little ones occupied, and give you a few moments peace. Remember to keep a few tricks up your sleeve with surprise games or car activity toys, something new and exciting is sure to entice them much more than the colouring book you've tried to ply them with for the last hour.
Finally, although none of us want to think about something going wrong when we’re on the road, preparing for emergencies is the best way to prevent it having a greater impact on your journey.
Accessories such as a jump starter powerbank, warning triangle and safety vest are great to keep in your boot, just in case. It’s also a good idea to keep a first aid kit within reach – if you have a passenger who suffers from travel sickness, add some sick bags and nausea remedies in here too.
And of course, don’t forget to ensure your very important little passengers are safe and secure in their car seats – double check straps before setting off to make sure they’re just right, and that everyone is comfy.
Little tots also means little bladders – check out your route before you leave to make sure you know where there are services or laybys where you can stop for toilet breaks. Having a travel potty or carry potty to hand will also prevent any toilet dramas.
Map out your journey for pit stops at least every 2 hours so your little one can have some time out of their car seat. You could also set yourself a timer so that if you get stuck in traffic you don’t lose track of how long they’ve been in the car seat.
Having your car organised and ensuring there is a place for everything will also stop the clutter from getting out of hand. SKODA Genuine Accessories have so many brilliant add-ons to really max out on this, from dual purpose multimedia and cup holders, a reading lamp, thermos-electric cool boxes, boot bags, a handbag and mobile phone holder and even a portable coffee maker for those early departures!
Check out the SKODA KAMIQ accessories catalogue for the full list of comfort-enhancing features.
About the SKODA KAMIQ range
The SKODA KAMIQ range offers four models – the SE, SE Drive, SE L Executive and Monte Carlo. All four come with a generous standard equipment bundle, focused on intelligent technology and driver assist systems for uncompromised safety and enjoyment behind the wheel. The smart interior and exterior offer the luxury feel of a crossover, combined with the huge 400 litre boot space and practicality of a SUV.