Travelling with Kids in a Motorhome

Are we there yet?

This classic phrase is synonymous with kids on long-distance trips — but it doesn’t need to transfer to your motorhome holiday.

In this blog, we discuss how to plan a road trip that will be fun and exciting for your youngest family members. We also look at what to pack and how to create a safe and comfortable environment for a boredom-free campervan vacation.

We also share expert tips from parents on our Wilderness marketing team who have experienced the joy (and frustration) of travelling in a motorhome with their kids.

Taking your kids on an RV adventure is a fantastic way to create unforgettable memories while bonding as a family. Travelling by motorhome offers kids:

• The freedom to explore
  
  
• Endless opportunities to be active outdoors
  
  
• A homely living space — to rest, recharge and prepare for the following day’s adventures.

How to choose the right motorhome

Once you’ve decided that a recreational vehicle is the preferred mode of transport and accommodation for your family holiday, it’s time to choose the right one.

Deciding where you’ll sleep each night is often the most important holiday decision, so take a moment to consider:

• How many people will be in your travel group — motorhomes generally only have enough berths for two, three or four people
  
  
• Your ideal sleeping situation — for example, you may require a twin bed setup for older kids or a king size bed to co-sleep with a toddler
  
  
• How much storage space your family needs — in the garage, where large outdoor toys can be kept, and inside the living area
  
  
• Whether the motorhome has a robust heating system with reliable insulation — especially at night and during the winter months
  
  
• How you’ll be comfortable on hot days and during summer — with ventilation to stay cool, fly screens to keep bugs out and block-out blinds to take naps
  
  
• Which motorhome layout best suits your family dynamic — particularly your kids’ ages and their need for space and comfort.

Research the different models of campervan and motorhome rentals that are available. Some will have adaptable living spaces, like a drop down bed with protective netting or a dinette that converts into your family’s main sleeping berth.

Read our guide to choosing a Wilderness motorhome.

Plan together with your kids

One of the joys of travelling with other people is planning your adventures together — and that should be no different when it comes to a family motorhome holiday.

Kids naturally want to be engaged with whatever it is they’re doing. They want to have some input so they can get excited — and feel like they’re invested in the trip.

Be open to sitting down at the dinner table in the weeks or months leading up to your New Zealand road trip. Casually chat about what you might do and see on a certain day or in a particular place — so your kids feel like they’re about to be part of an absorbing adventure.

As you go about planning the motorhome road trip, encourage your kids to:

• Choose a few of the activities — but give them options to make it easier, like whale watching, feeding farm animals or hiking to a hot spring
  
  
• Take out some library books on New Zealand or download a road trip travel itinerary — to find out about the places they want to see
  
  
• Browse tourism websites — to learn about the wildlife, activities, culture, mountains, beaches and playgrounds
  
  
• Search online for kid-friendly places to camp — you’ll soon get a clear idea of how they see themselves having fun during downtimes
  
  
• Pack their own bags — at least initially, and you can repack with potentially fewer items afterwards.

See our top ten tips for planning your first New Zealand campervan trip.

Pack smart to make your travels easier

Even though you’ll have plenty of space in your motorhome hire for storing suitcases and bags and clothes and toys, it’s a wise idea to pack smart.

Clutter inside a recreational vehicle can make a road trip less comfortable than it should be. The first step for avoiding clutter is to pack less stuff. Begin by prioritising what’s essential, such as:

• Clothing for all weather — layering will help reduce how many items you take, like wearing a breathable tee on a hot day, then again as an underlayer when it’s cold
  
  
• Protective items — in New Zealand, the sun and bugs can be an issue so bring sunscreen, a sunhat, sunglasses and a reliable insect repellent to limit sandfly bites
  
  
• Entertainment — all kids need some form of entertainment which may include small books, toys, devices, card games and even a favourite teddy for young ones
  
  
• Useful items — such as a head torch for night times, packing cells to segregate types of clothing, a travel journal for reflecting and zip lock bags for whenever they’re handy
  
  
• Toiletries and medication — keep these items to a minimum by only taking what your kids really need.

When choosing a motorhome or campervan hire provider, check whether a first aid kit is included with your rental. Hire an RV from a rental operator that provides them, and you won’t have to pack your own.

Clothing items like a lightweight waterproof jacket, merino top and hiking footwear will go a long way in the New Zealand outdoors. The weather can be changeable, so being prepared for rain and varied terrain is sensible.

Be sure to also pack your patience — along with a sense of building up the fun and adventure that’s in store for your kids.

Get some more tips from our packing for your campervan road trip blog. Then, download our helpful packing checklist to help you work through what to take.

Create a safe and comfortable environment

When it comes to travelling with kids, safety needs to be a top priority.

In New Zealand, seat belt regulations protect children from birth to age seven. The law then recommends appropriate restraints from age seven until 12.

When booking your motorhome, you should also be able to book a child restraint suitable for your kid’s age and height. Height is the best guideline for fitting a child to the right restraint.

If you plan to travel with an infant, check that the rental operator’s motorhomes can accommodate rear facing child restraints because some can’t. Medical professionals recommend keeping infants in rear facing child restraints until they are two years old.

Take a look at our blog on securing your child in a motorhome for a lot more detail.

Some tips for creating a safe and comfy environment for your children while travelling in a motorhome are to:

• Make sure everyone onboard is wearing seat belts — while your motorhome rental is moving
  
  
• Secure any loose items — to prevent them from becoming projectiles should you need to brake quickly
  
  
• Be mindful of where you park up for the evening — cliffs, bodies of water, busy roads and wildlife can all be risks for young children
  
  
• Book a vehicle with enough floor space — if you intend to place your baby in a travel cot when the motorhome is parked
  
  
• Pack a buddy — the distance from driver to child is further than in a car, so a soft toy or cuddly travel mate can help your youngster feel more comfortable
  
  
• Carry ginger lozenges, peppermint candies or lemon ice blocks — which may help with feelings of nausea.

Check out our ten tips for campervan travel with a baby in New Zealand.

Establish a flexible routine

Like many adults, kids generally thrive when they have a set routine — even when on vacation. Knowing what’s coming next and what’s happening at certain times of the day can help kids feel a sense of safety and control.

To establish a holiday routine, try:

• Putting a consistent sleep schedule in place — because quality rest is crucial for energy the next day
  
  
• Eating food at consistent times each day
  
  
• Cooking easy yet healthy meals — to make dinner times nutritious without too much hassle
  
  
• Scheduling in daily playground or nature times — so your kid knows when to expect the freedom to run around and have fun
  
  
• Designating areas of the motorhome for different activities — like the bed for sleeping time and the dining room as a reading or board game playing zone
  
  
• Taking regular driving breaks — for short walks, skimming stones or just admiring the view
  
  
• Arriving at each nightly destination before dark — so everyone can get comfortable and familiar with the camping site.
  
  

It’s equally important to embrace flexibility while on holiday because things don’t always go as planned. Transport can be delayed, road detours can be in place, weather changes can affect driving routes and unexpected attractions can be welcome surprises.

It’s a great opportunity to teach your kids that the journey is just as important as the destination. Focus on enjoying the experience with them by adjusting your itinerary when necessary and not making a big deal about it.

See how this young family travelled with their kids around the South Island.

Tips for fun motorhome travel with your kids

Like any holiday, travelling by motorhome should be a lot of fun — for both small and big kids. A few ways you can create an enjoyable experience for your youngsters are to:

• Let them be tour guides for a day — by planning, scheduling and leading the day’s activities using a tool like Google Maps
  
  
• Break out a few timeless travel games to keep your kids entertained on the road, such as:
  
  
  • I Spy — one person chooses a visible object, and the others try and guess it
    
    
  • Twenty questions — let your kid think of an object, then take turns asking up to 20 questions with only yes or no answers to work out the object
    
    
  • The alphabet game — the first person says a visible object that begins with the letter A, then player two says an object starting with B and so forth
    
    
  • Around the world — choose a topic, like countries, and if the first player says New Zealand, the next player must state a country starting with the letter D (the last letter of the previous country)
    
    
  • Chain story — a game of imagination where the first person starts a story with a sentence, then the next person follows with another sentence and so on
    
    
  • Would you rather — a game of choice for kids, for example, would you rather have a bucket stuck on your head or a cement block stuck on your foot?
    
    
  • Face the music — more suited to older kids, the motorhome DJ plays a snippet of a well-known song, and your other family members try to guess the song and the artist.
    
    
• Book a few nights at camping grounds that cater to kids — some have amenities like heated swimming pools, playgrounds, games rooms, mini golf and even organised activities, especially in summer
  
  
• Have some activities in reserve to encourage exploring the outdoors — download a New Zealand scavenger hunt, go on a torchlit night walk searching for native birdlife or introduce geocaching
  
  
• Mix up your camping locations — freedom camp riverside, then pull into a Department of Conservation (DOC) site by a trailhead, then stay at a holiday park with a kid’s playground.

Find out why a motorhome road trip is the perfect family vacation.