'I'm a parenting expert - taking the stress out of a family holiday this summer is easy'

Let's face it, holidaying with the kids can be tough. No matter how many snacks you pack, they always seem to run out on the journey. And when your little ones are different ages, it can be tricky to make them all happy at the same time. If that sounds familiar - don't panic - because help is at hand.

You are... going on a road trip

I know I won't be alone in having some serious travelling to do over the summer. But a game or two is sure to pass the time, no matter how long the journey is. I recently went on a road trip to Scotland, egged on by my friends at Skoda, who lent me a Superb Estate SportLine 2.0 for the job. As a mum to a six year old and a two year old, when I'm trying out cars I need them to work for the whole family - and this one ticked every box. Big enough for all their stuff? Check. Comfy enough for long journeys? Check. Easy to figure out and a joy to drive for the grown ups? Double check.

Before we set off, I spoke to games expert Nat Marco, founder of Small Fries Games. And when the snacks and screen time ran out, I was ready to beat the boredom. Clambering into the Skoda, already stuffed to the brim with paraphernalia for the children, I'll admit in such a spacious car there was plenty of room for physical games if we wanted to take some. But armed with our excellent imagination, we didn't actually need them. We had all we needed for fun in our minds. Here's how we did it...

• Summer ABC: Starting with the letter A, then B, all the way to Z, passengers take turns to name things that remind them of summer, e.g. all inclusive, BBQs, etc.
• Summer Car Bingo: Create a list of summer themed things to spot on your journey! You could include beach, ice cream, clouds, birds, cars with their rooves down, sunburn etc.
• Summer hunt: Search the car to find the summer special but watch out for the rotten egg! One passenger secretly chooses a spot in the car to hide a virtual summer item and another spot to hide a virtual rotten egg. Other passengers can take turns to call out places in the car to try to find the virtual summer item, e.g. behind the sun visor, under the front passenger seat, on the dashboard etc.The person who ‘hid’ the summer item (bucket, spade, sunglasses etc) can answer with ‘hot/cold’ based on how close they are to it. If they find the item, they win! If they find the rotten egg, they lose! It is then another passengers turn to ‘hide’ the items. Score can be tracked and winners can be rewarded with ice cream after the journey!

You are... going abroad

I caught up with parenting expert Kirsty Ketley, who shared with us some of her top travel tips for stress-free travel. She says:

• Choose flights by sensible arrival times and times that cover nap time - you’re more likely to get some peace for the flight, or at least some of it & your child will be happier once you arrive.
• Don’t schedule anything ambitious on arrival day & the first full day. Let everyone ease in. A quiet pool or beach day/staying close to your accommodation is helpful.
• Take an extension lead for awkward plug situations. Make sure to pack the correct plug adapter for the country you are staying in and that the power lead is safe to use there.

Travel hacks

And whether you're going abroad or staying closer to home, follow these tips to keep the kids safe and your holiday stress free

• Put an AirTag or tracker in each child’s shoe, not just their backpack - bags go missing, shoes not so much.
• Pack bulldog clips. Handy for clipping together curtains that leave gaps
• Pack Command strip hooks. Handy for hanging towels, clothes etc and won’t ruin walls when you leave.
• Bring Milton sterilising tablets for easy bottle/dummy/toy sterilising (abroad)
• Bring a small travel pharmacy with kids’ essentials - plasters, bite cream, antiseptic cream, Calpol etc.
• Research what’s available to buy in shops in the area you are staying - is there a supermarket/pharmacy close by?
• Let kids be part of the planning. Let them choose a day trip or activity, or a restaurant for dinner.
• Take a small travel bottle of washing liquid. Great to wash through any clothes that won’t last until home time, or helpful for an underwear wash half way through the holiday meaning you pack fewer!
• String & clothes pegs for hanging the washing, is helpful.

*The Skoda Superb Estate SportLine 2.0 costs from £44,715. Visit skoda.co.uk for more information