Family trips make for some of the fondest memories. Image: Mark Daffey

BEFORE YOU GO

Be flexible. By all means, plan an itinerary, but be prepared to change it. Cramming too much can often lead to short tempers.

Before planning a day out on a high-wire course or at a water park, check ahead to see if they’re open. 

Both kids and parents can get sick at any time, throwing a spanner in the works of any travel plans.

Anticipate having to deal with it and try to minimise ailments through good hygienic practices. A day spent recuperating might mean a day lost elsewhere, and there’s nothing you can do about that.

Plan the sights you wish to visit

Write a packing list ahead of your departure date — this will ensure that nothing is left behind. Help the kids pack their own bag, placing limitations on clothing and toys. Include thermals for a warm, compact layer on cold nights — they can also double as pyjamas. Beanies, gloves, and a lightweight puffer jacket are also good inclusions for chilly nights and mornings. And it’s amazing how inviting a warm sleeping bag can be for enticing kids to bed.

Kids are always getting scratches and bruises, so pack a basic first aid kit that includes antiseptic wipes or cream, disinfectants like tea tree or eucalyptus oils, plasters and bandages, antihistamines, headache and anti-inflammatory tablets (check the labels for age suitability), and any other medications. Don’t forget bug spray and sunscreen either.

Taking your own healthy snacks is always a good option

ON THE ROAD

Along the way, include places to see and things to do that kids will enjoy. There’s no point in spending days touring wine regions if little ones can’t participate. Instead, stop at swimming holes or take time out to skim rocks across creeks and lakes and look for playgrounds and parks when you pass through towns. Grab an ice cream on a hot day or as a reward for good behaviour. Pubs are usually no-go areas for kids so they’ll get a kick out of snacking while they look around in wide-eyed wonder inside a public bar or bistro.

Always, and I mean always, ask whether anyone needs to go to the bathroom before you set off again. Kids can go from empty to desperate in the blink of an eye. Honestly, there’s just no in-between.

Kids are forever hungry, particularly when they’re bored, so have a ready supply of food (and water) in the vehicle. It’s easy to nibble on biscuits and chips when  you’re driving and it’s always handy to have some on hand. A better option though is to make your own sandwiches and cut up some fruit at the start of the day. Bring dips with carrots, celery or capsicum. Keep everything fresh inside sealed, reusable containers that can also be used to store leftovers. Ideally, carry an insulated cooler bag inside the vehicle to keep food fresh, cold, and together in one place. Make some mugs of hot chocolate while you brew your own coffee or tea, making sure to bring keep cups to minimise your environmental impact. There’s nothing like a hot cuppa while driving.

Kids are resourceful and will generally find ways to keep occupied

Kids quickly get bored looking out the window on long drives, so think of some games to play. Punch Buggy is a variation of Spot the White Horse or Black Sheep, and then there’s I Spy and Sweet or Sour.

Think up memory and word games, or try playing alphabet games such as boy’s names or countries starting with the letter ‘A,’ then the letter ‘B,’ and so on. Guess the Animal is one where a person thinks of, say, a walrus or wedge-tailed eagle, and then everyone takes turns asking questions to narrow down the possibilities using yes and no answers. ‘Yes’ answers mean you get another guess, ‘no’ and you move on to the next person. Try substituting animals with sportsmen or musicians or movie stars if you prefer. It’s only limited by your own imagination.

Instead of looking blankly out the window, search for wildlife. Seeing native wildlife like kangaroos and emus is always a novelty, especially for city folk, but even domestic animals such as horses and cattle interest small children.

Try not to rely on Google Maps all the time. Instead, buy physical maps (Hema Maps are great) that kids can study. They’ll learn where they’re going and remember the journey better. During my first big  road trip from Melbourne to the Gold Coast when I was 10 years old, my parents bought strip maps that were published by RACV. Each page covered no more than 200 kilometres and included background information about each town, such as its history, population, industries, and attractions. Those maps helped fuel a life-long interest in faraway places that eventually led to me becoming a travel writer and photographer.

Animal spotting can bring about a lot of delight

As you travel further from big cities, the choice of radio stations becomes more limited so it’s imperative to have a decent music selection in the vehicle. Enlist your kids to make up music playlists with songs they like, then save them to your phone or burn them onto a CD. Their musical tastes can make you cringe at times, but if they have to sit through eight and a half minutes of American Pie or Hotel California, surely you can grit your teeth through a poppy tune from Tones and I. It’s only fair.

Lastly, I’ve always managed to get by without electronic devices inside vehicles, though smartphones have altered that behaviour in recent years. Nevertheless, DVDs or iPads loaded with movies and TV shows or games can be hassle-free ways to occupy a kid’s mind. I suggest putting time limits on each, using the time to disconnect as much as possible. You’ll be amazed at how quickly kids adapt to life without their screens.

Enjoy the serenity as a family

AT CAMP

Try to arrive early to set up your camp — there’s nothing worse than arriving after dark only to prepare meals and get the kids ready for bed. Kids need to expend energy, and tired and cranky kids (and parents) are no fun to be around. If you’re staying in caravan parks, little ones will want to explore the facilities and find new friends — and bush camps are ripe for exploration.

For the first day or two, until you’re settled in, it’s a good idea to make and freeze dishes that you can warm up for dinner when you get into camp. It also saves on cooking gas. Unless you’re a MasterChef wannabe, keep meals simple and get the kids to help so they can learn new life skills. Pastas, mild curries, casseroles, and barbecues are some camp favourites.

My son devours simple pancakes with jam or Nutella, so he’ll gladly help pour the pancake mix into a frypan or on a barbecue plate then flip them when they need turning. My wife and I smother ours with fresh fruit, adding a dollop of Greek yoghurt, a sprinkling of muesli, and a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup.

Kids can wrap potatoes in foil then carefully place them on the coals in an open fi re. Let them spike the spuds with a marshmallow fork to indicate when they’re ready. They can also use the forks to toast marshmallows or bread on the campfire. Toasted fruit loaf and butter makes an easy, satisfying after-dinner snack.

Allocate daily chores around camp. Do it long enough and the kids soon learn what needs doing. They can wash and dry dishes or get them to collect firewood. Teach them how to set up and light a campfire — always with supervision. Older kids will be able to do it on their own.

Give them their own torch too, preferably head torches to keep two hands free. Night or pre-dawn hikes by torchlight are novelties that they seem to enjoy more than daytime hikes, though steps also seem to add novelty value.

Bushwalking your baby to sleep is a big perk of being outdoors

Bring along a few board games that all the family can play. Compact travel versions of Scrabble, Chess, Draughts and Backgammon are available for purchase in most toy stores. Bananagrams is easier to pack than Scrabble. We’ll play Connect4 all night, or several games of Rummy-O, Blokus, and Battleships. Around camp, introduce treasure hunts and glow sticks.

Card games are excellent educational tools, building mathematical and memory skills. Simple games include Snap, Spit, and Go Fish. Next rung up is Rat-A-Tat-Cat or Switch. These days, my 13-year-old son enjoys playing 500, Hearts, and Poker, betting with matchsticks. He’s pretty good, too. And don’t forget an UNO deck.

Always pack a book or two to read, especially for rainy days. Audiobooks are great to listen to during long days on the road. You can borrow either from your local library.

Colouring books can fill in countless hours too. And if you’re musically gifted, a guitar or harmonica is a welcome addition around any campfire. You could even sing a few verses of Kumbaya.

On clear nights, away from bright lights, the starry skies can be amazing. Pick out the Southern Cross and Orion, or the planet Venus — otherwise known as the Evening Star. Free smartphone apps like Star Discovery, Night Sky, and SkySafari can find constellations for you.

So, off you go.

Nights by the camp re are entertaining for all ages. Image: Mark Daffey

Category: Features
Written: Mon 01 Nov 2021
Printed: November, 2021
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