Parenting Australia

We want to know how you keep your long car trips stress-free and fun with you kids! Let us and the rest of our online family know below.

We've done a few long trips recently with Masters 3 and 5 months. We packed lots of snacks, books, small toys, pencils and colouring books and got a small 'stable table' for kids that sat on Mr 3's lap so he could draw, eat and play easily.

We stopped every two hours while they were awake and drive on while they slept. We also found driving at night when they would have normally been asleep made things easier.

Johanna

We bought Little Miss 2 a MagnaDoodle for a long car trip. It was great because we didn't have to worry about pencils rolling away!

I am just about to embark on a 10 hour road trip to our new life in Victoria and I have been watching this thread with real interest. Thanks for the tips SquiggleMum and JohBD. So far I have packed each of my kids their own bag that has some books, penicls, toys and a pad to draw on. Mason is 8 so he will take his DS and I have been looking around to find something similar for Airlie because she just HAS to do what Mason is doing! I am also going to take snacks in the car (shh we will sneak them in the car when Dad isn't watching and try not to make a big mess) Daddy is also borrowing a DVD Player which will be a nice change for the kids cause we don't own one and hopefully that will help a little.

Wish Me Luck!!
Fiona

I think a 10-hour trip will definitely need some luck Fiona! Your ideas to keep the kids amused should work, just hope it is for extended periods! Make sure you factor in lots of breaks for them to expend their energy.

Good luck and drive safely!

Johanna

Eye spy with my little eye something that is green? Blue, starts with 'L' is big, Does not always need to be starts with a letter. Kids have no idea on spelling.

if they do have a sense of the english language
angus the ant loves apples but not bananas
bertie the beetle loves beans but not peas
charlie the cat loves coffee but not tea
etc

these games are good to play when the kids get a bit car sick, looking down and drawing, reading etc is not always a winner.