Tips and Tricks to Entertain the kids on the road

Welcome back Guys!

 

Excited much! with only Nine days to go now until we Endeavour on what we hope will be a trip of a lifetime, we are packing bags and boxes and trailer left right and centre.   I am trying to pack strategically.  Hopefully it will all fit somehow. 
I caught the kids Twice today scurrying through the boxes of packed goods looking for anything interesting and fun that they could gets there little hands on.  I took them shopping with me Yesterday and they witnessed me purchasing a few fun little nick knack things that could be lots of fun on our travels.  These Two littlies don't miss a trick!

 

When I hear stories from friends, family and other bloggers about how travelling with Children is nothing shy of a bad dream...I have a bit of a giggle to myself and think "Oh Wow we are lucky, our kids travel just fine".  "I don't really know what you mean".

 

Yes I am gloating a little but our kids do travel very well and they have had lots of practise.

  Our family all reside in Brisbane, 8 hours away from Moura so we hike down many times each year to attend special occasion, shopping, visits etc. 

Also because we are somewhat Isolated in a small mining town we often travel 2 hour drives each way to Rockhampton or Gladstone for shopping trips, appointments, and the 'any excuse for a outing trip'.

We also do plenty of camping trips on Warwick's 5 days off so we spend much of our lives in the car.

 

We don't really do much to entertain the kids on the road except for our car DVD players however this trip is different and so I have been thinking of ways to entertain the kids on and off the road for Two Months and here are the boredom buster ideas I have come up with for our 4 and 5 year old!

 

• Clipboards, Pens, Pencils and stickers for creating their own little master pieces along the way
• We have our in car DVD players with headphones although they usually just watch half a movie and then want it turned off
• Colouring books and scrapbooks
• We went to our local Library and borrowed Books with Audio CDs.  I love to read however I am sure to get car sick if I sat in the back reading the kids stories.
• I have printed the kids their own maps of Australia so they can (colour, draw and follow along)
• We have packets of Pipe cleaners with googly eyes and rolls of sticky tape to make all sorts of silly things in the car.

 

I didn't want to go and spend a fortune so I went through my craft cupboard and scrapbooking nook and found most of these things on hand, Bonus!

 

Verbal Games

 

• Sing songs and play games, (Yes Warwick that means you will have to play too!)
• I spy (Colours, Objects, Sounds Like?)
• Trivia "maybe this will be to keep mum and dad awake and amused between long drives"
• I have printed some bingo cards which include things we might drive past such as windmills, homestead, truck, car, cow, shop etc.
• (This one is for the boys)  Who would win a fight?  I might start off by saying Spidermen would win the fight.  Then I would have to say why he would win the fight, then the next person goes and they would say who they think would win a fight and why!
• Guess the sight word (This one is for you Madelyn)

Divvy up the driver/Social Director tasks

 

While Warwick's job is mostly driving.  My job is snack distribution, storytelling, and toy and art rotation. We plan to occasionally switch duties during the trip. Yes, Warwick you might like to try being a yoyo every now and then! If you have space, the kids love having a grown-up sit with them for a while in the backseat.  Hopefully Not!

 

Food! Glorious Food and Snack Attacks





 



Depending on what age your children are also dictates what’s required to keep the peace when driving long distances. One thing that tends to help keep kids of all ages calmer – is food.

Here are some healthy, and not so healthy, kids snacks for road trips:

• Fresh Fruit, Bananas, apples and strawberries are our favourites
• Sandwich stacks, Options are endless Go Wild!  Vegemite, Ham, Cheese.  Definitely not honey in the car...we have done this before and it made some very stick car seats.
• Muesli Bars
• Biscuits
• Cheese and Crackers
• Dried fruits Apricots and sultanas
• Save the best til last but we can't leave out the lollipop bribes and ice block stops

 The majority of these kid-friendly snacks, sandwiches, and sweets will keep well at room temperature for a few hours, but feel free to pack a cooler or put food in the fridge to ensure safe food handling.

Look forward to hearing your tips and tricks to entertain your little ones on the road and any games that you play in the car!

July 2013 Blackdown Tablelands, Central QLD

In July 2013 we had the pleasure of exploring the Black Down Tablelands National Park situated in the heart of Central QLD.   Blackdown Tablelands dominates the horizon on the drive to Blackwater, its about a 2hr drive from Rocky and involves a trip into a different climate and almost like a trip into a different world... has to be experienced to be appreciated.

 

We have had our eyes set on this place for a while.  So when the camping bug hit we hooked the camper up and went to explore Black downs for 3 nights. 

 

Black down national park has fairly easy access.  The hill climb to the top of the range involves a 15klm sealed road which gets quite narrow, steep and winding towards the top of the range.  The kids thought it was really cool as we approached the top of the winding range and we hit 1st gear.  "I think I can, I think I can" .

Camper trailers are allowed but Caravans are not due to the steep road into the camping area.  

4wd Loop Track



The camping is lovely here.  We camped at the Munall Campground.  Camp sites were very large and private.  Sites 9, 10, 11 and 12 are good picks for camper trailers.  Fire rings are provided so take your own milled firewood to enjoy toasting marshmallows and keeping warm in Winter.

 





You need to take your own water supply and showers as only composting toilets are provided. We collected fresh flowing water from the creeks for our showers.  Kids enjoyed drinking the fresh creek water as well.



Waterfall

 

Black down Tableland is a sandstone plateau rising above the plains west of Rockhampton. It supports diverse native plant communities including heathlands, dry eucalypt forests and moist pockets of ferns, mosses and orchids. 

 There are unusual large rock pools near the camping area that are a must see. These are a couple of kilometres further along past the picnic area. The 50 metre waterfall was amazing. 

 

There are a few walks close to the Munall camping area and they only require a moderate fitness level. Our 3 and 5 year old managed to do the walks.  Some parts of this national park look like a movie set, it looks so perfect. Throughout the park is also information on the Ghungalu people and you will be fortunate enough to see their artwork on the rocks.

 

We also spent a day driving the 4wd loop track  situated in the middle of the park and enjoyed stopping at several flowing rock pools on the way for the kids to splash around in. 

 

 

This national park is well worth a day trip or an extended stay. It is easy to fill in three or four days here.  The kids loved riding there bikes around.  The nights were very cold In July.  So cold that we went to bed at 7:30pm.  We will definitely go back in Summer so we can all enjoy swimming in those devine water holes.  

Our very spontaneous trip to the Rockhampton Caravan and Camping Show

So much for a quiet Sunday at home after a huge week of festivities in Moura celebrating the Coal Festival. 

 

We decide to wake up early and travel Two hours to Rockhampton to visit the Caravan and Camping show for any last minute goodies that we could find useful on our trip. 

 

We walked and looked for hours with the kids who mind you were hot, sweaty and not happy that we were taking so long, and we came home with some Solar Panels, more led lighting and a dream Pot for me.  Well it's actually called a Eco-Pot which works the same as the Dream pot.  I looked a both stalls and demonstrations and in the end Eco-Pot sold me. 

Will I use it I hope so because it cost $200!  

 

The way it works is you start in the morning by preparing whatever it is you are having for dinner that evening.  Lets say Rice and Apricot Chicken.  You would bring the rice to boil and also the apricot chicken, pop both saucepans into the Thermo pot and by the time you are ready for dinner it will be cooked and ready to serve up. 

 

Often when we are camping we go hiking or fishing and by the time we get back to camp it is usually Dark, cold and the kids are starving.  I am hoping for days like these the Eco-Pot will be our saviour. 

 

I was watching the Demo's at the show and they were also baking packet cake mixes, scones and bread rolls in the eco-pot.  I imagined pulling up after a long days drive for afternoon tea and having a yummy cake ready to eat.    

 

My cooking at home is somewhat simple but It looks like I had better start getting creative with my cooking if I am going to work this Eco-Pot. 

 

Have you used one of these?  I would love to hear your reviews good and not so good and  I am desperately needing some recipes.  The recipe book which came with the pot is not the type of food we would usually eat. 

 

Will definitely be trying it out at home before we go!  Check out the link eco-pot

Trip Preparation

About 9 weeks to go until our road trip begins and the Preparations are in full swing. 

My list on the whiteboard is getting longer with bits and pieces we need to buy or should I say would like to buy before we hit the road

 

Our Growing Shopping List

• Aqua water cube - For Hot showers where-ever we are
• Sleeping Bags  - kids have outgrown there little Juniors
• First Aid Kit - we will probably never use but we it will be nice to have in the camper for a sense of security, the moment you don't have it you are sure to need it.
• Maps - Buy a Map App for the Ipad
• Camera Lens for my camera
• Kayak
• Ipad or Samsung Tablet for kids to use for Schooling, entertainment etc.  Ideas please??
• Don't even get me started on my husbands idea to spend $10,000 putting a bigger, faster engine in the car.  Very Unlikely!  maybe I will just let him keep dreaming.    I am happy to keep my driving my car even if it is a slow.

Trip Planning

 

We have our Map of Australia hanging on the white board and we have started pin pointing our route, adding attractions, places to camp, things to see and do.  I don't think we can plan too much.  We have never travelled the NSW region before so we might just take each day on the road as it comes.  All part of the adventure I suppose.  Who knows where we might end up setting up camp each night.

  Definitely hoping to do most of our camping in National Parks or free camp spots.

I will upload maps later but for now this is our list of Camping stops!

Moura, Central QLD - Home

Stanthorpe

Tamworth

Dubbo

Narrandera

Mildura

Broken Hill

Port Augusta

Kangaroo Island

Adelaide

Melbourne

Canberra

Sydney

Newcastle

Port Macquarie

Gold Coast

and back home to Moura.