How to entertain the kids while driving across the Country?

[Ben Stanford]

Good evening all, with only a matter of weeks before I set off to drive from Melbourne to Cairns, I thought I would also ask what other people do in order to keep the kids entertained during the drive. The drive is goine to be somewhere around the 3000km mark and my children are 4.5 years and 1 year. Any suggestions on what people do for their kids when driving would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Ben

 

[relgate]

What we did is buy some $70 android tablets for our 3 kids. They are only allowed to use them on long trips. We put a memory card with movies and games. Works a treat. We also dont let them use the tablets until well bored and then get them off ay regular intervals to look at the scenery (I am the boss, not the tablet!)
That will work for the 4yr old, cant really help with the 1yr old!

 

[gspy4u]

In car DVD's work a treat. Bought a completely new headunit as well as headrest screens for the Prado. Best $580 I could have spent. Now they sit there and have a choice of about 30 movies to watch and leave us in peace.

 

[davemc]

Yes we try to turn off although for long trips the kids have three iPads on the back of the seats with a wifi hard drive full of shows and movies. So 5 and 7 year old use headphones and can choose what they want to watch like a airplane system. Two year old twins use no headphones so we got 2 hours of fireman sam on way down here. Yes short trips we play I spy.

 

[Pace]

I spy with my little eye something beginning with ''W'' This was our enteraintment until miniture handheld technology come about.

For those who are wondering the word beginning with W is road!!! My middle bloke was the highlight during the stint of drive between Colac to Camperdown that day, we still bring it up every year we pass by that stretch of "woad". Priceless.

 

[cruza driver]

No dvd's for us at all. At that age play the music they like as it involves them in the trip. Stop at playgrounds for rest breaks and fuel up even if you dont need to after a break. That way if they fall asleep you dont have to stop when you need the fuel and risk waking them.

We have always travelled with them from a young age and they are great travellers.

Also it may take a few days early on in the trip for them to adjust so just go with the flow and it will make for a happier trip

Its amazing what they remember about our trips by looking out the windows.

Yes no dvd's isnt for everyone but it works for us

 

[crackacoldie]

Pretty much the same as @cruza driver , no DVDs, mix the music up, sing alongs, eye spy, regular stops at playgrounds.

 

[mfexpanda]

DVD in the head rests .
They play music movies games

 

[Ben Stanford]

Thanks for the ideas guys! This will be my sons third trip and my daughters first, but plan to stop and let them wear themselves out as often as possible! Have head rest dvd players that I am in process of installing, so that will aid in distraction for them, but I like the idea of I-Spy!

 

[jeff]

We never had any electronic gadgets when we travelled with kids. I spy, singalongs (ten green bottles, one man went to mow etc) look out the window, frequent stops if needed, buy them a map, let them plot where they are so they can get get an idea how far they have travelled. And heaven forbid, maybe talk to each other

 

[cruza driver]

We just returned from a 9 night trip away and did 800km today from Corrimal Beach Caravan Park just north of Wollongong and as mentioned earlier train them young

Plus it gives you more of an excuse to get away. We did 2510km all up.:thumb:

 

[BigSkiddy]

I've seen my vet use this injection that puts my dog to sleep and then he gives another to wake him up, see if you can get your hands on some of that. :stupid:

 

[cruza driver]

I've seen my vet use this injection that puts my dog to sleep and then he gives another to wake him up, see if you can get your hands on some of that. :stupid:

Just dont get the injections mixed up :GB_bonesrock::sorrow:

 

[Holden_man]

iPads with movies and games for us also. Not much good for the youngest though... 1 year old eh....Good luck with that

 

[DRW]

When my kids were little there were no iThings, co DVD's so we travelled at night. The folk I bought the van off did a lap with 3 kids, iThings were banned the kids were told "we are going to see Australia so look out the window" and they recon this worked a treat and the kids came back better friends than when they left??

 

[Holden_man]

When my kids were little there were no iThings, co DVD's so we travelled at night. The folk I bought the van off did a lap with 3 kids, iThings were banned the kids were told "we are going to see Australia so look out the window" and they recon this worked a treat and the kids came back better friends than when they left??

No i-things @DRW....what the.....there was a time when there were no i-things!!!

 

[twscoot]

No DVD player for us but books, plenty of plain A4 paper pre hole punched into folders and a box of pens, textas, tape, stickers from the $2 shop all in the seat backs works for us.
A few good dad jokes and some music everyone doesn't mind.
(Holden Man - iSpy was the first i-thing..... Been around for ages!)

 

[Holden_man]

No DVD player for us but books, plenty of plain A4 paper pre hole punched into folders and a box of pens, textas, tape, stickers from the $2 shop all in the seat backs works for us.
A few good dad jokes and some music everyone doesn't mind.
(Holden Man - iSpy was the first i-thing..... Been around for ages!)

i-spy eh.....don't know that one..... is that a new App @twscoot....or at the Apple Store......

 

[DRW]

textas in the Jeep what tha.....................

 

[Holden_man]

textas in the Jeep what tha.....................

Yer..no texta's in the Prado either......