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This summer, instead of flying to your vacation destination, you have decided to take a road trip with your family. A road trip is among the best ways to see all that Australia has to offer, and plenty of excitement awaits!
Consider the following must-haves for your road trip adventure.
Tunes for Everyone
As Flight Centre notes, one of the easiest ways to keep everyone happy on a road trip is to play a variety of music in the car. If you have teenagers, play some of their favourite tunes to help connect with them and stay up-to-date on their musical preferences. Before leaving, ask the whole family for input and create playlists for all to enjoy.
Entertainment for the Kids
While you may hope that the scenery will be enough to keep your kids entertained, it’s smart to have a few activities on hand for the drive. Bring along some new and inexpensive toys or art supplies to keep the little ones occupied, such as crayons and paper, sticker books, and small building sets.
Entertain the older kids by allowing them to watch some of their favourite shows. Instead of hauling along a bag of DVDs, queue up the Hopper from DISH Network, a mobile-friendly DVR that allows you to watch recorded shows while on the road. Load up on several of your kids’ fave programs and movies before you head out!
Easy-to-Pack Snacks and Drinks
While the kids might be begging for candy and chips, pack healthy snacks that will help keep energy levels up during hours in the car. Muesli bars and mixed nuts are great options, as are cheese sticks that can be kept in a small cooler, bottles of lemonade, and water. Add some apples, bananas, and dried fruit that all ages will enjoy.
Road Trip Games
Arm yourself with a few classic car games to pass the time during long driving stretches. Minitime has a helpful list of ideas, including I Spy, which is especially great for younger kids. To play, simply take turns saying, “I spy, with my little eye, something (add a clue here).” It’s amazing how many kilometers you’ll cover trying to guess whatever big, small, shiny, or blue items your kids have spotted.
Road Trip Bingo is another classic to try. Print off Minitime’s templates and create your own game based on what you plan to see on your trip. Give your kids a Bingo board and some wrapped candies or coins to cover the squares, and join in the fun trying to spot the ocean, local wildlife, and red barns.
Camera & Charger
Bring along a smartphone and car charger to capture lots of scenic shots and selfies along the way. To make sorting through your photos easier, download the My Vacation app, which will help you organize your pictures and videos, and quickly create slideshows of your favourite shots. Photo Decorate is another fun app, and can be used to enhance your photos by allowing you to decorate your photo with various effects, stickers, drawings, text, and much more.