ARE WE THERE YET?

There’s nothing worse than a back seat full of discontented preschoolers during a long car trip. The fights and whining can put you off leaving home at all. Here’s some tried and trusted ways to make the trip more fun.

1. CDs or tapes

Take CDs or tapes borrowed from your local library. Books on tape can be fantastic listening for both children and adults. The stories are often read by well-known actors, and are often easier on the ears than endless kiddie’s music. Spike Milligan’s Bad Jelly the Witch is magical for the whole family. And when it comes to music, don’t limit yourself to kids’ tunes – children love easy listening music or old classics like Grease too.

2. Rhyme stages

Break the journey up into stages and do it all in rhyme: Stage one ends with a bun. Stop to eat at McDonalds or a bakery. Stage two ends with a loo – everyone gets out to use the toilet. Stage three ends at a tree – stop for morning tea under a tree. Stage four ends at the door – you’ve arrived! You could keep this going endlessly: Stage five; we’re still alive, everyone gets out stretching their legs; staging six, picking up sticks.

3. Landmark treats

Pre-determine a few landmarks and dish out special treats when you reach them. For example, when we pass the pink house on the hill everyone gets a muesli bar, chippies all rounds at the first glimpse of the sea, honey sandwiches when we pass the honey centre.

4. Spotty

Playing Spotty is another way of passing the time. Spotty a boat and the winner is the first one to see a boat, shouting “spotty”.

5. Memory game

Memory game. Keep it simple. For example, "I went to the shop and I bought a fish.” The next person adds on: “I went to the shop and I bought a fish and a monkey… and so on.

6. Car colors

Each person picks a color and as the cars pass, counts up the ones in your color. The first to count 10 cars in their color wins the game.

7. Eye Spy

Eye Spy: Instead of “starting with the letter A” get the kids to spot something that is green, something that is red that has four legs or wheels on it.

8. Activity Boxes

Use old ice-cream containers to make up activity boxes containing a small mirror, kids’ makeup, sticky tape, post it notes, a few pencils, finger puppets, costume jeweler. However, be prepared to stop on the side of the road to pick everything up when they are dropped. Be careful of car sickness, many little ones can become susceptible if they have their heads down looking at something. Some children are better to focus on things outside the car window.

9. Childhood stories

A long car trip can be a perfect opportunity for you to tell your kids stories about your own childhood – what you were like when you were their age, what sort of things you did, and what your kids’ aunties, uncles and grandparents were like too. Or make up adventure stories that revolve around your children, and perhaps your destination.

10. Activity books

Hand out picture books or a clipboard with paper and felt pens (attached with string) for drawing. Magna-doodles are great or magnetized board games; activity, sticker or coloring books, or small whiteboards and marker pens.