Any suggestions for coping with a long voyage?

[Linda (Australia)]

In three weeks, we are going to pack up the family and travel 2,600 kilometres (about 1600 miles) from Adelaide to Perth.

We have eight children - fortunately, they travel well! :tongue_smilie:

I'll be taking audio books, our portable tv / dvd player, and they have books to read, electronic hand-held games, etc.

Any other ideas for keeping us all occupied on the long trip? We'll be travelling across the Nullarbor Plain - apparently, it's a long drive across there, with very little to see - you can't even see the ocean, and there are very few trees - and even less towns!

Just the wide, open plains - exactly the way we like it! :)

Any ideas, tips, or suggestions?

Linda

[JFS in IL]

With our four, we have driven across the Plains here in a day or two (you have a much longer trip!!) and audio books were the best! We used LOTR and various Harry Potter - anything looong and well-presented. We skip any dvd item - kids would only fight over it, and gazing in stupor out the window at the passing landscape is part of the adventure ;) (plus adds to the imagination). If they do not get car sick easily, books and clipboards with paper, pens etc. are also great.

[Linda (Australia)]

oooh - good thinking! Any suggestions as to a good version of the LOTR audio book? That'd be a great one!

Linda.

[Kathy in MD]

In three weeks, we are going to pack up the family and travel 2,600 kilometres (about 1600 miles) from Adelaide to Perth.

We have eight children - fortunately, they travel well! :tongue_smilie:

I'll be taking audio books, our portable tv / dvd player, and they have books to read, electronic hand-held games, etc.

Any other ideas for keeping us all occupied on the long trip? We'll be travelling across the Nullarbor Plain - apparently, it's a long drive across there, with very little to see - you can't even see the ocean, and there are very few trees - and even less towns!

Just the wide, open plains - exactly the way we like it! :)

Any ideas, tips, or suggestions?

Linda

Mad Libs are a fun, laugh out-loud activity for everyone. If you aren't familiar with them, it's a collection of stories with essential words left out. Before reading the story, the "master of cerimonies" asks the participants for nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc, to complete the story. The "m-o-c" then reads the completed story. The story line includes what type of words to ask for.

I'd also bring pads of paper and pencils for games like hangman and connect the dots. Yes, you can get many games like this in electronics, but sometimes it's fun to interact.

[kalanamak]

When we traveled around Australia (I was 9), the roads were not good, and it took time. We learned songs like Pokarekare Ana in 4 part harmony. Singing. If you don't sing easily, get a tape for everyone to sing along with!

[Melinda]

We always take lots of movies and on this last trip, we started doing mad libs. Another thing we always do is go get a bunch of surprises for the kids. They can be anything that you don't mind them having in the car (typically, I get things like a pen that writes an unusual color or a sheet of stickers). Birthday party favors are great for this. I always make sure to have enough that each kid gets several things. Anyway, I wrap all of it up separately and then put all the wrapped surprises in a box. Every hour or two (or however you decide to break it up) when the kids are getting restless, take the box out. Anybody who is behaving gets to pick a package to open. My mom did this with us as kids and I have found it very useful. Hope this helps.

[readwithem]

oooh - good thinking! Any suggestions as to a good version of the LOTR audio book? That'd be a great one!

Linda.

We like the BBC ones - you may be able to find them in a library.