Who doesn’t love a good road trip? It’s the perfect opportunity for families to spend time together while exploring the beautiful landscapes and holiday destinations Australia has to offer. Travelling long distances with your children can be challenging, especially when they become bored or tired. To avoid quarrels, meltdowns and complaints, it’s always a good idea to have some strategies in place. Read on for our top 8 favourite hacks for road tripping with your kids.
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Take backpacks with fun activities
Fill up a backpack for each child with toys and activities. Try a mix of different types of age-appropriate activities such as toys, puzzles and colouring books which you already own, or add a few new items as a surprise. You can hang the backpacks over the head rest of the front seats to make them easily accessible.
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Play smart games
Car games are good distractions and it’s wise to keep a few tricks up your sleeve for those times when the road feels extra long. License plate bingo, ‘I spy’, storytelling, memory games, and road trip scavenger hunts are popular games which are free and easy to initiate.
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Plan regular pit stops
A long road trip is much more manageable if you break it up with regular stops. This gives the adults a chance to rest and stretch their legs, while the kids get rid of their excess energy with a few minutes of playing ball or throwing a Frisbee.
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Keep a first aid kit nearby
Bumps and cuts can happen anytime and anywhere, even in the car. Keep a first-aid kit in nearby with band-aids, hand-sanitizer, cotton buds, mild pain killers and some antiseptic cream.
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Pack audio books and music
Age-appropriate music and audio books are very effective at settling young children down and often help them fall asleep. If you don’t want to buy any, you can borrow a variety of audio books from your local library.
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Don’t forget the healthy snacks and treats
The stores and restaurants at convenience stops are often expensive and don’t offer a variety of healthy food choices. Packing your own food is a great way to keep your family’s energy levels stable and save money. Make sandwiches, muffins and wraps ahead of time, and pack snacks like nuts, biscuits and fruit pieces in little zip-lock bags or containers.
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Organise the car
Keep your car as organised and tidy as possible by placing loose items in shoe storage bags which you hang over the front seats or suction cup shower caddies that are attached to the windows. Zip-lock bags are great for storing little things like wet-wipes, hair clips, crayons and blocks, or for keeping an extra set of clean clothes in the car.
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Safety first
The safety of your family during a road trip should be your first priority. Before you start the trip, make sure your car is in a good condition by checking the tires, windscreen for cracks or chips, windscreen wipers and lights for any issues which you may have to get fixed before you leave. On the day, pack water, a flashlight, car phone chargers and your roadside assistance details in case of a break down or emergency.
If you are concerned about a chip on your windscreen or know that your windscreen needs replacing, then you should contact a trusted windscreen and car glass fitter before it becomes a major issue. Autoscreens is a family run windscreen replacement business in Perth . Owned and operated by Jason Squire who has over 25 years of automotive experience and the highest industry qualifications and certified licenses, it is no wonder that Autoscreens is the first choice in automotive glass fitting for many businesses and individuals in and around the city.
Jason Squire started Autoscreens in 2010. With over 35 years of experience gained in both the UK and Australia, the company is well established as a leading provider of windscreen replacement and autoglass repairs in Perth.
His journey to becoming a certified repairer license holder status with DMIRS (and business repair license MRB3703) began many years ago. He was born and brought up in the UK – the country where his long career in the automotive industry began. In common with many of the world’s best tradespeople it all started with an apprenticeship. For Jason, this was in vehicle bodybuilding and a specialisation in vehicle conversions.
He followed that up with several additional professional qualifications, including a Grade A Vehicle Body Building Certificate from the Road Transport Industry, a GQA level 2 in NVQ Automotive Glazing and a Level 2 qualification in Joining Materials by Welding from the UK Engineer Training Authority.
During his studies, Jason was also a part-time volunteer in the Royals signals with the Reserve Territorial Army. Between 1991 and 1995, Jason completed his Phase One Signallers Course with the Royal Armoured Corps and was awarded a Certificate of Trade Proficiency as a Territorial Army Driver Electrician Class 3. Training exercises took him all over Europe. He also represented the Signals in Rugby.
From there, he joined the armed forces on a full-time basis with the Queens Royal Lancers and continued to impress with his leadership skills and willingness to broaden his skillset, during which he lived in Germany. In 1996, he graduated from the Queens Royal Lancer Leadership Academy where he was named best recruit. His time with the Queens Royal Lancers he qualified as Tank Driver, Crew Medic and Gunner.
In 1999, Jason left the armed forces to join RAC Auto Windscreens. His skillset enabled him to fast-track his career to base supervisor and lead technician working with premiere dealerships in Crewe, Cheshire.
He also continued to volunteer in a number of different areas, including as a first responder with the West Midlands Ambulance Service and a scout leader with the Scout Association.
He relocated to Australia in 2008 with his young family and spent his first two years down under as a head technician for a national windscreen company.
However, with all his experience, extensive qualifications and his abiding passion for the automotive industry, it was inevitable that he would start his own company and make his mark as an industry leader.
He started Autoscreens in 2010 and has grown the business into the leading windscreen repair and replacement company in Perth, servicing both domestic and commercial customers. Autoscreens has a certified Motor Vehicle Repairers Licence MRB3703 issued by the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
