Caravanning can be extremely rewarding, it allows your family to bond, it can teach your kids new things and it gives you a break from the hustle and bustle of city life. However, living in a small and limited space for more than a few hours can be quite challenging, especially if you have kids with you. They may be quickly bored by the lack of “fun” things to do, but there are activities that you can do together to help make the trip enjoyable for them. Here are some of them:
Explore Nature
One of the advantages of choosing caravan accommodation over standard hotels is the exploration opportunities it presents to kids. Caravan parks are often filled with families all trying to give their kids the same unstructured enjoyment. You can give your kids some ground rules to keep them safe, but let them explore the park and the nature surrounding out. They can make friends with other kids in the park while you check out the camp kitchen or socialise with other parents. If allowed, you can let them collect firewood around the camp so you can have a campfire later on. Unsupervised play can increase their self-confidence, improve their ability to risk manage and help lower the risk of health issues.
Learn About Stars
While living in the city is certainly more practical, there’s one thing you miss out on, the stars. The lights from buildings, billboards and lampposts as well as smoke from vehicles and factories can hide the shine of the stars at night. Staying at a caravan park in Ararat gives you and your kids the chance to stargaze. You can teach them all about constellations and see how many they can find or have them use their imaginations to find animals, dragons or fairies. There are also apps you can download that can interpret the alignment of the stars.
Plan a Scavenger Hunt
If your kids are interested in treasure hunts and adventures, a scavenger hunt is something you can plan! Create a list of things they must find around the campsite and let them roam free. You can even team up to help them with items that are especially hard to find, this not only allows you to keep an eye on them and keep them safe but it also creates friendly competition that will make the entire activity even more fun and rewarding.
Tell Campfire Stories
At the end of the day, you can gather around a delicious meal or a cup of hot chocolate and share stories. You can tell your kids about your own childhood or perhaps your experiences at caravan parks and ask them to share stories of their own. This can help inspire creativity and give them a chance to reflect on their experiences.
Camping and caravanning are great ways to escape the stresses of daily life, and while you think your kids may be bored, adding several of the activities mentioned above can entertain them the entire trip. For quality caravan and cabin accommodation, turn to G'day Parks Ararat. Our parks have all the necessary features and amenities you need to have an enjoyable stay. Contact us today.