Why Travel Australia with Your Child?

November 12, 2019

As news of your pregnancy surfaced, it’s likely you were inundated with joyous congratulations. After birth, and as the reality family life and responsibility shifts into gear, those congratulations often serve as more somber exclamations for, ‘congratulations, your life of adventure is now over’. Perhaps you’ve been led to believe that now it’s time to become more responsible, to switch those plane tickets for diapers and bucket lists for grocery lists. But why buy into that ideology? Why put an end to your travels in favour of boxing yourself into what you’ve been led to believe responsible parenting consists of?

Real world education

Truthfully, there is nothing more responsible or beneficial for your child’s development than exposing them to the un-paralleled education that travel can provide. There’s no better time to immerse your child into a world of adventure, new experiences and opportunities than during their formative years. It’s imperative you give your little one experiences that will influence their development during their early stages and young impressionable ages.

With many new parents struggling enough as it is, juggling the parenting responsibilities at home, the idea of travelling, and taking those responsibilities on the road, can seem too daunting to consider. However, not only is travelling with young children easy and affordable, the benefits alone should have you whipping open your laptop 12am and booking that roundtrip you’ve been dreaming of.

We’re here to bust the myth that travelling ceases the moment your family number increases, equipping you with the knowledge, tips and tricks and how-to’s you need to know to hit the road running. Read on to learn how you can provide your child with the real-world education they need to grow into open-minded, confident and well-rounded individuals

When to start travelling

At what age should your little one start travelling? It’s the question everyone seems to have the answer for, yet none can agree on.

Whilst recent studies have found that children often don’t remember their travels before they are five years old, don’t discount the benefits of taking your younger ones on little adventures and long weekend getaways. Start small and build your way up to several days away at a time, preparing and building the foundation for easier and extended travel with your children in the future.

Camping trips are a perfect first step for travelling young children under five. With your kids away from technology and surrounded by nature, they can begin their first foray into learning and establishing essential life and communication skills. Camping immerses young ones in an environment where they have to problem solve, and likely interact with other children, bursting their boredom bubble and improving their ability to entertain themselves (something you’ll be grateful for on those long-haul flights in the future). Then, when you feel confident your child can cope with these shorter trips, branch out into longer trips, perhaps travelling interstate

Why travel with your child?

If you need more of an incentive to travel with your child, you’ll be pleased to learn that that Professor Jaak Panksepp, who is a world-leading neuroscientist, discovered that travel accelerates children’s brain development by activating what’s known as their PLAY and SEEKING systems within their brain’s limbic area.

If you’re stuck at home with your family, chances are you’re also stuck in the same daily routine. Having new experiences with your kids enhances their ‘play-time’ and cognitive development, by improving relationships with mum and dad. Bushwalks, the beach, and other adventures into nature, are especially impactful when it comes to activating and improving your child’s limbic system function, something vital for decision making during adulthood.

Travel also creates more adaptable and flexible children, who can battle boredom, exercise independence, responsibility and recognise the value in experiences over consumerism and materialistic goods. Your little one’s sense of self, confidence and self-reliance will progress and prep them for that bucket list full of international travel you’re still hanging onto.

How to travel with children and make it easy

Camper van, family car, train, bus, plane, hotel, motel, tent and rent – the travel options and budgets are endless, but there are a few things to remember to make sure it’s all easy breezy, kid friendly peezy.

Do your research and book as much as possible ahead of time (it’s always a good idea to have a Plan B too, maybe even a C, sometimes those plane and bus times don’t always line up)
Ideate a meal plan for breakfast, lunch and dinner, for the entirety of your trip, and depending on your type of travel, try and purchase all the non-perishables pre-departure.
Snacks, snacks and more snacks. Have some in your handbag, backpack, eskie and even in your glove box, there’s nothing more terrifying than a hangry two-year-old.
Consider the time of year you’re travelling. You might love hinterland camping, but mid-summer might have you boiling in your tents and the kids ripping their hair out.
Prepare a travel budget before even considering where you want to travel. Being realistic about your finances and expenditure will ensure you not only have a great holiday, but you also won’t feel guilty about it. You also won’t be tempted to click that upgrade button or splurge on unnecessary accommodation.

Where to travel with children

Australia is a traveler’s playground and an outdoor oasis for young families. Our top tip would be to avoid the all-inclusive hotels that often lead children to stay indoors, connected to free Wi-Fi, with the occasional back and forth to the hotel pool.

Unique accommodation and travel locations are around every corner, waiting for you to really experience the destination in all its natural glory. We suggest opting for travel destinations which immerse you and your family in nature and provide your children with cognitively stimulating activities.

Perhaps you want to stay near the beach and explore the coastline, or drive inland and explore the bush, whatever your preference, don’t box yourself into a last-minute package deal. If you budget well and pre-plan your holiday, you’ll be sure to snag some great one of a kind accommodation deals.

What travel activities are important?

To reinforce Professor Jaak Panksepp’s child cognitive discovery, engage as a family in activities that are explorative in nature and those that provide bonding opportunities, hence our preference for immersive holiday locations.

Take the family for a bushwalk, go searching for ghost crabs in the evening at the beach, or explore a new town. These types of explorative activities activate and engage your child’s SEEKING system and increase their creativity, imagination and ability to combat boredom.

To improve your child’s PLAY system, engage in group activities. Each time you interact with your child in a playful environment you improve their ability to regulate stress. Play a round of ultimate frisbee at the campsite, bring out a card or board game, or build a sandcastle together. We suggest no Wi-Fi zones and destinations that promote face-to-face playful activities, hence our preference for nature orientated travel destinations.