Many of us have childhood memories of being packed into the family station wagon to travel hours to reach our holiday destination. Dad would torture everyone with his daggy music, Mum would mediate the fights between the kids, and of course, there was no air-conditioning to cool the family down!

• Nowadays, we tend to travel in a lot more comfort – air-conditioning is standard, we’re a lot more aware of safe driving practices, and there are portable DVD players to keep kids amused (but hey, there’s nothing wrong with a good game of ‘I Spy’!).
• But keeping your own children amused on long-haul trips can be daunting for even the most organised, patient parents! So here are five ways to keep them happy and occupied:
• 1. Get everyone to play old-fashioned car games like I Spy, or games where you have to spot letters on number plates or signs. There are stacks of game suggestions (and how to play them) here.
  2. Stories on CDs or iPod downloads can have the whole family enthralled. You can borrow ‘talking books’ from your local library to save buying them. Kids’ activity books with interactive CDs are also worth looking out for.
  3. Frequent stops may make the journey longer but they will make it more bearable (and safer too, as the driver gets adequate breaks) – remember that it’s harder for children to sit still for hours than adults. Make a beeline for parks along your driving route – perfect for a run-around and toilet stop.
  4. Food! Don’t let your kids each so much they get travel sick, obviously, but it can help to have lots of little snacks on hand for distraction – mini-boxes of sultanas or other dried fruit, little packets of crackers, or treats such as sweet biscuits.
  5. DVDs galore if you have portable players and aren’t opposed to the concept... plus any other electronic devices that help them pass the time.