Active family offered free caravan

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Getting the kids off the digital devices, away from the TV screen, and out in the fresh air doing healthy, outdoorsy activities is a distant dream for many modern parents.

The rise of the internet, apps and video games means many youngsters are growing up glued to the screen and the couch, not mucking about in the dirt and running around having fun as their parents did.

However, a few ‘oldies’ are fighting back, as evidenced by the growing number of family tent campers, bunk bed caravans and ‘gap year’ family trips around Australia, designed to get kids enthused about the great outdoors.

Leading the revolution are UK parents Tim and Kerry Meek who in 2013 challenged their two daughters, Amy (10) and Ella (8), to not only stop watching television but to complete 100 fun outdoor activities in a year.

Activities such as kayaking, finding a waterfall, red squirrel spotting, foraging for a meal and spending a night in a hammock were all ticked off the list, while TV time was restricted to three hours week.

Having achieved minor celebrity status the Meeks, with the support of UK caravan manufacturer Elddis, are now undertaking a bigger and bolder challenge: take 20 caravan holidays in 20 weeks, staying in caravan parks in England, Wales and Scotland as well as continental Europe while completing 100 caravan and outdoor-related tasks and activities along the way.

Elddis has supplied the family with a four berth, 574 Xplore caravan (similar to the tougher, $60,000 Australian-spec model offered by Elite RV in Australia) and the good news is if they complete the challenge, they get to keep it!

Interested Aussie parents wanting tips on how to get the kids outdoors, or ways to keep them entertained while on the road, can follow the Meeks’ adventures on the Dotrythisathome.com website.