Top-5 tech-free camping tips

Getting the family excited about a few days out in the bush or an off-road trip is one thing, but being able to keep the kids both entertained and happy around the campsite without wi-fi is something most parents would like the solution to.

Father of two and host of the All 4 Adventures TV show, Jase Andrews, has come to the rescue with five tried-and-true tips on ways to survive a bush trip without technology... whether you're dealing with terrible toddlers or traumatic teens!

Family planning

Involve the kids in the planning process and discuss with them the places you could go and why. Are there any unique landmarks, flora and fauna to be seen? Any waterfalls, or mountains to climb, rapids to surf or even dangers to navigate?

Try and get them excited about the upcoming activities, whether it’s fishing rapids, quad biking, horse riding, or exploring caves. Make it an all-inclusive decision-making process, and your kids are more likely to feel enthused and invested in the trip.

Get packing

Sit down as a family and brainstorm the essentials things you’ll need on the trip - like food, water and warm clothes - as well as a few luxury items.

Once again the idea is that when it comes time to load up and set off, they’ll feel less of a passenger and more of a co-pilot on the road.

Be prepared

Before you hit the road, load the car up on snacks, drinks, neck pillows and car games to keep the kids busy. Try to go device free for the full nature experience. However, if you’re staring down the barrel of a long drive and potentially some very bored kids, consider an offline gaming device like the Nintendo Switch.

But they can only use it in the car, once you get to camp it’s time for a break from the screen.

Keep ‘em busy

Once on location, the key is to keep the kids busy. Jam-pack their days with exciting and fun activities - especially at the start of the trip while they’re weaning themselves off technology. Plan out a full itinerary for each day, but start with the fun stuff, like a scavenger hunt.

Set some nature challenges, like counting the rocks that line the creek crossing, or have a competition who can first spot a kangaroo or wallaby or find a specific plant or bush tucker.

Also set the kids some daily tasks. Don’t call them chores though; these, are important campsite duties. Teenagers might be a bit harder to motivate than the younger ones. Nonetheless, jobs like gathering firewood and starting the evening fire, or prepping for breakfast, can be fun as well as essential task.

Loud as they like

Hopefully as time goes on, they won’t even be thinking about the internet. Let them know the positives of being in nature; they can be as loud as they like and have more opportunities than at home to explore or play games of hide and seek.

Another trick is to get them up early on the first couple of days, to ensure they’re tired at night and can actually sleep without longing for WiFi and the usual pre-bed browse...