Helping kids avoid motion sickness on school camp trips
Often school bus trips can be one of the first times that children ride on a school trip charter bus, with more and more homes relying on cars. Children are very vulnerable to motion sickness particularly if they don't have much experience with travelling. This can be stressful for teachers who are concerned about how to keep the bus in prime condition. Here are some tips to help manage your student's motion sickness.
Identify vulnerable kids
It's a good idea to ask the parents if the children have shown any signs of motion sickness in the past. If you know which kids are most vulnerable you can treat them more carefully and be more responsive if they do start to show signs of motion sickness.
Sit the vulnerable kids close to the front
It can often help to have the most motion sick children close to the front of the bus so that they can look out the front of the window. Looking at points that are not moving can help to reduce the effects of motion sickness. It can also be useful to reduce their time on screens as many people find that reading or looking at screens can make them more ill.
Limit food intake
Regardless of the instructions that you send home many kids head off to camp with a range of lollies and snacks in their bags. It's important to make sure that they aren't all eaten quickly after getting on the bus as filling up with sweets and rich food can make it more likely that the kids throw up. Kids that are known as being vulnerable to sickness should particularly be watched as they are more likely to fill up when full of food!
Try relaxation exercises
Kids are more vulnerable to motion sickness when they are stressed. It can be useful if you are worried about kids being ill to try some relaxation exercises. If the trip is a long trip it can be useful to have a period of relaxation to encourage any tired kids to sleep, particularly on the return trip if some children may be extra tired after the school camp.
If you are in charge of organising the bus trip to the school camp it can be worth having a good plan on how to deal with kids with motion sickness. This can help to keep the bus in perfect condition and lower everyone's stress about the journey.