“I’m bored” “Are we there yet?” If these are phrases you’re used to hearing when travelling with kids, you need to get your hands on Spotto Books.
The brainchild of a Lake Macquarie parent Outback Jess, Spotto Books is a must-have if you’re travelling with your kids. It helps you drive in peace and reduce backseat bickering!
Growing up, Outback Jess loved playing the game of “Spotto” where you see a yellow car and call out Spotto to earn a point.
This game forms the basis of a Spotto Book, where you have to spy different things and mark them off in the book.
Boredom disappears in the car as families work together to spot animals, vehicles, iconic locations and random things.
Outback Jess worked as a tour guide throughout Australia for over a decade and has also travelled two laps of Australia for fun, with her husband and their two young children.
Being used to travelling long distances easily she was surprised to find out her kids did not cope with boredom as well as she did. Spotto Books were created to keep them entertained.
The Australia book was tested on a trip to Cape York, and again on her kids first lap of Australia. Not only did her children use the books daily and get excited when they spotted something in the book, they never asked to use a device.
There are 16 books in the series so far, including destination Spotto Books like Hunter Region, Red Centre and Gold Coast.
Her editions Camping and Zoo have been designed to extend the Spotto game outside of the car, and can be used at any campsite to spot bugs, lizards and birds or increase the experience of a day out at the zoo.
The beauty of these quality Australian-made products is that they are sold by an Australian family, for families and nomads travelling Australia. They are beautifully photographed, well written and keep you looking out the window.
You can purchase them online at the Spotto Books website with $5 delivery in Australia. They make fantastic Christmas and birthday gifts.
Newy with Kids wanted to learn more about the Spotto Books. Here is our Q&A with Outback Jess.
What is a Spotto Book?
A book to use in the car to stop boredom. The aim of the game is to spot every item in the book and tick it off.
What age group is it for?
Spotto Books are designed for ages 2-102, but are most popular with primary school aged children and travelling families. Basically, if you enjoy playing “Spotto” and keeping your mind active while driving, these books are for you.
Tell us about yourself
Well, I didn’t get the name “Outback Jess” because I was born in the Outback. I was actually raised here in Newcastle. When I began tour guiding across Australia my friends couldn’t keep up with where I was, always being on the move, living somewhere different, so they started referring to me as Outback Jess. “She’s outback somewhere, looking for Outback Jack” they’d laugh. And the name just stuck.
And while exploring our country, I truly fell in love with everything Australian. The people, plants, animals, sunsets and National Parks. And I knew I wanted to meet someone that loved Australia as much as I did, so when I met “G’ Day” (Garry Day) he had me at G’Day! Together we travelled and worked the country with tourism, had 2 beautiful children, then travelled Australia some more.
How did Spotto Books start? Where did the idea come from?
We really wanted to show our kids Australia. And we wanted to show them as early as we could. So, we took our 1-year-old and 3-year-old to the Birdsville Races, and honestly it was the hardest trip of my life.
Not because of nappies and the dust and the sheer distance we travelled to get to Birdsville, but because my 3-year-old was so bored in the car and she told me every five minutes. It was so painful.
So, I had two options. I could never take my kids on another road trip, or find a solution to boredom in the car. That’s how I created Spotto Books.
What has surprised you about Spotto Books?
On our next road trip to Cape York a year later, I created a simple Spotto Book for each of my kids. I put pictures in them of birds, animals and plants, big things that I knew we would see on this trip, plus a few extra things I really wanted the kids to see like Cassowaries and Tree Kangaroos.
I was so surprised that both my 2-year-old and 4-year-old could not put down these books. They would pick them up every time they hopped in the car and it entertained them for the whole holiday.
They would ask questions about where they would see Brolgas and were over the moon when they spotted them! I was surprised at how much information they retained from their holiday and what they saw. It kept the whole family alert and engaged.
As well as being able to be used while travelling Australia, can you also use Spotto books for local trips?
You can absolutely use Spotto Books to deeply explore a region. The Hunter Region Spotto Book is a great example. It encourages you to get out and explore all the beaches and locations within the Hunter again. Taking the time to tick off everything in the Hunter reminds us how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful part of the country.
It’s perfect for school holidays when you want something to do, that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. My location Spotto books are also a great gift for someone that has moved to the area and would like some guidance of where to explore.
How can people purchase Spotto Books?
I sell them online at www.spottobooks.com.au but you can see the books in person and purchase from these Local Hunter Businesses:
- Newcastle Visitor Information Centre
- Macleans Bookshop, Hamilton,
- Lake Mac Art Gallery, Booragul
- Australian Motor Homes and Caravans, Bennetts Green
- 4WD Industries, Rutherford
- Rathmines and Boolaroo Post Offices
- Belmont Lakeside Holiday Park
- Toronto Auto Electrics
- buyhunter.com.au
You can also purchase them from Outback Jess and her family at Camping Shows like Newcastle Caravanning Camping Lifestyle Expo, Sydney Supershow and Maitland Caravan, Camping, 4WD Fish and Boat Show.
What is your favourite drive and accompanying Spotto Book?
The Mereenie Loop in the Northern Territory is one of my favourite drives, it’s now renamed Red Centre Way. Leaving from Kings Canyon you travel on dirt track to the Western MacDonnell ranges and follow the sealed road heading back to Alice Springs.
It is so underrated, because it’s a short but breathtaking drive and packed with so many places to hike, swim and camp and explore. The Red Centre Spotto Book is filled with all the spots I love on this drive like Gosse Bluff, Glen Helen, Ormiston Gorge, Ochre Pits, Ellery Creek big hole and more.
My best seller Classic is by far my favourite Spotto Book. You can use it on ANY road trip. I love spotting yellow cars, and I love spotting the pops of yellow colour that are in this book.
What are your best tips or advice for parents who are travelling with their kids?
Don’t be afraid, take them travelling as young as possible, so they become accustomed to big drives. And take lots of snacks on road trips because it keeps them busy and happy.
Travel light. Less in the car is better. You don’t need to take toys because they will play with shells, rocks, and on playgrounds with other children they meet.
And, if you are thinking about an extended holiday or lap of Australia but worried what they may miss out on, my advice is, do it. What they experience on the road and learn about nature, themselves and Australia is so incredible and it will stay with them their whole lives.
Travelling as a family creates cherished memories and it also breaks the daily routine which helps children be adaptable, resilient and confident. I highly recommend it, especially before they get to high school age.
How does a Spotto book help parents limit screen time while travelling?
I personally didn’t want my kids face down in a device, missing the scenery. I wanted them looking out the window and falling in love with Australia.
Spotto Books are successful at distracting without the use of screens. Having a tactile book to hold is far more beneficial to children’s emotional well-being than being lost in a device for hours, and there are no tantrums associated with overuse of a Spotto Book.
Would you consider making a Spotto Book app?
No, the whole reason I made Spotto books was to keep kids off devices in the car.
What spotting tips do you have for kids who receive a Spotto Book?
Keep looking out the window, you will be amazed what you see!
But, you cannot tick off something in the book because you saw it a year ago. The game starts when you have your Spotto Book. You tick it off the pictures as you see them. If you see the picture more than once, you can start to tally them on the line underneath, or you can write the date, or where you spotted the photo. I have left this flexible to suit all ages.
If you see something during the day, like a koala or lizard on your walk, you can mark it off later. A lot of families take Spotto Books out to dinner and they talk about the things they spotted that day and then mark them off.
One of your books is about the Zig Zag Railway in Lithgow. Tell us about your involvement with this tourism attraction.
When the tourist attraction Zig Zag Railway approached me saying they were about to reopen after a decade, and they would like me to create a Spotto Book for them, I jumped at the chance.
I have fond memories riding on the Zig Zag Railway as a child, and creating this Spotto Book reignited my love of Steam Trains and the Seven Valleys Region. This book is filled with information on steam trains, the Zig Zag Railway and also showcases all the wonderful places within the greater Lithgow region beyond the Blue Mountains.
The Zig Zag Railway on the Lithgow Line was considered the greatest engineering achievement of its time, completed back in 1869 using local sandstone for its viaducts, it allowed steam trains to switch back on themselves like a ‘Z’ in order to descend the mountain and to travel beyond the Great Dividing Range.
It opened up and accelerated the growth of Western New South Wales. The line itself was later replaced by a tunnel, but the Zig Zag section of the line was used as a tourist attraction for many years to showcase steam engines.
The attraction has now opened and visitors can go for a ride on this section of the old line. Travelling aboard a heritage-listed Steam engine, through tunnels and across viaducts, transcending down and back up the mountainside is exciting for young and old alike. The return trip takes an hour and a half.
What’s next for Spotto Books?
The plan is to take Spotto Books to the world, starting with New Zealand. Spotto is a game played worldwide, so every country should have their own Spotto Books.
You might also like:
Holiday Fun: Best Things To Do on the Gold Coast With Kids
How to Travel Outback Australia with Kids