If you have set out with your family on a road trip, you may be wondering how you can make use of those long hours in the car for education. While you don’t want to make your kids feel like your vacation is school time, you do want to utilize the things around you to encourage learning at all times. We have pulled together some of our favorite ways to learn How To Make Road Trips Educational for your children. Not only will you be teaching them great things, it will help pass the time as you travel from destination to destination.
HOW TO MAKE ROAD TRIPS EDUCATIONAL
Visit Historic Landmarks Along The Way. One of the best parts about taking a road trip is the ease of which you can stop along the way and visit local landmarks. When you set your destination, map out great historical landmarks and parks along the way. There are tons of places with historic significance in every state you an travel through. If you don’t know something off hand, check with the state website or department of tourism for tips and information.
Have Kids Read The Map. While we live in a land of GPS on nearly every device, it is still a great idea to learn how to read a compass and a map. Grab a kids atlas or a regular road atlas and sit down to teach your kids how to read a nap and learn to navigate. This is also a great time to teach them about how to use a compass, and perhaps give them a few other hints on how to tell direction (sun, moon, stars, moss, etc.).
Create A Road Trip Scavenger Hunt. This can be a bit like I Spy, but a lot more fun. Before you hit the road, create a list of things your kids need to spot on the road. Include things like landmarks, interstate or hwy signs, shapes, letters, colors, numbers or state names. You can include educational review in this, as well as fun things like cars and trucks you want them to spot. Give them stickers to keep track of what they have spotted along the way.
Listen To Audiobooks. Reading books or listening to audiobooks is one of the best ways to spend your time while traveling. Not only will you find yourself learning new things along the way, but you’ll encourage your kids to get excited about a new story. Find great biographies or fun classics to listen to with your kids.
By using your imagination and getting to know the stops and destinations along the way, you can easily make road trips educational. Just because you want to include some education doesn’t mean you have to fill every moment with something teachable. Learning things like patience in the car, respect for each others space and to appreciate natural beauty along the way are all also part of your child’s overall education.
