Roadschooling is our favorite way to learn. From rich, living history, to learning about nature while we’re traveling to new places, the possibilities are endless! But, what exactly is roadschooling? And how can you add it into your homeschool? I will show you with these 100 ways to incorporate roadschooling into your homeschool!
Roadingschooling is exactly as it sounds… schooling while on the road! This opens up a LOT of possibilities! Let’s take a look at some ways you can incorporate roadschooling into your homeschool…whether you’re able to travel near or far!
Roadschooling… Hitting the Road in Your Homeschool
1. Roadschooling to National Parks. National Parks are our very favorite places to travel to! The are set up as places full of education, natural beauty, and wonder. Visiting a visitor center at a National Park is like it’s own field trip destination without even exploring the park!
2. Joining the Junior Ranger Program. You can become a Junior Ranger through your state or national parks. You can also become a webranger online if you can’t travel to the parks yourself! This is a great way for kids to learn about the great outdoors and our amazing country.
3. Visit state parks. If you don’t have any national parks near you, state parks are usually just as great and full of just as much information! A lot of them also have their own Junior Ranger programs as well.
4. Travel to your local zoo or aquarium. I totally count this as roadschooling! Even when we’re on the road, my kids love visiting every zoo or aquarium we can get to. You can learn so much about animals and fish by seeing them up close and talking to the employees, volunteers, and zookeepers!
5. Visit a local museums. We have so much available within 3 hours of our home. Even if we can’t afford or don’t have the time to take a weekend road trip, we can spend our entire Saturday on a day trip visiting a museum near home!
6. Attend a local festival. We have a lot of historical festivals where we live. Our kids have been able to learn about the civil war, pirates, and so much more just be going to these free festivals!
7. Turn any family vacation into a learning experience. Even a trip to Disney World can be educational! School can happen anywhere and any time. It doesn’t have to be all pencils and books. Read about where you’re going before hand, the history of the place or people behind it…your kids will learn more than you know (and you may, too!
8. Take a trip to your local parks. Even though local parks may not seem much like roadschooling, we have had a lot of learning experiences at them. They also require you to drive there, so I’m counting it! Many of our local parks have nature trails, and the opportunity to let go and play on the playground is great for kids by itself.
9. Go camping. Camping is one of our very favorite ways to roadschool. It gets us out in nature, gets us together as a family, and gets us away from it all.
10. Explore your community. This may also not seem quite like roadschooling since you are seeing local places, but in my opinion, roadschooling is a type of worldschooling. Wherever your wheels can bring you, you can rock roadschooling! Explore your local community helpers, top field trip destinations, and more.
Things to do in the car
11.Travel games keep kids happy! Here is an entire kit that includes something I’ve never seen before- a countdown for kids to know when they’re going to be somewhere. No more asking, “Are we there yet?” Yes!!
12. We recently picked up these cute car trip bingo cards for our road trips.
13. Having an atlas or a map for kids in the car is a great way to naturally learn geography!
14. My kids love Mad Libs. They’re a really great time waster while on the road that keep the kids’ brains still moving.
15. Guys, I don’t know what we’d do without our Kindles. Since we travel a lot, being able to download movies on Netflix is a must. Games are a must. E-books are a must. We do tend to limit them at home, but I can’t imagine not having these affordable tablets in our lives!
16. Lap desks are so helpful in the car! Especially when you find one that has storage in it to keep their coloring books, crayons, and more all contained in one spot.
17. Audiobooks are wonderful for car trips. We “read” many books this way!
18. Eating. Seriously, guys. When we travel, we pack lots and lots of food! This keeps the amount of fastfood and gas station snacks we need to buy and gives us healthier options. We use this cooler to store all of our snack in. It’s small and compact but holds plenty of treats!
19. Activity Books. Whether it’s just a regular coloring book or a full activity book like this one, let’s face it- kids can color for hours.
20. When all else fails, give your kids a job while on the road! Have them look for your next exit, track mile markers, look for regional wild animals, or help you navigate.
Roadschooling Games
21. My very favorite game just came out and has me all excited!! A game about traveling to the different national parks (eeek!!) Trekking the National Parks is sure to please!
22. This National Parks version of Trivial Pursuit is a great way to learn about the history of our national parks.
23. Yahtzee is another family favorite. So, of course we need to have the national park version of this as well. Having travel edition games allows us to bring them on our adventures without taking up too much space in our car or camper.
24. Uno has a very cute wilderness version to go along with your outdoor adventures.
25. Let’s Go Hiking is a family cooperative game where you go “explore” the woods on a hike.
26. For your little game players, The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel is one of our family’s favorite games.
27. Who doesn’t love a good s’more? In Roasted or Toasted you compete to roast the perfect s’more!
28. Travel the U.S. without leaving your living room in this Road Trip game.
29. Use these story time dice the next time you’re around the camp fire to create your own spooky stories. They even glow in the dark!
30. A great way to learn U.S. geography is through this Scrambled States game.
Roadschooling Gear for Kids
31. Have your kids show that they can learn anywhere when they wear this “The World is my Classroom” shirt.
32. We don’t leave the house without our CamelBak backpacks. They make sure my kids stay hydrated and carry any snacks or trinkets around with them.
33. Something we love about roadschooling is that it brings us out into nature. So, we always have to have a nature journal on hand.
34. Every good camper needs a first aid kit! Just ask my kids. On our last camping trip, my six year old was asking someone to get hurt so he could use his.
35. All kids need a good set of binoculars. These binoculars are even shock proof, so they will stand up to the roughest and toughest kids.
36. Junior Rangers need a place to show off their badges! These vests are the perfect way to display their badges and show off their hard work.
37. When you’re camping, you need a good sleeping bag. This sleeping bag is rated for down to 30 degree weather and is glow in the dark!
38. When you’re traveling, you can’t always predict the weather. Be prepared with a rain coat that you can stash away in your bag in case the weather suddenly changes so your adventure isn’t cut short!
39. One of the items I always forget to pack is sunscreen! Just as rain can be unpredictable, being out for long periods of time in the sun sometimes doesn’t come to mine in our travels, either. Keep that sunscreen in your bag or your car for those times when you’re out longer than you originally planned.
40. Another item that we often forget is bug spray. Some places we roadschool to are covered in mosquitoes! Don’t be ill prepared or you may be itching for days to come.
Roadschooling Books for Kids
41. Kids love keeping their memories for years to come. This travel journal will allow them to look back at them over and over again.
42. When traveling to National Parks, make sure your kids have a Junior Ranger Passport to get all of their park stamps collected!
43. Before we head on any trip, we always make sure to find books on it. The Who Was books are sure to please! With books about people and places, you’ll always be able to read about famous people and landmarks while you’re visiting them, just like this Where Is Mt. Rushmore book.
44. Learn all about what our country has to offer in this gorgeous National Parks of the USA book. These pictures are just beautiful!! You have to take a look to see what I mean.
45. Kids can learn how to track animals by knowing what their tracks look like…and their scat! They can learn how in this Who Pooped in the Park? book. Let’s be honest, if it talks about poop, kids will love it and not even know they’re learning.
46. Little ones need roadschooling books, too! There is a whole ABC Regional Board Book series. C is for Colorado is a very cute example!
47. Did you know that the Smoky Mountains has salamanders that you can’t find anywhere else in the world? It’s true! And The Great Smoky Mountain Salamander Ball is a fun rhyming story where you can see them in action.
48. Roadschooling usually means traveling on the road, but sometimes taking a plane may be how you travel. Learn about how airports work in this book.
49. Explore the U.S. with these 50 fact filled maps in the 50 States book.
50. There is a whole line of Good Night World books to choose from. Pick one from your favorite location. I would probably pick Good Night Zion!
Roadschooling Books for Parents
51. Roadschooling by Nancy Sathre-Vogel is an encouraging book on starting your roadschooling journey and how they made it
work for their family.
52. My Roadschooling Field Book by Larah Ritchie is helps you create your own roadschooling travel journal of your own trips. An amazing way to keep track of all of those memories with your family!
53. RV Travel on a Budget by Hiking, Camping & Boating with Babies and Young Children by Jennifer Aist is a guide to traveling with young kids. When most books out there are about traveling with school age kids, this book bridges that gap and discusses how to make it work with little ones.
60. RV Travel for the Whole Family by Bob Cliff is a guide to help prepare you for RV living with your family.
Roadschooling Printables
61. One of my kids favorite things to do in the car is to play the license plate game. This free printable can help them keep track. It’s an added bonus that they may learn their states while they’re playing, too!
62. Have I mentioned how great the Junior Ranger program is? You can print Junior Ranger books online that can be completed and mailed in to earn badges!
63. Always be sure to check out the National Parks and State Parks websites before traveling. I was able to find these free leaf printables before our latest trip to the Smoky Mountains and my kids had the opportunity to learn about different types of trees during our visit.
64. A great way to get your kids outside and into nature is with a nature scavenger hunt. Here is an adorable free nature scavenger hunt printable for you.
65. One way for kids to turn travel time into school time is to create a travel journal. Here is a printable travel journal full of writing prompts, maps, games, places to glue in treasures, and more!
66. I can’t get enough nature in our homeschool! Here are some free printable nature journals, that include nature anatomy, that you can do to get our in nature at your home, or bring with you on the road.
67. Do your kids love bookmarks? I don’t know what it is, but my kids love a good bookmark! Here is a printable bookmark with some cute nature critters. This is the perfect thing to bring in the car to have the kids color and then use in their books they bring with them during your travels!
68. Sometimes it takes a little organization to get a trip planned. Here is a free travel planner printable to help you get everything together in one place.
69. You can seriously never have enough games for the car! Here is an I Spy Travel printable to keep those kiddos occupied.
70. This camping playset printable is SO cute! What a fun way to bring some imaginative play to your camping adventures!
Roadschooling in your own backyard
Sometimes life can keep us from being on the road, but that’s shouldn’t stop us from learning about the things right in our own backyard! You can still get outside and learn about the world around you.
71. Learn about the different amphibians that live in your area. What kinds are there? Are they found elsewhere in the world?
72. We live in an area where we get to see geese migration in the spring in fall. What kind of migration patterns of geese and other birds will you see in your backyard?
73. Sometimes travel is not possible, but that doesn’t mean camping can’t happen! Pitch a tent and have a backyard camp out!
74. What kind of plants are unique to your area? What is the life cycle of a plant? Plant something in your own yard and watch it grow!
75. What kind of pollinators do you have in your yard? Are you in an area that has unique butterflies? Get a butterfly habitat to study your pollinator friends a little more closely!
76. Fire flies! Lightning bugs! Whatever you call them…do you have them in your yard? You can catch nature’s lanterns and enjoy their light. But make sure to let them go before the end of the night so you can enjoy them out in your yard again!
77. Have a camp fire! There’s nothing better than sitting around the fire together as a family. Kids can learn fire safety, camp fire cooking, and of course, s’mores!
78. What animals do you have in your yard that only come around seasonally? Do you have any critters that hibernate or the winter? Learn about your local animal species and their behaviors by observing them in your own yard.
79. When you can’t travel to your favorite travel destinations, you can still learn so much about them from home. You can watch documentaries about many places and even explore museums online.
80. Lay a blanket down on a clear night and look at the starry sky. You can learn about constellations by using a night sky app, find planets, and maybe even see the space station!
Roadschooling in your community
81. Find nature trails nearby. We have some available at our local parks and one that’s only a few miles down the road!
82. Look into your local historical society. There’s likely a ton of history right down the road that you didn’t even know about!
83. Visit your local library. Libraries often have educational opportunities for free where you can learn about all sorts of topics ranging from nature to history to local resources.
84. Visit a fire station. You can learn about fire safety, what our brace fire fighters do, and where they stay during their down time.
85. Go to the county Fair when it’s going on. You can learn a lot about animals and maybe even enter into an exhibit yourself for baking, art, or another category available.
86. Plan a trip to the local recycling center. I have found that they are always very happy to host groups and are excited to teach kiddos all about reducing, reusing, and recycling.
87. Find a local animal rescue and see if you can volunteer. We have been to many animal rescue habitats both locally and while we’re on the road. They are always excited to get people both visiting and helping out. Kids can learn a lot about wild animals this way and how to be good stewards of creation.
88. Go fishing. If you live near a lake or river, fishing is a great skill for kids to learn!
89. Plan a trip to the post office. You may be near home, but you can find out how letters and packages get sent all over the world.
90. What is your town known for? Our current town is known for it’s shrimp. My hometown where I grew up is known for having the first concrete street in America. Find out what quirky thing your town is known for and find out why or go visit it! It’s always fun being a tourist in your own city.
My favorite roadschooling spots
91. We had a really great trip to Hershey, PA. We didn’t even go to the amusement park. We read Who Was Milton Hershey before our trip and turned it into a total history lesson, complete with a trolley ride around the city. Now every time I bite into a Hershey bar I know that part of my purchase goes to the Milton Hershey school. Any excuse for more chocolate!
92. I would be happy taking a trip to the zoo any day. We’ve been very lucky to live close to the two biggest zoos in the country- the San Diego Zoo and the Columbus Zoo. Even though we’ve been to these spectacular zoos, I love smaller zoos like the Cleveland Zoo and Atlanta Zoo just as much! Go out and visit a zoo the next chance you get. I’ll never get bored of it!
93. San Francisco is a beautiful city. My very favorite part of visiting there was going to Alcatraz. I thought it would be creepy, but it was actually very, very cool. Lots of history and information is available on the self guided tour.
94. Sequoia National Park was absolutely beautiful. And it may be the only place where you can drive through a tunnel made from a tree!
95. Smoky Mountain National Park is the perfect place to visit for fall foliage. And it’s an added bonus when you get to see a bear!
96. Yellowstone National Park is iconic. Old Faithful was just as amazing as you’d expect and the hot springs we’re breathtaking in their vivid colors. And the bison!! We even got to see babies!
97. The Grand Canyon is so amazing that it doesn’t even look real. It’s seriously one of those places you just have to check out for yourself to take in how grand it really is!
98. Mammoth Cave is truly a sight to behold! You can explore just a fraction of this massive cave and see totally different cave types and formations.
99. You may have to take a plane to get there, but I just had to include Japan. We have had the opportunity to visit Japan a handful of times. My husband even lived there for a year! I haven’t explored much of the world outside of our great country, but Japan has a special place in my heart. And it was amazing for our kids to be able to be a part of a culture so different from ours, yet so similar at the same time.
100. Zion National Park won my heart. I don’t know what it was about this particular park, but it’s beauty got down to my soul! The tunnel that looks into the park, the beautiful visitor’s center, the tram rides you can take to your hiking destinations, and the majestic mountains are all enough to make this national park on the very top of my list of favorite places.
100 ways to incorporate roadschooling into your homeschool
I hope this list of 100 ways to incorporate roadschooling has been an inspiration for you to get your family out on the road and to explore our beautiful country…whether you’re able to travel near or far! For more on our homeschooling and roadschooling adventures, you can join my online homeschool community.
For more 100 things lists, you can head over to the iHomeschool Network and find all sorts of awesome homeschooling and family treasures!!
If you’d like to read more stories of our roadschooling adventures and find some resources for your own journey, click the image below!
