Road Trips & Literacy: 8 Tips for the Road with Young Children

Taking children on a road trip can have its challenges. Of course, when you are on the road for days taking in consideration their learning is even more of a challenge. How can you ensure your children are getting what they need when it comes to literacy? Here are eight tips for you to try and think outside the traditional box.

1. Audiobooks

Short stories, poetry, or even series like Charlie Bucket (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) is perfect for any destination. It's something the whole family can get involved in. Once you find your favorite narrator you will be ready for any trip.

2. Small phonic books like BOB Books

If you are sleeping in an RV, tent, or even an Airbnb, you'll want to keep the limit and size of books small. If you have a pre-reader you'll want to check out the phonic books that are around 4x6" in size and have around a half-dozen to a dozen books.

Even if you have readers you can find reasonably priced early readers that can travel easy. While we always want to utilize library books there is more of a chance to damage or lose books.

Here are what the BOB Books look like:

3. National Park Junior Ranger Guides

If you have a Nation Park on your itinerary the make sure to check out the Ranger Stations or Visitor Center to grab a National Park Junior Ranger Guide booklet before heading out to explore. Not only are these booklets free (yay!) but they are educational and fun. Kids don't know they are learning (win!)

4. Visitor Center Information

Most Visitor Centers contain not only clean restrooms and free museum-like exhibits but are filled with information. This information is perfect for readers to read up on the area you are traveling through. Even if you have young readers the information provided at these centers are easy to read to young children. The center can also be a reference point for other places in the area you can take kiddos to (like museums, playgrounds, and other interest points).

5. Museum tours

Museums come in all different styles. Those museums that are larger in scale may cost upwards to $30-$40 but many communities have smaller museums to look at. Our local museum is free to visit and accept donations. Regardless of the size of museum, plan on visiting a few. Museums are full of literacy. Reading plaques, listening to local stories, hearing local guides, etc.

6. Games

Play games while hanging out in the tent or while traveling between destinations, find different games to play. In the car you can do travel Bingo, a scavenger hunt, or even Hangman. If you're looking for games while at camp or in your hotel room try Uno, War, or Battleship. Each of these games can be used as learning games and chalk-full of literacy.

7. Journaling

Make a keepsake worth keeping. Have your child keep a journal of their experiences while on the road. If they are able to write about their time on vacation have them write about it. If they are not writers yet, have them drawn, color, or even collect little leaves/sticks/etc. Not only will your child have this great memory but will also practice their handwriting along the way.

8. Vlogging

Give your child the camera. Even though this is not "literacy" based (i.e. reading and writing) they are still contributing through storytelling. Even if it's just the child taking pictures or making small videos you can later have them narrate their creations where you can write down the narrative if the child is too young to write.

What have you used to help children on long road trips to curve the literary need? Let us know in the comments down below.