Doing schoolwork while you’re traveling can seem like a daunting task, but if you use a little imagination and preparation, it can be done smoothly and effectively. The most important thing is to realize that you’re not at home. You don’t have your normal resources, and it won’t be the same.

Before you leave on your travels, make a plan of what bookwork can be done in the car or hotel room. Subjects like math, English, and even handwriting can still be done normally most times. Note how much school you would usually get done in these subjects, and then see if you can plan a lighter load so you will have room for other activities that will be exclusive to your trip.

Other subjects like reading, history, science, and geography can be done while you’re travelling and enjoying the sights around you. If you have a planned route, look for state or national parks. If you plan to visit more than one park, look into buying a yearly park pass. This will allow you to enter any national park and will pay for itself after the second or third park.

 National parks are great because your children can do the Junior Park Ranger program. This usually involves a booklet of some kind with questions and activities in it. Most have different pages for different age groups. When the children complete the required pages, they earn a Jr. Ranger badge, which can be fun collectibles. The answers to the questions are usually found throughout the park, and rangers are always available for questions and help. This is a fun way to learn about history and to help sharpen reading and thinking skills.

By doing a quick search on the Internet, you can find free or inexpensive family entertainment wherever you go. Look specifically for children’s museums, science museums, and other family oriented places. Most of these places even give discounts to large groups, if your family is large enough, and even to homeschool groups. Don’t be afraid to ask if they offer discounts.

For completing regular bookwork in the car or in between drives, make sure your children have plenty of room to do their work. You can even look into inexpensive collapsible lap desks, which can store papers, pencils, and other school supplies. Then the children will have a sturdy surface for their schoolwork.

The most important thing to remember about schooling while travelling is that children can learn from anything, anywhere; whether it is at a museum or park along the way, or by playing games like the alphabet game or the license plate game. Many companies have fun travel learning games as well to pass the time. Don’t be afraid to put the books down to take a walk along a beach or explore a park. Look for unique learning opportunities that wouldn’t be possible if you were at home. You may be surprised by all that you find!