Activities to Keep Littles Entertained on the Road
Preparing to travel with a preschool-aged-child can feel like a feat worthy of an Olympian. The thought of the phrases “I’m bored” and “are we there yet” on repeat loom in the mind of all parents and caregivers as they prepare for the journey. Let’s throw that meme-worthy norm out the window and look at some engaging, easy, and even educational activities you can arm yourself with for the next travel adventure with your preschooler.
Here at Crestwood Childcare and Learning Center we know all about keeping little’s busy. Schedule a tour today and see what age-appropriate activities our early childhood educators keep up our sleeve for their students.
Keep in mind…
While teaching children to wait and be patient is important, long trips can test the developmentally appropriate limit of a preschooler’s patience. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reminds parents that toddlers and preschoolers thrive on structure and engaging activities, even during travel. Keeping children occupied during transitions (travel being one huge transition) helps promote self-regulation and learning.
In fact, according to Zero to Three, play-based activities on the go help support attention span, creativity, and language development all supportive of a little one’s early childhood education. So, let’s take a look at these entertaining and mind stimulating activities.
Travel Activities for Preschoolers
1. Busy Bags for Independent Play
With a little prep work this can be a quick easy grab to keep your little one engaged and busy! Filling a pouch or gallon-sized bag with some simple, safe items such as stickers, felt shapes, a small puzzle, or a reusable sticker book can be an instant win. Busy bags are a travel-friendly daycare hack that promotes independent play and fine motor skills (NAEYC, 2019). The beauty of a busy bag is that they can be whatever you want, they generally pack up small, and they pack back up into a nice and clean container when done. If you are looking for some additional ideas on some DIY busy bags, more can be found here: Tried and True Busy Bags
2. Interactive Storytime
Pack your little one’s favorite picture books or grab a favorite audiobook for download or from the library. Keep them engaged by asking open-ended questions about the characters or what might happen next within the story. This simple activity builds language and literacy skills, as well as works on memory retention, all aligning with the core goals of early childhood education (Reading Rockets, 2024).
A Yoto player is an excellent source of audiobooks, games, and music on-the-go. The Yoto Mini is especially great for travelling and truly doesn’t have many dissimilar features to the full size Yoto. Create-your-own cards are a simple and inexpensive way to create loads of content for your child to listen to, as well. Bonus: it’s all screen-free!
We LOVE reading here at Crestwood Childcare and Learning Center! Call us today and come by for a tour to see what excellent recommendations our early childhood education teachers might
3. On-the-Go Art
Support your preschooler’s creativity and expression by bringing along some washable (or even mess-free!) markers and a sketchpad on your journey. Encourage your little one to draw what they see through the window or pictures of what they imagine their destination to look like (PBS Kids, 2023).
Creativity and expression is a key component of early childhood education and we strive to cultivate this in our students daily here at CCLC. Schedule a tour today and see our students’ creativity displayed for all to see–on the walls, bulletin boards, or even hanging from the ceiling!
4. Movement Breaks
Plan to make a quick stop every 2-3 hours for a movement (and likely a potty) break. Whether it’s stretching at a rest stop or doing silly dances in the airport, physical activity can help regulate mood and keeps little bodies ready to learn (CDC, 2023). Play a silly dance song from a mobile device or a quick movement video that keeps preschoolers engaged as well as gets some wiggles out.
Bonus Tip: For long distance travelling with small children, bring along a training potty for emergency stops. Line the inner insert with a doggy bag and bring along some wipes for those extra-urgent emergencies.
We know all about getting wiggles out here at Crestwood Childcare and Learning Center. Call us today to schedule a visit and see what tactics we use to give an outlet for the little-people-wiggles.
5. I Spy and Scavenger Hunts
Perfect for flying or driving, old-fashioned games like a scavenger hunt or “I Spy” can sharpen observation and critical thinking. Whether in daycare, childcare, or at home, games like these are helpful in encouraging problem-solving skills (Zero to Three, 2024). As a bonus, you can also print a travel-themed scavenger hunt before your trip to have on hand as a backup! Need an example? Check it out, here: Travel Scavenger Hunts
6. Educational Apps in Moderation
Screentime can be a helpful addition to a travel toolkit, and can be used to further early childhood development, as well. Apps such as Kahn Academy Kids and PBS Kids Games are not only free, but are excellent learning tools, as well (on a personal note, Kahn Academy helped teach my children their letter sounds). Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics actually suggests that small amounts of high-quality educational content can support learning when balanced with hands-on play.
Our early childhood educators here at Crestwood Childcare and Learning Center are excellent at cultivating a classroom that is exciting and ready to learn. Schedule a tour to see our facility, outdoor play areas, see our lesson plans and meet our teachers!
7. Snacks, Snacks, and more Snacks.
Snacks. ALL the snacks. Pack all the nutrient dense snacks for your road trip because a hangry preschooler (or parent) is not in the recipe for an enjoyable journey. Bring along some fun and exciting things that your child might eyeball whenever at the grocery store, but also some quality items and protein to keep blood sugar levels balanced.
Memories over Meltdowns
Remember, the journey is just as important as the destination. Traveling with preschoolers isn’t about keeping them perfectly quiet—it’s about creating an opportunity for bonding, exploring, and growth together. Taking the time to prepare a little extra for your travels will simply help it to be enjoyable, rather than a total headache.
Happy Travels! May your next family adventure be willed with laughter, learning, and hopefully fewer “are we there yet?” moments.
Here at Crestwood Childcare and Learning Center we love hearing about family adventures, as well as having some of our own! Call us today to ask us about our vacation policy, as well as to hear what exciting adventures we have planned for our students!