Time. Blink, and it’s gone. Between grown-up responsibilities and kid extracurriculars, families today spend lots of time rushing and shuttling.
In that wild whirl of perpetual motion, learning can still happen anytime, anywhere. Portable on-the-go educational games and activities can help keep children entertained while continuing to build important skills outside of home and classroom.
Making the most of travel time and wait time benefits everyone. Explore some of the ways School Zone products can make it happen, along with other fuss-free, low-cost ideas.
Why On-the-Go Learning Matters
How to keep kids learning on busy days is an excellent question, especially considering just how busy our days are! Back in 2021, Motherly reported on a survey by carpooling service HopSkipDrive, showing that “51% of parents spend upwards of five hours a week driving their kids around—and 13% devote more than 10 hours per week to shuttling duties.”
Those numbers likely haven’t gone down. To be sure, there is drive time, but there is also standstill time with everyone caught up in traffic and other unexpected delays. Think too of younger siblings stuck at older kids’ practices, games, or meets.
A few benefits of quick, on-the-go learning activities are that they:
• Turn downtime into productive learning time
• Reinforce reading, math, and problem-solving skills
• Encourage curiosity wherever children are
• Support continuous learning beyond the classroom
Kids are constantly learning through new experiences. Downtime learning fun can reinforce classroom skills and help kids filter, process, and apply what they’ve learned in low-stakes settings.
The Best Educational Games and Activities for Traveling Families
The key to learning on the go is to focus on lightweight, mess-free, easy-to-carry, easy-to-use games and activities for cars, planes, trains, restaurants, or waiting rooms.
Here are a few options from School Zone:
• Compact workbooks for independent learning – Spiral-bound workbooks that open flat and can also fold in half to create a 7.75” x 10.75” lap-sized work surface while traveling or waiting somewhere without access to a table. They include subject-specific options like the Big Math 1-2 Workbook (Spiral Bound) and Big Spelling 1-3 Workbook (Spiral Bound) and multi-subject, age-specific offerings like the Big Kindergarten Workbook (Spiral Bound) and Big Third Grade Workbook (Spiral Bound).
• Flash cards for quick learning sessions – These time-tested, easy-travel learning tools help improve speed, memory, accuracy, and focus on a variety of skills, including Phonics Made Easy Flash Cards and Numbers 1-100 Flash Cards.
• Puzzle books and activity books – These include the 96-page Hidden Pictures Workbook, with perforated pages that turn into individual worksheets anywhere a flat surface is available or the smaller, tablet-format My First Hidden Pictures Grades K-1 Workbook. Or take a look at this adorable new Halloween-themed, tablet-sized trio: Spooky Puzzles Workbook, Spooky Coloring Workbook, and Spooky Activities Workbook.
• Educational card games – Spark a bit of healthy competition in your littles with games like Get Ready Game Cards Three-Letter Words & Slapjack Farm (2-Pack) or Old Maid Numbers Game Cards.
• Digital learning games for tablets when screen time is appropriate – Our Anywhere Teacher online learning app for ages 2-8 delivers 3000+ games, songs, books, worksheets, and other activities. And more than one child can be using it on more than one device!
Turn Everyday Outings into Learning Adventures
Putting games and activities in your kids’ hands is one way to encourage on-the-go learning, but if you (or they) find yourselves empty-handed, there are simple ways to encourage learning during everyday errands and family outings using conversation and observation! Think of them as commuter games for kids.
Here are a few:
• Spotting letters, colors, numbers, and shapes; it could be the first one to spot something or a game of I Spy (see below)
• Counting objects or numbers while shopping
• Playing "I Spy" with educational twists, for example “I spy something that starts with the letter b” or “I spy something that is triangle”
• Talking about nature, transportation, and surroundings; how many different kinds of trees or different kinds of trucks?
• Encouraging children to ask questions about what they see; if they are reluctant, get them started with questions like “What do you think that company makes?” or “What is that thingie for on that truck over there?”
A big plus with these activities is that they encourage interaction, collaboration, and close observation.
Your Secret to Stress-Free Outings
Looking for a no-fail “ingredient” for smooth travels? Creating a "busy bag" filled with age-appropriate educational activities that can be taken anywhere might just be it!
What to include in a busy bag? Sky’s the limit, but for toddlers and preschoolers, consider crayons, basic coloring books, sketch pads, and hand-held toys like cars and dinosaurs. School-aged kids, depending on their specific age and interests, may have their own ideas about what to include. Here’s a fun video from The Purple Alphabet on producing low-cost, one-stop shopping busy bags with dollar store items.
Also, U.K. blogger Rhiannan Morgan: Mummy of Four has a great post on How to Build a Kids’ Busy Bag. She says, “The beauty of a busy bag is that you can completely tailor it to your children’s ages, needs and interests, and you can rotate the contents so it always feels fresh.”
Busy bags are an excellent way to provide screen-free activities for children without the usual protests. Be sure to choose age-appropriate items and activities, and as Morgan noted, rotate them to keep kids interested. School Zone workbooks, flash cards, and game cards are possibilities.
Tips for Keeping Learning Fun While You're Away
Balancing educational activities with relaxation, travelling, and family time can be a bit of a challenge, but keep in mind that low-stakes learning games and activities during travel or wait times are different than desk-bound school work, though they can help reinforce that work. Here are a few tips to help keep on-the-go learning fun.
- Keep activities short and engaging.
- Celebrate effort rather than perfection.
- Let children choose some of the activities.
- Mix educational games for kids with free play and exploration.
- Follow kids’ interests while traveling.
- Try to make learning feel playful rather than like homework.
Every Journey Is an Opportunity to Learn
Travel, errands, and busy days provide countless opportunities for children to learn through play, conversation, and educational activities. A Kids in the House blog post titled How Parents Can Turn Everyday Moments into Learning Opportunities draws that out. It notes that “Daily routines may seem repetitive, but they hold immense potential for learning. Parents can turn routine activities into lessons about math, science, and communication without changing their schedule.” The post continues, “For instance, grocery shopping can become a lesson in numbers, weight, and budgeting. Asking children to count items, compare prices, or estimate costs transforms a simple errand into a practical math exercise.”
Remember:
• Learning doesn't have to happen at a desk
• School days are still good days for outside-of-school learning
• Educational after-school games for kids build skills wherever they go
• Everyday experiences can spark curiosity and confidence
• School Zone Publishing resources help families make the most of every journey
With a little preparation and the right resources, families can turn everyday moments into memorable learning-on-the-go adventures.
