Road trips are America’s favorite summer pastime—aside from baseball, of course.
Travel is a great way to reconnect with distant loved ones or to explore new places, allowing children (and adults) to step outside their comfort zone and experience the big wide world beyond their own backyard. But, as any parent knows, even with roadside attractions and the beauty of the changing landscape rushing by car windows, kids can get bored or downright antsy on long rides.
Keep scrolling for tips on how to create a family travel plan for less stress, and games and activities to keep your little ones busy on the road. And for curious kids and teens, learn about the history of the great American road trip, from horse drawn carriages to the future of driverless cars with the videos and resources below!
Travel Tips, Games & Books for Hitting the Road!
Tips for Traveling With Preschoolers
Grades PreK-K
As Daniel Tiger and his mom sing, “Wherever we are, whatever we do, I’m so glad to be with you.” Here are six ideas to keep in mind during your travels with young children.
Let’s Share a Story: “Round Trip” | Let’s Learn
Grades PreK-2
Read Round Trip with Erica Ramos Cruz. This book, written by Anna Jonas, is a story about a trip to the city. After reading, create an illustration using strips of black paper.
Free Road Trip Games and Activities for Kids
Grades PreK-3
Ease boredom and wiggles with a mix of free on-screen and off-screen activities from PBS KIDS for your next road trip!
8 Brain-Building Games to Play in the Car
Grades PreK-3
Ready for that family trip? Here are eight fun games to play — that also exercise the brain — while you’re on-the-go.
12 Picture Books About Things That Go!
Grades PreK-3
There’s something captivating about transportation and vehicles — in real life but also in children’s books. There are hundreds and hundreds of books about things that go, but here are some favorites that you won’t want to miss.
Carriages to Driverless Cars: The Past & Future of the American Roadtrip
Horatio’s Drive: America’s First Roadtrip | Ken Burns in the Classroom Collection
Grades 6-12
In 1903, when the automobile was first introduced in the U.S, the invention garnered a mix of criticism and praise—though very few Americans could afford to buy one. A few enthusiasts with means set out to test the limits of the new invention. Learn about Horatio Nelson Jackson, the first man to drive across America, and his roadtrip of a lifetime with this Ken Burns in the Classroom collection.
National Interstate and Defense Highways Act (1956) and Resource Materials
Grades 6-12
This resource group contains two facsimiles and a transcript of, and a background essay on, the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956, which authorized the building of highways throughout the nation. This would be the largest public works project in the nation’s history.
Should We Remove Some of America’s Highways? | Above the Noise
Grades 6-12
Highways are everywhere in America and are a big part of our everyday lives as they allow us to expand our ability to travel places efficiently—but is their presence secretly impacting our health? Myles explores the history of the interstate highway system and the impacts it has on certain communities to answer the question: Should we remove some of America’s highways?
Coded Geographies: The Green Book | Lost LA
Grades 9-12
Learn about how African Americans adapted to the challenges of traveling in the United States over time, through the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
Driverless Vehicles Yield to Complex Issues | NOVA Wonders: Can We Build a Brain?
Grades 9-12
Examine the benefits, risks, and unintended consequences of driverless vehicles, which promise to solve some growing problems in society but may create new ones in their place, in this video from NOVA Wonders: Can We Build a Brain? To many people, including daily commuters and those faced with congested roadways, a vehicle that can operate autonomously using artificial intelligence may sound like a great idea. But while it may be just a matter of time before self-driving cars and trucks dominate city streets and highways, this innovation raises complex issues related to jobs, safety, ethics, and more.