road trip math worksheet

Pre-Algebra Road Trip Project

By: Author Sarah Carter

Posted on Published: July 22, 2012  - Last updated: December 3, 2022

Categories Projects , Ratios/Proportions

Well, since I’m preparing to start my first year of teaching, I decided that I really needed to finish posting the last few projects I did during my student teaching. 

During my last week of student teaching , my cooperating teacher asked me to come up with a creative way to review some of the 8th grade math standards. 

A lot of my students had been struggling with the concept of proportions.  With lots of practice, they had been improving, but many students still weren’t comfortable with solving proportions. 

I wanted to show students that proportions were definitely applicable to their lives.  So, I created this pre-algebra road trip project.  It actually turned into a 3-part project because the students were enjoying it so much. 

Each student chose 5 cities to travel to on their road trip.  Using a ruler, they drew out their route on a US map.  Then, using the map scale, students determined the length of their road trip in miles.

Day 2 of the road trip project was spent using gas mileage and fuel costs for various vehicles to determine which vehicle students would take on their road trip.  

On Day 3, we calculated food costs, hotel costs, and rental car costs.  By the end of the 3-day project, students were much, much, much more comfortable working with ratios and proportions. 

It was an amazing experience to see the light bulbs go off with so many of my students.

Looking back at Day 2 and 3, there are a ton of little things I would change.  I actually changed the rental car problem on Day 3 because my students were having a ton of trouble with it.  I just did a flat rate per day.

This pre-algebra road trip project is easily adjusted based on your time limitations and the level of your students.  This was never intended on being a 3-day project.  It just sort of evolved into one. 

My 8th graders really enjoyed it.  My cooperating teacher enjoyed it.  My University Supervisor even observed me on Day 3 of the project. 

The lesson was a little more chaotic than I had planned, but my supervisor complimented me on the project.  He even asked for electronic copies of the files to send to some math teachers in China.   

Edited to Add : I have also done this with my Algebra 1 students.

Since I had already done this project with 8th graders, I thought my Algebra 1 students would be able to whiz right through it.  I was wrong.  I had to teach many of my students how to read a ruler. 

Rounding to the nearest quarter inch was a disaster.  And, the questions students asked me made me feel more like a geography teacher than a math teacher. 

These are actual conversations I had with my Algebra 1 students during this activity.

Me: Class, today we are going on a road trip.  If we’re going on a road trip, that means we will be traveling on… Class: Roads! Me: Yes, so that means we can’t travel to… Class: Hawaii Student 1: Why can’t you drive to Hawaii?  Me: Hawaii is an island.  That means it is surrounded by water. Student 2: Why does Hawaii look so weird? Custodian who just happens to be emptying the trash at this point: Hawaii is a series of small islands. Student 3: Do you mean you can’t drive between the little islands? Custodian: No.  When I was in Hawaii, we traveled between the islands by taking ferries. 

Student 1: Is Washington, D.C. here? [The student is pointing at Washington state.] Me: No. Student 2: No, Washington, D.C. is in Virginia.

Student 1: I think this map is wrong. Me: Why? Student 1: Oklahoma City should be above Tulsa.

Student 1: Do you mean Nashville, Tennessee is in the United States? Me: Yes.  Nashville is in the U.S. Student 1: I’ve heard of it before, but I didn’t realize it was in the U.S.

I required my students to write both the city and the state they were visiting on their assignment.  One student wrote that she was traveling to New Jersey, PA. 

Free Download of Pre-Algebra Road Trip Project

Road Trip Project Day 1 (WORD) (4507 downloads )

Road Trip Project Day 2 (WORD) (3355 downloads )

Road Trip Project Day 3 (WORD) (2922 downloads )

Road Trip Project Map and Rubric (PDF) (3177 downloads )

Video with Instructions on Completing the Road Trip Project

I ran across a YouTube video that someone created to walk students through completing the Road Trip Project. I thought I would link it here in case it was of use to anybody.

More Activities for Teaching Ratios and Proportions

Wednesday 4th of September 2019

Any chance you have the CC standards that are associated with this project?

Monday 27th of May 2019

Great project!

Friday 25th of January 2019

FOR STEP FOUR OF DAY ONE DID YOU HAVE THE STUDENTS USE THE UNIT CONVERSION OF MILES TO INCHES AND THEN SET THAT EQUAL TO THEIR DISTANCE?

Tuesday 30th of October 2018

i think she used a lot of creativity to make this project.

Monday 20th of February 2017

what is the cost/gallon of the fuel? Where do you get it from?

Thursday 18th of May 2017

I'm was the one that needed help that says anonymous

And my email is eliasdaniel4599[at]gmail.com, thank you

Hello their Sarah I'm having trouble with this project if you could plzz send me the answers like all of it plzzz:( this is due Friday my grade is at a D right now just plzz I'm sorry for bugging like asap lol thank you

Sarah Carter (@mathequalslove)

Friday 3rd of March 2017

I got the fuel data for 25 miles from https://www.fueleconomy.gov/

Hip Homeschool Moms. A Vibrant Community for Homeschooling Families.

Creative Math Activities for the Road

Are you planning a family road trip but worried about how to keep your kids engaged and learning along the way? Math activities on the road could be the perfect solution! Not only is math an essential skill for daily life, but it can also be a fun way to pass the time and keep your kids’ minds active during a long car ride.

For a homeschooling family, traveling is an important activity, especially when you plan ahead to make the most of learning every mile of the way. It’s more fun for kids to learn while building new memories and visiting new places, and you can bond as a family while continuing your kids’ education.

In this blog post, we’ll share some creative and entertaining math activities you can do with your kids while on the road. From planning the trip and calculating costs ahead of time to budgeting your stays and playing math games on long drives, these activities are sure to make your road trip more enjoyable and educational for the whole family.

So, buckle up and let’s hit the road!

Before steering toward a bunch of math activities your family can do on the road, I want to mention a terrific math curriculum,  CTCMath .  This curriculum worked wonders for our homeschooling family, and helped us approach the subject of math in a new and more attainable way. They have a free trial and a 365-day money-back guarantee. Seriously, there’s every reason to try it out.

Is math the most dreaded subject in your household? Do you children feel overwhelmed learning new math concepts? If so,  please  check out this math curriculum. Math can be a challenge for you as the teacher as well as for your kids, but you can build their confidence and help them excel in math. If your students are struggling to believe that  they can do it , check out  CTCMath  today!

Creative Math Activities on the Road with Your Kids

There are many ways to incorporate math learning into a family road trip! Some of these ideas begin before the trip. In other words, rather than you having to do all the work of planning and budgeting, rope your kids in on these activities. It will help them feel more a part of things, and they’ll be learning important skills at the same time.

Here are some math activities you can incorporate before hitting the road:

Math Activities While Planning Your Trip

So, as a family you’ve decided you want to go somewhere on an educational road trip, but you don’t yet know where. Begin by calculating the costs of the trip and deciding your travel budget.

Calculating Your Trip Costs

Have a family meeting ahead of time in which you discuss and decide on specific details about your trip. This provides a terrific way to bring math into the “real world” while discussing travel plans. When you and your kids calculate the cost differences of these various options, you don’t have to pick the least expensive, but you do need to stick to your predetermined budget.

And that’s usually the best place to begin …

• Start with a budget. Ask and decide on questions such as: How much can we spend? Do we have a total trip budget? How about a daily budget?
• Discuss where you are going: Are we going to a single destination? If not, how far away is each place we are considering?

• Determine how far you want to travel: Is it an international trip? If so, you can teach your kids about conversion rates and money in different countries.
• Decide on the time frame of your trip: Answer questions such as: Do we have a specific journey time limit? How many days will we be traveling? How long does it take to get to our destination? How much time does each activity take? (Note that time is hard to add and calculate, so this is a good math activity but will also require some flexibility!)
• Research hotels versus other places to stay: Look at the costs of a hotel per night as opposed to an Airbnb or VRBO. Have you looked into campgrounds available where you’ll be staying? Have your kids calculate the cost difference between hotels, Airbnbs, and camping.
• Discuss hidden expenses : For example, if you opt for camping, do you already own a tent or will you need to add that to your costs? Do you have an RV or can you borrow or rent one for the trip?
• If driving : How much gas would we use to get there? Do we have to prepare the car before going? What needs to be done and how much does each thing cost? Do we need to change the oil, get new tires, new windshield wipers, etc. before the trip?
• If flying: Compare prices of different airlines; what is the best deal for the dates you are traveling? Check out the price graph on Google; does changing the flight dates slightly make a difference in flight costs? What other fees are involved with the flights, such as surcharges for specific seats, baggage charges, etc.?
• If taking a bus or train: compare prices of train versus bus. Also, consider the need to use transportation once arriving at your destination(s). Will you rent a vehicle or take other forms of transportation such as Uber or Lyft? Do a cost analysis of these options.

Spending & Budgeting Math Activities

Okay, once you’ve figured out all these things, and made a plan for your trip, it’s time for the next stage: packing! While packing doesn’t necessarily fall in the category of math activities, it’s definitely educational and helps your kids build real-world experience!

Have your kids create a packing list taking into consideration the location(s) you’ll be traveling, the weather, the length of the trip, whether you’ll be doing formal activities, etc. (As the parent, you should have an overall packing checklist you are working from to double check your kids haven’t forgotten anything.)

Are you traveling with toddlers? If so, you’ll want to check out this Road Trip Survival Kit for heading out on the road with young ones.

Here are a few more activities and games to keep your kids occupied while on the road.

Fun Travel Activities and Games

Next, involve your children in the trip budget and have them help keep track of expenses. Budgeting in itself offers a range of math activities. You can give them a certain amount of money for snacks or meals, souvenirs, or other treats, and have them practice making decisions about how to spend it.

Budget your food expenses

• How much will the food cost if eating out every day? Is it possible to prepare some snacks or meals ahead of time to save money?
• If you’re staying at an Airbnb versus a hotel, you can cook some meals in the home and save on restaurant costs (but you’ll need to go grocery shopping). If you plan on cooking some of your meals while on the road, here are a couple of quick and easy dinners : Ham and Cheese Sliders . Chicken Alfredo . 
• Provide your kids with a budget for one of the meals every day (i.e., lunch or dinner), and determine how the family can eat on that amount.

Budget your road trip activities

• Where are some of the specific places they want to visit?
• Have your students research admission fees for museums, exhibits, national parks, etc.
• What about the cost to do outdoor activities (i.e., rent boats or bikes)?

Budget for souvenirs

• Give each child a souvenir budget (or help them save for the trip in advance). As your family is enjoying their vacation, the kids are going to want to purchase fun things to remember the trip.
• They’ll need to be able to calculate tax and whether they have enough to cover the cost. Teach them to calculate the tax on a calculator app or in their head.

Map Reading and Navigation on the Road

If your family is driving, mapping and navigation are some great math activities. Mapping activities not only help children develop spatial reasoning, but they can be fun during road trips exploring new places. Children can create maps of their adventures and use math to navigate their surroundings.

For older children, their mapping activities can incorporate geometry, using angles, shapes, and coordinates to create their maps. They can also use math to analyze data on maps, such as calculating the distance between two points or determining the area of a region.

• Have your child create a map of the route you are traveling, using math concepts such as distance, direction, scale, and symbol to represent the area.
• Give your children a map of the area you’re traveling through and have them help navigate the route. They can practice using a map key, measuring distances, and estimating travel time.
• Teach them how to use mapping apps such as Waze or Google Maps. Some kids will be very engaged by these apps, seeing the road ahead, watching for notices of accidents, and learning more about direction and scale.
• Use a real, physical map and map out the journey, including stops or destinations along the way. Teach them to use the mileage scale on the map and a ruler to calculate the mileage.
• Older kids can do more advanced mapping: have them find out the GPS coordinates of the places you’ll be visiting. Or map out the latitude and longitude of each!

Other Fun Math Activities on the Road 

Combine time and distance.

• Have your children estimate how long it will take to get to the next rest stop or destination.
• You can also have them calculate the distance between two points using a map or GPS.
• Use an app or device to track steps walked while on a hike or the distance covered while on a bike ride.

Geometry and shapes

• Younger children can point out different shapes they see along the way, such as circles (like tires), rectangles (like signs or semi-trucks), or triangles (like mountains).
• Younger and older children can also draw shapes they see on the road or create their own geometric designs.

Math Activities and Games While in the Car (or Train/Bus)

To minimize the all-too-frequent question every child loves to ask while on the road, “Are we there yet?” you can keep your kids busy with fun counting games.

• Have them count and keep track of how many of a certain type of vehicle they see on the road: blue cars, red trucks, or white vans. You can also have them count how many road signs, trees, or buildings they see in a certain time period (such as 30 minutes).
• Play math-themed games like “I Spy” but instead of colors, have your children find shapes or numbers.
• You can also play mental math games like “Add the Digits” as they add up digits from signs or license plates in a specific time period.
• Bring a few fun math games on the road with you.

Incorporating Other Subjects into your Math Activities on the Road

• Family road trips are also a great time to learn about states and capitals. Check out these states and capitals flash cards and worksheets printable .
• Do a fun study of the states you are visiting before you go. What’s their population? How far away are they from where you live? Are they known for growing or manufacturing anything in particular?
• What cities are you visiting in those states? What is the population of those cities? What differences do your kids note between the larger cities and small towns?
• How many different state license plates do you see during your entire trip? (Use a note taking app to record them as they are spotted.)

English and Writing

• Keep a family travel journal: Have each member contribute something. Maybe one of your kids is good at picking up and keeping brochures, receipts, and other small keepsakes. Another of your kids takes photos of everything, while another one likes to actually write down a log of everything you’re doing each day. This way, everyone can participate. You can compile it after the trip, making a keepsake travel journal as a way to reflect on your journey and revisit the fun experiences you had as a family.
• A personal travel journal following a template is also a great idea and gives your child something to work with, including itinerary, checklists, research, and mapping. 

If you’re traveling in your car, here are a few road trip essentials to keep your kids belongings in order (and your sanity together):

Some Road Trip Essentials

Overall, incorporating math activities into a family road trip can be fun and engaging for children, while also reinforcing important math skills. With a little creativity, you can turn your road trip into a learning adventure! We hope this article has inspired you with fun ways to incorporate math into your upcoming travel adventures!

Doing math activities on the road can be an exciting, hands-on aspect of teaching math alongside a curriculum like CTCMath. Be sure to use our special  HipHomeschoolMom’s link  to get an extra 6 months on your year subscription! Also, CTCMath is one price for the entire family. Finally , a math curriculum that’s designed to take the frustration and intimidation out of math (for your child and you).

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Adventures in Math

Real-world math and money activities for K–8

Welcome to Adventures in Math, a free educational program to help teach kids math skills and financial responsibility.

Find interactive games, flash cards, lessons by grade level, family resources, and at-home activities for students in grades K–8. These lessons and activities will teach basic money terms, the value of coins and bills, responsible spending, how sales tax works, and more!

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Free Interactive Whiteboard Lesson for Grades 6-8

A fun, ready-to-go lesson on finding the better buy!

Brand-New Middle Grade Game of Financial Choices

Follow the path to financial success!

Free Interactive Whiteboard Lesson for Grades 6-8: “Let’s Go Shopping!”

A fun, ready-to-go lesson on calculating sales tax!

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Perfect for a daily warm-up for Grades 2 and 3!

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Never sort your money manipulatives again!

LESSON PLANS

Easy-to-use lesson plans and practical worksheets., grades 6–8 lessons.

Calculating Sales Tax

Compare shopping costs by determining sales tax with this printable worksheet. Grades 6–8.

Finding the Better Buy

Make smart purchasing decisions by calculating costs and following a road-map activity. Grades 6–8.

Saving for Your Future

How does saving money help reach goals? This activity demonstrates how interest works. Grades 6–8.

Grades 3–5 Lessons

Money Matters

Explore ideas for earning money and career choices while learning key terms. Grades 3–5.

Plans and Goals

Learn the components of a budget and understand product pricing with a worksheet activity. Grades 3–5.

Smart Saving

Understand the differences between saving and investing and solve word problems. Grades 3–5.

Spending, Saving, and Giving

Why is keeping a budget and money records so important? Try this “using money wisely” activity. Grades 3–5.

Make a Difference

Create a persuasive, colorful poster to raise funds and support for charity. Grades 3–5.

Grades K–2 Lessons

Money Basics

Why do we need money? Identify bills and consider how money is used. Grades K–2.

Learn how money can be used and the best places to keep it with this printable. Grades K–2.

Money in Our Community

What are needs vs. wants? Learn about the exchange of money in the economy. Grades K–2.

More Classroom Resources

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Why Don’t Kids Know Their Coins Anymore?

Remember the good old-fashioned piggy bank?

Our Favorite Resources for Teaching Money Skills

Use puzzles, piggy banks, grocery shopping, and more.

Check out how these lesson plans support Common Core by grade. 

INTERACTIVE GAMES

Invite students to gain financial literacy in a fun way..

The Road to Riches Game

A fun, ready-to-go lesson on calculating sales tax!Play this interactive board game to earn, save, and spend while traveling through town. Grades 3–5.

Bang for Your Buck Game

Move a shopping bag through the mall to make the best purchasing decisions. Grades 6–8.

The Piggy Bank Quiz

How do you use your money? Use this kid-friendly quiz to make money choices. Grades K–2.

Grades 3–5 Flash Cash Cards

Learn important money terms and switch to quiz mode to check knowledge.

Grades 6–8 Flash Cash Cards

Use budgeting and spending terms in real-world examples to make smart money choices.

AT-HOME ACTIVITIES

Keep kids learning about money at home..

Whoa! Where Did My Allowance Go?

Build budgeting skills by making spending choices in this board game activity. Grades 6–8.

Calculate the Cost

Extend math learning at home by calculating sales tax, discounts, and more. Grades 3–8.

Sort and Count Your Coins

Add up the value of money with spare change around the house and this handy printable. Grades K–5.

Let’s Go Grocery Shopping

Teach the basics of coins & bills by setting up an at-home store in the kitchen. Grades Pre-K–3.

Don’t Lose Your Money

Pick out the best places to keep money safe with this printable worksheet. Grades K–2.

Making “Cents” of Prices

What is the value of money? Practice counting out cash to pay for household items. Grades K–8.

Making Money

How can money be earned? Work through this worksheet of questions. Grades 3–5.

Profit Parade

Calculate the profit on various items sold and practice budgeting with this printable. Grades 3–5.

Dollar Dilemmas

Practice money skills and use key terms to solve math word problems. Grades 3–5.

Using Money Wisely

What is the smartest way to use money? Work through real-world examples. Grades 3–5.

Spend, Save, and Give

Understand three key savings goals with this simple money planner. Grades 3–8.

Family Math Challenge

Which is the best deal? Calculate sales tax with this family road trip worksheet activity. Grades 3–8.

What Does It Cost?

Understand the cost of household items with conversation starters and a fill-in expense table. Grades 3–8.

Figure Out the Sales Tax

Practice using percentages and mental math to figure out the total cost of items. Grades 6–8.

Saving With a Purpose

Complete a mission to help a club save enough money for a community project. Grades 6–8.

Road Map to the Better Buy

Follow the road-map worksheet and choose the best buy along the trip. Grades 6–8.

Worth the Bucks?

Drive the car conversation by talking about alternatives, purchasing, and more. Grades 9–12.

FAMILY RESOURES

Share these tools with families in your newsletter..

Regions Next Step Family Budgeting & Saving Resource Center

Set your family up for financial success through all of life’s milestones.

Watch Kids & Money Video

We’re talking about the money talk! Give your kids the tools they need to understand money at an early age. Grades K–8.

Read Family Magazine

Get ideas for starting the money conversation to build responsible spenders and savers. Grades K–8.

For more financial education resources for the whole family, visit the Regions Next Step site.

Personal finance for teachers.

Regions Next Step

Bolster your money-management skills with this collection of Next Step resources.

Regions Next Step Courses

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Financial Goals Worksheet

Prioritize your goals, create your strategy, and reach your goals.

52-Week Savings Challenge

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Best Math Learning Activities for Road Trips

A list of some of the best math learning activities to try with your child while on a summer road trip! 

Summer fun has just begun which means it is the perfect time of year for road trips and exploration with your little one! Fortunately, road trips present so many opportunities for your child to practice math while out adventuring on the road. In this article, we will provide you with some of the best math learning activities to partake in while driving long distances. 

Before we get started, if you would like to receive the most up-to-date and hard-hitting information about Bay Area schools (both public and private). Feel free to join this Facebook group below! 

Bay area schools & parents discussion.

• Mapping Exercise 

This game may sound a little bit old fashioned because most people nowadays use Google Maps on their phone to get from place to place. However, maps present a great opportunity for children to practice their real-world math skills! 

Even if you do not actually plan to use it to get to your destination, bring a map on the road trip for your little one to explore. By using the scale, have your child measure the distance it takes to get to and from different cities. 

One fun idea that you can try is through utilizing the road signs that show how many miles it is to the next few towns. When one of these signs come up, have your child calculate how many miles have been driven since the start of the road trip. For example, if you are traveling 340 miles from San Jose to Los Angeles. When a sign comes up that says 150 miles to Los Angeles, let your child solve the equation! 

• Calculate Your Car’s Gas Mileage

This activity is especially great for longer road trips. Before the road trip, write down how many miles are currently on your car. Then, once it is time to pull into the station and fill up. See how many more miles your car has accumulated since the start of the journey. 

After that, fill up your car and see how many gallons of gas it takes for it to get full. Finally, have your child calculate the average number of miles your vehicle got for each gallon of gas. You can also try this activity when driving around the city and compare the two averages! 

• Compare Gas Prices

Similar to the previous exercise, this activity also involves utilizing gas stations. While on the road, there are bound to be an abundance of gas stations nearby the freeway. For every gas station that you drive by, have your child write down the price of each one. 

After you encounter about 10 of them, allow your little one to identify the most expensive and least expensive ones. In addition, you can also have them calculate the difference between each one and even find the average price per gallon of them all if they appear to be really enjoying this game. 

• Calculate the Total Trip Cost 

This is the perfect activity to try with your child after you return home from the long excursion. Before the exercise, calculate the individual cost of each item such as hotels, gas, food, and so forth. 

After that, present the spreadsheet to your child and have them try to add the prices together in order to get the overall cost of the vacation. This is a great opportunity to teach your little one the important real-life lesson of budgeting and minimizing expenses. If your child appears to be interested in this activity, you can have them try to figure out how to improve the cost efficiency of the trip for the next time around. 

• Create Math Equations Out of License Plate Numbers 

Out of all of the math learning activities to try on a road trip, this last one is relatively simple. While either stuck in traffic or at a stop light, try to create math equations out of the license plate numbers of the cars in front of you. 

For example, if someone’s license plate number is “7SUD320” you can formulate an equation such as 7 + 3 – 2 + 0. However, if your child is a little bit more advanced at math, allow them to practice their PEMDAS skills by creating a sequence like 7 + 3 divided by 2 x 0. You can also utilize the letters and have them solve basic algebra equations! 

• About Think Academy

Think Academy provides online teaching services and classes for math students across grades K-Middle School. We also provide tons of free academic resources such as worksheets, webinars, and more! For those who are interested, you can join our WhatsApp group to receive free weekly math resources! 

In addition, if you would like to receive free math resources via email instead. You can sign up to join our newsletter here!

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• Think Academy’s Classes 

We offer numerous different math courses for children in grades K-8. We have short-term math classes that can help improve your child’s fundamental math skills. These courses last only about a couple weeks.

In addition, we also have K-8 long-term classes to ensure that students master the math material in their respective grades. These semester-long courses are available in three different levels (Advancement, Mastery, ACE) to account for all learning speeds!

As for students who want to take their math skills to the next level. Think Academy provides math competition prep classes for events such as the AMC 8 and Math Kangaroo!

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Word Problems: Road Trip Worksheets

This math worksheet features road trip-themed word problems that require students to use their math skills to help Joey and his family figure out various statistics related to their journey. The problems challenge students to exercise their addition, division, and logical reasoning skills.

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Rebecca A Hill

Read the questions and use proportions to solve.

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• Massachusetts
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Washington D.C.
• Washington State
• Niagara Falls
• Playa Del Carmen
• Paris, France
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Welcome to Families Love Travel’s exclusive road trip activity packet ! Whether you’re planning a family road trip soon or want to save ideas for the future, it’s always best to be prepared before departing on a vacation with kids. Luckily, you can now download our Ultimate Road Trip Activity Packet here, which includes printable versions of kid’s favorite games like Tic-Tac-Toe and Sink The Ships! Use our resources to entertain your children throughout long drives , whether they’re interested in drawing, spotting license plates out a window, or testing strategies with more advanced games. As a plus, you can also customize these road trip games to suit whatever destination you’re headed to, exciting children about your journey along the way! For example, tell kids to fill out a travel journal with expectations of their upcoming vacation, like what they’re most interested in learning about. Or, teach them responsibility by having them devise a packing list before you even leave. Parents will find themselves having just as much fun as kids inventing Silly Road Trip stories or playing a mobile scavenger hunt, too, bringing the whole family closer together through laughs and friendly competition.  What could sound better than keeping little ones content while engaging their curious minds ? Discover all this and more with our Ultimate Road Trip Activity Packet!

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50 Road Trip Printables to Keep Kids Busy on Trips

Published: March 10, 2023

Contributor: Sara Dennis

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

Are you tired of bored, unhappy kids in the backseat on a long road trip? Instead of handing a tablet to your child to keep them entertained, use these road trip printables !

50 Free Printable Road Trip Games

Road trip activities for kids are a fun way to keep your kids entertained on your next road trip without needing to pull out electronic devices. You can use printable games for the whole family or activity sheets for individual children. The best part is that you’ll find free printable car games for younger and older kids alike!

Road Trip Scavenger Hunt Printables

On a scavenger hunt, children run around looking for items on a list. These printable scavenger hunt ideas change the classic game slightly and have children hunting for items they might see on their next car trip.

Scavenger Hunt Printable – You’ll find scavenger hunt printables at different levels to print for your kids. One includes pictures of the items for toddlers and preschoolers to check off, while the other one includes a longer list without any pictures.

I Spy Road Trip Printables

My kids adore I spy coloring pages when we’re traveling. But sometimes only one child wants to play I Spy. The best way to solve this problem is to print one of these free printables that feature I Spy games for kids.

I Spy Scavenger Hunt – During the next road trip season, print up a few fun I Spy Scavenger Hunt games for older children to play. They’ll stay busy trying to find a blue truck, a bearded motorcyclist, and other items while you cruise down the road.

Road Trip I SPY Printable – Download this pdf file for your younger children. The printables include pictures of people, signs, and other objects, making it the perfect way to keep your youngest kids entertained in the car.

I Spy Restaurant Printables

As you’re driving down the road, you will pass by different restaurants. These fun travel activities have children playing I Spy using restaurants.

Restaurant I Spy – This worksheet includes pictures of the various restaurant logos, so it’s a great printable to give to your non-readers so they can keep track of which restaurants they’ve seen on their road trip adventure.

Printable Restaurant I Spy – This I Spy is a restaurant-themed I Spy printable. Kids won’t be looking out the window. Instead, they’ll be searching the worksheet for the various styles of eateries.

Road Trip Journal Pages

As you’re traveling across the United States, print up some of these road trip journal pages for your elementary or middle school children. The printable activities will inspire your children to write and journal about their adventures on the road.

Kids Travel Journal – This printable pack includes writing and drawing prompts to help your kids get started. It’s a great addition to an older child’s travel binder.

Travel Journal for Kids – This is a twenty-eight-page printable pack that includes free road trip activities, writing prompts, and fun games to play.

Printable Kids Travel Journal – This printable travel journal includes fun road trip ideas for your kids to complete on the next family outing. They can track the weather, the best and worst parts of the day, and the most interesting thing that happened.

Road Trip Story Starters

Have your kids write a story about the next family road trip. It’s a fabulous way to get kids writing while they’re sitting in the car.

Story Starters for Road Trips – If your kids are having trouble getting started, hand them this printable with story starters. The printable includes a variety of ideas that will inspire your children.

Road Trip Bingo

Are you looking for a fun twist on the classic Bingo game? Then take a look at these Bingo cards! The cards are a great addition to any collection of fun road trip games.

Road Trip Bingo Cards – You’ll find seven variations of this road trip Bingo card so that everyone in your family can have their own card. You’ll search for items such as a rest area, camper, or traffic cone as you travel down the road. There’s even a free space in the middle!

Bingo for Road Trips – This simple Bingo card is perfect for your youngest children. It’s not large and is full of fun things to find as the kids look out the window.

Road Trip Bingo PDF

Road Trip Bingo for Kids – This travel Bingo game is tons of fun whether you’re in a car or in a hotel. It’s super simple, so even two-year-olds can join in the fun.

Try using your drive time to play car Bingo on your next long road trip. You can look out the car window to see what’s outside or search for specific license plates on cars that you pass.

License Plate Bingo – You’ll find a free downloadable license plate Bingo game. Who will be the first to shout Bingo after filling out their card?

Bingo for Car Trips – This Car Bingo game has kids looking outside the car to discover items on their Bingo cards. Kids will be looking for planes, cows, churches, and more!

License Plate Games

These free road trip printables have children looking for license plates from different states. There are several variations of the games, but they’re a fun activity to help kids pass the time studying cars as they travel.

Printable License Plate Game – This travel activity provides a list of all fifty states for you to keep track of the license plates you see as you travel down the road. It’s a fun travel printable that’s perfect for a long car ride.

License Plate Game – Combine geography with a fun license plate game! Color in the state of each license plate you find on the road. Don’t forget to check the license plates of cars at the different rest stops!

Road Trip License Plate Game – This free printable license plate game gives you an image of the various license plates you may see on a long trip. It’s the perfect printable for younger kids as they will have a picture of the license plate they’re looking for.

Altoids License Plate Game for Road Trips

Another great idea is to use an Altoids box to create a license plate game for your kids to play on a long road trip. Make sure the box is empty before you begin!

DIY Mini License Plate Game – Make your own mini-game for your kids to play while traveling. You’ll find a free printable as well as instructions to help you get started.

Printable Road Trip Word Search Puzzles

More fun activities you can print for a long road trip are some free printable word searches . These are great road trip activities to keep your elementary or middle school kids entertained for several hours.

Word Search Road Trip Puzzle – Hand this puzzle to your children and see how many words related to a road trip they can find in the word search. There are approximately twenty words hiding on this sheet.

Printable Word Search – Your kids will love completing this printable road trip word search. They’ll need to search for words such as rest stop, interstate, and destination.

Road Trip Word Scramble

Do your children enjoy word scrambles? Word scrambles are puzzles where the letters are mixed up and kids need to unscramble the letters to figure out the word. These word scramble printables feature words kids will use on a road trip.

Word Scramble Road Trip Puzzles – Are you looking for a word scramble appropriate for younger and older children? This printable includes two different versions: an easy, printable version for younger children and a regular version for older children.

Word Scramble for Road Trips – Print off this colorful word scramble for your kids to complete on your next road trip. It will eat up a lot of time as the kids work to solve the puzzle.

I Spy Road Trip Bingo

Your kids will adore these fun road trip printables that combine two fun games into one. The goal is to spy items outside the car to complete the Bingo cards.

Printable Road Trip Bingo – Kids of all ages will enjoy playing these printable Bingo cards. They even include images to make it easy for even your youngest children to participate in the game.

Free Road Trip Bingo – Can your children find the images on their cards before a sibling? These fun cards are perfect to keep kids entertained while traveling.

Printable Road Trip Scavenger Hunt

On a regular scavenger hunt, kids take off across the neighborhood searching for items on the list. These hunts are created for kids who are stuck in a car for several hours.

Scavenger Hunts for Kids – This list will guarantee good behavior as the kids look out the window in the hope of finding every item on the list. You’ll find two lists available: one for younger children and one for older kids.

Printable Scavenger Hunt – Print and laminate this free printable. Your kids will enjoy crossing off the items they find on the sheet as you travel.

Printable Road Trip Activity Book

Instead of free printable travel games to stave off boredom, try some printable activity books. The books will help your children with their fine motor skills while helping to pass away the time while traveling.

Busy Book for Toddlers – This interactive book for toddlers will keep your kids quietly busy no matter where you are. They’ll have a blast matching the colors, shapes, or animals o your next road trip.

Road Trip Tic Tac Toe

If you’re looking for printable travel games for kids, then don’t miss playing road trip tic tac toe! It’s a great game for a long drive with children bouncing in the back seat.

Tic Tac Toe Printable – Download and print several copies of this printable tic tac toe game. You might want to put the printable into a page protector and use dry erase markers to play.

On the Go Tic Tac Toe – Consider laminating this fun game card to help it last the entire road trip. And think about using snacks instead of markers to play tic tac toe.

Printable Tic Tac Toe – Your kids will love this colorful tic tac toe card! It’s a great way to keep your kids occupied while you travel.

Fun Summer Printables for Car Rides

Summer Fun Worksheets – What could be better than some fun summer worksheets to keep your kids entertained? You’ll find a nice selection of sheets, including a word search, I Spy, and a coloring page.

Alphabet Road Trip I Spy

Try an alphabet game on your next road trip. These games have kids looking to find objects that begin with every letter in the alphabet.

Road Trip Alphabet I Spy – Find an item, or two, or four to fill out each letter of the alphabet! This is a fabulous alphabet game to play with your kids.

Awesome Alphabet I Spy – Can you complete the alphabet by finding an item that begins with each letter of the alphabet? You can play the game individually or as a family while traveling.

Printable Travel Games

Everyone will adore having these printable travel games to complete while stuck in a car for hours on end. You can print them up, hole punch the sheets, and put them into a travel binder.

Printable Roads for Kids – Kids will love running their cars over these roads as they travel around the country. This road trip printable will help to also keep your kids quiet in restaurants.

Road Trip Printables

Road Trip Packet – This packet of printables includes a road trip maze, word search, and a travel bucket list, among other fantastic worksheets.

Printable Games to Play on Road Trips

Fun Games to Play in the Car – What’s better than conversation starters while you’re riding along in the car? One person can start the conversation while the next person answers the questions.

DIY Traveling Activity Idea

Sometimes it’s nice to put together a travel activity that’s a little more involved than a simple printable. These DIY activities are easy to make and will give your children something different to do while traveling.

DIY Travel Activity Kit – Turn a coupon file into a fun game that you can pull out when your kids get bored. If you don’t have a coupon file, you should be able to find one at the dollar store.

Catch a Spider Traveling Activity – This is another fun Altoid tin game you can print and put together for your children. They will need to attempt to catch the right number of spiders. Not only does the game improve your children’s fine motor skills, but it also uses simple math.

Find it On the Road Trip Printables

These find-it-on-the-road printables have kids search cars you pass for specific car colors. It’s a fun way to pass the time at no extra cost!

Car Color Search – Have your children search cars you pass for specific colors. Make sure they check all the cars at the gas stations as well as those on the freeway. They’ll be able to discover each state’s favorite car color!

Rainbow Car Find – Can you find cars in every shade of the rainbow? Print off this fun worksheet and find out.

Do A Dot Travel Printables

Dot marker printables are fun at home. They’re also a great way to keep kids quiet while traveling. You can hand your children a pack of stickers to paste on each dot. Another option is to bring along dot pens in several different colors.

Printable Travel Sheets for Mini Do a Dot – These do-a-dot sheets include images of airplanes, cars, suitcases, and traffic lights, making them fun to complete on a road trip.

Do a Dot Printables for the Car – Hand your child a car do-a-dot printable to complete in the car. Your kids will love having a fun project to complete while traveling.

Summer Do a Dot – If you’re traveling on summer vacation, your kids will be fascinated by these summer do-a-dot printables that feature summer objects.

Drawing Prompts for Road Trips

While writing a story may be fun on a road trip, sometimes kids are in the mood to draw instead of write. These drawing prompts will give your children a few ideas to get them started.

Road Trip Drawing Prompts – These drawing prompts have kids imagine what may be in the various vehicles that they pass. They’ll draw what’s in a truck or where the road goes.

Road Signs Bingo Game

Bingo Game Road Signs – How many road signs will you see on your vacation? Find out with this fun Bingo game featuring road signs that you may pass as you drive.

Printable Road Sign Bingo Game – Your kids will adore playing this road sign Bingo game that’s easy enough for even your preschool children to enjoy.

Games for the Road: Road Sign Bingo – Every passenger will have a different Bingo card as you search for signs. Who will complete their Bingo first?

Road Trip Kindness Activities

It’s easy to think of just our family’s good time while on vacation. But a road trip is also a great time to think about spreading a bit of love and joy as you travel.

Packable Project for Road Trip Kindness – You’ll find fun ideas on how to include small bits of kindness into your travel plans. There are even some printables to download and print to make things easy!

Kindness Activities – Take advantage of these sweet ideas on how to spread some kindness around the country as you drive.

Road Trip Planning Checklist

You’ll find a wonderful selection of travel planning printables below. These printables include a couple of planning checklists and a list of essential items you should remember to take.

Planning Checklist – Have your children help you get ready to travel. These planning checklists were designed so your kids can do some of the packing by themselves.

Checklist for Trips

Road Trip Essentials + Checklist – Are you worried you may forget something? This essential checklist will make sure you haven’t forgotten anything important that you’ll miss when you’re several hundred miles away from home.

Road Trip Packing List

Packing List for Road Trips – This packing list makes sure you know exactly what you need when you’re traveling with kids, such as snacks, technology, or Mad Libs.

How to Make a Road Trip Binder

To make a road trip binder, you’ll want to grab a sturdy three-ring binder so it will hold up to heavy use. Then include some pencil cases with markers, crayons, or pencils. You might prefer to use page protectors and dry erase markers so that your kids can wipe off the sheets each night and have fresh printables to complete in the morning.

Then print up all the printables you believe your children will enjoy, three-hole punch them, and place them in the binder. If you’d like to be super organized, use dividers to keep the pages organized by type of activity.

Road Trip Binder With Printables – You’ll find simple instructions and more printables to include in your road trip binder.

Printables to Add to Road Trip Binder

These are fun printables to include in a road trip binder for any age. You’ll be able to print off coloring pages, a crossword puzzle, or a connect-the-dots printable.

• Connect the Dots Printable
• Printable Memory Game
• Free Printable Mazes for Kids
• Cute Coloring Pages
• Printable Bingo Cards Free
• Follow Directions Worksheet
• Printable Crossword Puzzles

Other Ideas for a Fun Car Ride

Printables aren’t the only option when you’re driving with your kids. You can also play some fun games that don’t require any preparation other than knowledge of the rules and the ability to talk.

Two Truths and a Lie

This game requires that one person tell everyone else two truths and one lie about themselves. The two truths might be: I am a girl. I wear glasses. I am from Mars. Then everyone has to guess which statements are the truth and which statement is the lie.

Play Would You Rather

The idea behind this game is that one person asks a “Would you rather… option A or option B” type question. Then the other people in the car must answer which option they would prefer. It’s a fun way to get a conversation going as people debate the merits of one option over another.

Here are some fabulous would you rather questions for teens to get you started.

In Conclusion

While you may be spending hours traveling around the country in a car this summer, there’s no reason for your kids to be playing on electronic devices the entire time. Create a travel binder for each child filled with some fun printable games for your children and family to play in the car.

Sara Dennis

Sara Dennis is a veteran homeschool mom of six who’s still homeschooling her two youngest kids after the older four have graduated, entered college, and moved on to adult life. She blogs at Classically Homeschooling .

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Summer Road Trip - Real Life Math Project Based Learning PBL

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Description

Your students will use their knowledge of ratios, rates, proportions, and percents to help plan a summer road trip for Debbie. The project is broken up into the following tasks:

*Click HERE TO SAVE OVER 30% on the Real Life Math Projects

Task #1 : Calculate Total Miles Traveled

Math Skill Required: Scale Factors

Description: Students will use a map with a scale factor and a ruler to determine the total miles of the trip.

Task #2: Choose Car Rental

Math Skill Required: Unit rates and percentage discounts.

Description: Students will be given options for a car rental and need to calculate the cheapest option including what will be spent on gasoline. They will be given rates per day, as well as miles per gallon for each vehicle.

Task #3: Snack Shopping

Math Skill Required : Unit Rates

Description: Students will find unit rates to decide which snacks to purchase for the road trip.

Task #4: Hotel Costs

Math Skill Required: Sales tax and discounts.

Description: Students will figure out the cost for the hotel stays based on rates per night, sales tax and fees, and percent discounts.

Task #5: City Attractions

Math Skill Required: Proportions

Description: Students will set up proportions to solve problems about the attractions that Debbie will be visiting.

Task #6: Miscellaneous Expenses

Math Skill Required: Markups and Discounts

Description: As Debbie shops for last minute trip items, the students will help her calculate costs that involve markups and discounts.

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