It is easy to get restless and irratable when you are stuck in a car or on a plane for long hours. The way to survive this is to have carefully chosen activities to keep your hands, bodies, and minds busy. The trouble is that there are so many options.

You have to pack things that are small so you can fit more and not be weighted down by a million toys.

You have to consider what your child’s interests are and what keeps them occupied the longest.

You have to come up with new things so they are fresh and exciting…

Is it just me or did some of the fun of trip planning just fly out the window? Hang in there. Help is on its way.

One of my kids is a huge fine motor person. They love puzzles and drawing and tinker toys. When we travel, I pack things that will keep his hands busy.

For the fine motor fans though, this is your list! Pick a few and give them a try on your next road trip or flight.

affiliate links are included. thanks for your support.

Top 10 Fine Motor Ideas for Travel

1. Cross Stitch

We got this adorable book to review and we are IN LOVE. On our trip to Wisconsin earlier this month this kept my fidgety children happy for most of the flight. All you need is the Stichables book, some lightweight yarn, needles, and small scissors (note: needs to be under 4 inches to carry onto plane) for hours of fun!

2. Nesting Materials

There are plenty of variations on this material – the most simple and compact that we have used is a colorful set of curlers that our Minnesota pen pals sent us. I continue to be amazed with how many different ways my kids have used this basic material. We have colorful ones like these.

3. DIY Toddler Buckle Toy

This gorgeous busy bag is from Swoodson Says. This is such a fun way to keep little toddler hands busy and teach them important self-help skills at the same time. Find the directions here.

Also Read: 7 Tips for Surviving Lines at Disney with Little Kids

4. No Sew Button Snake

My kids loved this when they were toddlers. It’s another example of working on fine motor and self help skills. These are super simple to put together too. Twitchetts has great instructions!

5. Wikki Sticks

These things are awesome. These colorful little sticks can be bent and stuck together to form pretty much whatever you can imagine, but then they can also be re-straighted and made into something else. We love these for planes and restaurants. You can find a set here.

6. Map Drawing Activity

Maps and travel go perfectly together and this is such a fun way to get kids interacting with maps. You can learn more at Little Bins for Little Hands but I will be printing off a map for our next Road Trip and making one of these kits for sure!

7. DIY Foam Lacing Cards

My mind was kind of blown when I saw this post on Powerful Mothering. My kids loved lacing cards when they were toddlers and preschoolers but it never crossed my mind to make my own. Check out her brilliantly simple directions and then start investing in foam.

8. LEGO travel kit

If your kid likes to build and play with their hands, then one of these is a must. They make transporting Legos easy and give you a spot to build when you don’t have a table or floor. You can find a few different colors here.

9. Mini-Paper Airplanes Guide

Compact and simple, but a complete how-to guide for paper airplanes. Throw this little book and the short list of supplies into a bag and you have an easy activity to take anywhere. The directions are straightforward enough for a beginner, but there is enough variety to engage a more seasoned paper airplane maker as well. We enjoyed that they include a rating for each airplane’s speed, airtime, distance, acrobatics, and uniqueness. It was fun to test them all and see how they compared for us. Obviously your child can’t use this on a plane or in the car, but it is great for stops. We had our kids make a plane or two right before a stop and then when we had space to run they could test them out. This encouraged running around which was a great way to let off some steam. FIND ONLINE

Also Read: QUALITY, ENGAGING, AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY BOOKS TO BRING ON FAMILY TRIPS

10. Paint with Water

For anyone nervous about handing their kids markers or crayons on a plane or in the car, this is a fun alternative. My kids love, love, loved these ones from Melissa and Doug when they were toddlers.

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Did you know that A. A. Milne’s infamously inspiring wood is actually 500 acres? The 100 acre wood is based on the 500 acre Ashdown Forest in East Sussex.

affiliate links are included below.

Beforehand

The Ashdown Forest is a pretty place for a ramble, but knowing the stories of Winnie the Pooh definitely makes it more magical. Before you hike, really familiarize yourself with the Adventures of Pooh. If you’re doing it with this hike in mind, you might want to really talk about the different spots in the woods or with older kids, make a map together of how you envision the woods.

Read about Pooh’s Adventures
The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie the Pooh
Buy Online

or Listen to the Audiobook
The Collected Stories of Winnie the Pooh
Buy Online

Watch Winnie the Pooh.
Available on Amazon

Hike in Ashdown Forest

Ashdown Forest
Wych Cross
Forest Row RH18 5JP
United Kingdom

• Brochure with More Info about the spots that inspired Pooh stories.
• Mapped Walks with more info.

You have to use your imagine to see the woods through his eyes, but what a gorgeous spot to hike and pretend.

The brochure included about has spots or places around the loop trail that inspired some of the stories in the Winnie the Pooh adventures. You can see: the river where Pooh saved Piglet, Eeyore’s gloomy spot, the Hefflelump forest and tree trap and more.

None of these are labeled in the forest, you need to either print the map or have it pulled up on your phone. I always think it is best to warn your kids that this isn’t like a Disneyland view of Pooh. This is the real place that Milne hiked and they have to be prepared to use their imagination like he did.

Afterwards

Pooh Corner. Sussex.

After your hike, if you have time you can also visit Pooh Corner. This is a small spot at the edge of Ashdown where there is a little museum and you can pop in for tea.

More about Pooh Corner

Home Activity Ideas

Back at home, if your kids are excited about the hike and all things Pooh they might enjoy:

• Re-read some favorite stories or watch Winnie the Pooh again. You can take it one step further by encouraging your kids to act out their favorite story with Pooh Character Puppets like these ones.
• Write your own Pooh story. Older kids who love to write (or homeschoolers who want to add a little writing to your adventure) could write their own story about a spot in the forest.
• Matching Game. Kids under 5 would love this adorable matching game inspired by the characters and stories of Winnie the Pooh. Find Online
• Make Winnie Pooh Honey Snacks together. You can use this easy recipe.

You May Also Like:
Great Britain Literature Inspired Unit
(has lots of bookish adventure ideas!)

Tucked into the lower level of the Casa de Balboa Building on the Prado in Balboa Park is the San Diego Model Railroad Museum. Don’t let the basement entrance fool you, at 27,000 sq. ft., it is the largest such indoor model train exhibit in North America, and one of the largest in the world.

Trains have been an interest in our house for a long time. My son fell in love with Thomas the Tank engine when he was about two and from there he dove into all things trains. By 3 he could tell you not just the name and type of every engine on the island of Sodor, but also everything from how a diesel engine worked to how fast a bullet train could fly down it’s rails. Whether you have a Thomas the Tank engine fan or a grandparent with a lifelong love of model trains or someone somewhere in between, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum has something for everyone.

Also Read: In Depth Look at Balboa Park for Families

San Diego Model Railroad Museum

If you have a train fan in your family, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is not to be missed. It is wonderful for all ages – from toddlers all the way through grandparents. All train enthusiasts are welcome.

Basic Information:

San Diego Model Railroad Museum
1649 El Prado
San Diego, CA 92101

Check the website for current hours and pricing. Right now (Summer 2021) they are only open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays 11am – 4pm. Note: there is a military discount and the SD Model Railroad Museum is included if you have the Balboa Explorer Pass.

Website: https://www.sdmrm.org/

Tips for Visiting with Kids

• Come early. Like all things, it is less crowded the earlier you go. There was a small line when we arrived shortly before opening but once inside, even on a summer day, it didn’t feel overly crowded.
• If you have kids over about 7 years old, I highly recommend the scavenger hunt. You can pick it up just inside the entrance, after you’ve paid. There is a little stand in front of the end of the first exhibit when printed scavenger hunts. It helped my kids slow down and really look at all the incredibly detailed miniature worlds.
• Bathrooms are located outside the entrance, down the hall from the Model Railroad Museum. I had my kids try before we entered.
• If you’re there with smaller kids who don’t have the attention span to check out every single inch of the museum, make sure you don’t miss the outside area with the tram and the toy train room. Both are at the back of the museum.
• In the toy train room Thomas runs around the bottom of one of the exhibits. He’s the perfect height for tots and there’s a button you can take turns pushing to make him go.
• The whole museum is very kid friendly with interactive elements and steps for kids to get up higher for a better view.

Trains of all sizes. Fantastic details in the scenes around them. Interactive elements. Enthusiastic employees and volunteers. It is a really fun place to visit.

Terrific Train Ideas for Kids Who Love Trains

When my son was a preschooler he could not get enough of trains. We read all the train books. We rode all the nearby trains. He toddled around in his Thomas the Tank Engine boots and train engineer hat everywhere we went. If you have a kid in this phase, then a visit to the San Diego Model Railroad Museum is perfect, but what about when you get home? Here are some of our favorite ways to extend train play and learning after a fun field trip like visiting SDMRM.

Ideas from San Diego Model Railroad Museum

1. The San Diego Model Railroad Museum has a special page on their website for kids. It has storytime videos you can watch, coloring pages to print and more.
2. Thomas Fans! There is also a Thomas Page on their website that allows you to explore the Island of Sodor and More.

Literacy Activities

3. Read books about trains. This Ultimate List of Picture Books about Trains from My Storytime Corner is a great place to start.

4. Alphabet Train from Teach Beside Me

5. Freight Train Name Craft from Clare’s Little Tots

6. DIY Foam Train for Easy Bathtime Fun and Learning from Bambini Travel (also works with numbers!)

Math Activities

7. Train Carriage Counting Game from Rainy Day Mum

8. Transportation I Spy and Graph Printable from School Time Snippets

9. Chocolate Train Cookies from Inspiration Laboratories

10. Geometric Shapes Train from Mama Smiles

11. Train Track Card Game for Preschoolers from Preschool Powol Packets

Science, Technology and Engineering Activities

12. Transportation Playdough Mat from The Moments at Home

13. Transportation Sand and Water Play from My Bored Toddler

14. Fingerprint Train Ornament for Kids from The Educators’ Spin On It

Art & Fine Motor Activities

15. Freight Train Drawing Prompts from My Storytime Corner

16. Painting with Trains on Canvas by Play Trains

17. Build a Train from School Time Snippets

18. Train-Themed Unwrapping by Craftulate

19. Transportation Connect the Dots by Craftulate

Movement Activities

20. Easy DIY Paper Train Table for Kids from Toddler Approved

21. Polar Express Storytime with Yoga Routine from My Storytime Corner

You May Also Like:
50+ Kid Friendly Things to do in San Diego

Lace up those shoes, put on some sunscreen, or zip up your coat. We are heading outside on a walk today.

My kids love being outside. It is their happy place. Mine too.

When I first started staying at home with them when they were just crawling and I wasn’t really sure how to fill our days I started with walks. First this was me pushing them in a stroller.

But soon they weren’t happy being suck in the stroller and we begging to get out.

That’s when we started really taking walks.

Little walks.

But there are only so many times I could follow them up and down the block as they toddled and stopped and started. The teacher in me…maybe the organized OCD tending person in me, needed a plan. A focus.

That’s where our themed walks were born. It gave us a focus. An objective. Soon we were walking outside to look more closely at everything from puddles and bugs to fire hydrants and bridges.

That’s when our little walks started feeling more like big adventures.

Often these walks were inspired by children’s books. The only thing we do as much as explore outside is read books and they are often the best inspiration for all kinds of other things.

Below are 12 fun children’s book inspired adventures. Simple. Quick (often). Toddler friendly (and up). Easy ideas to inspire learning and break up your day. Happy walking!

affiliate links are included before.

13 Children’s Book Inspired Walks

Each walk below was inspired by a children’s book (or in some cases several or a whole stack). Find one that sounds fun to you or that follows a current interest in your house, click and off you go!

1. Toad Weather and Rainy Day Walks

TOAD WEATHER by Sandra Markle is all about seeing the adventure in a rainy day. The book is about a specific adventure in a particular city in Pennsylvania, but it embraces heading out to enjoy a rainy day and looking for the beauty and adventure in the wet weather. Read the story together (you can get a copy here) and then head outside for your own Rainy Day Walk.

2. Spinning Spider Webs and a Spider Web Hunt

This book will get your kids excited about spiders and is the perfect launch for a spider web hunt. You can go on a quick hunt in the backyard or go further to a park or garden. READ MORE

3. Pond Walk by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace Inspired Pond Walk

This was a favorite of ours when we lived in Mississippi. This darling book is practically a road map for talking your own pond walk. Grab a net and magnifying glass and head outside. READ MORE

4. The Tiptoe Guide to Tracking Fairies and a Fairy Hunt

Oh how I loved the fairy phase. You know how your kids’ hobbies and interest change and how sometimes you adore these phases and sometimes you’re a little less thrilled – this was one of my favorites. Our house felt so full of magic and imagination and this was a walk we did again and again. READ MORE

5. I’m Brave by Kate & Jim McMullan and Fire Station Walk

Fire trucks are endlessly fascinating to kids at this age and there are a whole bunch of firefighter and firetruck books that you could use as a launching point for this walk (and unit if you’re extra inspired!) READ MORE

6. Gruffalo Hunting

We adore this book. It’s a truly fantastic read aloud – but it’s also inspiration for a daring adventure outside. I love how Rainy Day Mum brought this book to life with her kids. READ MORE

7. Counting Books and a Counting Walk

This is probably the most simple and educational and most pinned walk idea that I did with my toddlers. It takes almost nothing to set up and yet my kids got so much early math skill building from our counting walks. READ MORE

8. Soup Day + Grocery Story Field Trip

This is another example of a book that pretty much lays out a field trip for you. In the story a little girl and her mom go to the store, buy ingredients, and then make soup. The recipe is included in the back of the book. I did this with my twins when they were about 3 years old and highly recommend it for a chilly day when getting out of the house and warm soup is exactly what’s called for. GET THE BOOK

9. I Read Signs by Tana Hoban Inspired Walk

When kids are just beginning to show an interesting in reading the things they often “read” first are signs like STOP that they see everywhere they go. This book by Tana Hoban encourages that early reading and can inspire you to search for your own environmental print. READ MORE

10. Four Senses Walk

Don’t want to just listen on a walk – let’s walk and explore more senses. I love this book by Aliki but any Five Senses book works as inspiration for this walk. Read about your senses and then head outside with one of these Scavenger Hunts that encourages kids to touch, smell, listen, and look all around their world. GET THE SCAVENGER HUNTS

11. Welcome to the Neighborwood Book Walk

If you have a little woods (or big one) nearby then this is the book for you. The textured and pop-up illustrations build excitement about the outdoors that makes you want to go see it for yourself. This post has a free printable and encourages kids to think about who lives in their woods. READ MORE

12. Flashlight Walk

I love doing flashlight walks right after daylight savings time makes our evenings darker. It’s my way of putting a positive spin on something I otherwise despise. It’s fun regardless, but I recommend this gorgeous Flashlight book so highly. Then grab some flashlights and head outside. READ MORE

13. The Listening Walk

Read Listen by Gabi Snyder and The Listening Walk by Paul Showers ad illustrated by Aliki. Both are beautiful and are a natural starting point for your own Listening Walk. READ MORE

Get 52 More
Little Walk Ideas Here

PS. Here’s one more. Finding Round in Nature – a book inspired walk idea for toddlers and preschoolers.

Oh Spring. You know that time of year right?

It rains more than it snows. You can almost stand to play outside without losing feeling in your fingers or having your kids dissolve into tears.

Well, several years ago out of this almost Spring time of year was born the Puddle Walk.

What started as a desperate attempt by an exhausted mom to survive early Spring with high energy two year old twins has turned into one of our favorite Springtime traditions.

After a rainfall, or sometimes during, we go in search of puddles. On the best days we find huge ones that we can jump and splash in.

As spring wears on, our interest in puddles never seems to wane. Rather than fighting their desire to play in the muddy water, I embraced it with a few easy steps.

affiliate links are included below

Before you head out or after, you might read Let’s Go Puddling! by Emma Perry

This book is full of joy. I love the watery feel of the illustrations. They are a perfect reflection of the puddles and joy. The text is joyful and snappy. I said joy three times now, but that is truly what you feel when you read this. Childlike joy. It’s a delight. Find Online

Top 5 Puddle Walk Tips

1. Wear proper foot attire.

Good rain boots are key. Snow boots work in a pinch, but are not nearly as water proof as rain boots.

The year I finally invested in rainboots for myself was life changing. Being able to join in on the splashing fun makes it more enjoyable for me and my kids.

2. Dress appropriately for the weather.

Spring in our neck of the woods can mean a variety of things. One day it is 60F and sunny, another day it is 20F and cloudy.

Wear comfortable layers that will keep you warm. Warmer days are always more fun for this activity, but if you are dressed for it – even a cooler day can be a blast.

3. Be prepared to get wet.

I always make sure the boot tray and towels are by the door before we leave. You will get wet and muddy. When you get back, remove wet clothing, dry off, and find warm things to wear.

4. Follow your child’s lead.

Following your child’s lead is one of my top tips for little walks of any kind.

You might have an awesome puddle right in front of your house. Maybe they spend a half an hour stomping in that and then they are done.

Some days we wander further to find new puddles, some days we don’t. Remember why you are doing this in the first place – to get your wiggle worms some much needed fresh air and movement time.

5. Learn a Little Something

If they don’t bring it up – ask a few questions. “Where do you think the puddle came from?” “Do you think it will still be here tomorrow?”

No right or wrong answers, just get them thinking.

Read Also: 12 Children’s Book Inspired Walk Ideas

Pretty simple, right? Some of the best things in life truly are just that simple.

Looking for more easy Toddler adventures?

For more walk ideas and other toddler friendly outings for the entire year, check out my book Little Walks Big Adventures!

Your tickets are bought, your hotel is reserved, your suitcases are packed and now you are ready to fly off on a family vacation.

How are you feeling? Are you giddy? Anxious? Worried? Terrified?

I love flying. I may be nuts. Granted too small seats, inconvenient flight times, ridiculously priced prices, and refusal to serve meals on most flights has led us to drive more in the past few years, but I do love flying.

I was a little nervous the first time we took our kids on a plane. They were two months old and since they slept the entire time I am positive that the overstuffed bags we carried on were overkill. When our twins were preschoolers and early elementary schoolers they required a bit more effort to entertain, but they were, are still today, wonderful fliers.

Tip #1: Practice makes perfect.

This does not mean that we never have problems though. Our twins are active kids. Sitting still is not their forte and plane travel often involves a lot of patience and waiting.

So how do we do it? How do we travel successfully with super active twins?

updated from original post from November 2013 & affiliate links are included

How to Fly with Active Kids

Start getting your kids ready you even get to the airport.

Tip #2: Beforehand read and chat about what to expect.

We read a lot of books about airplanes (these are my favorite picture books about planes) and airports before their first plane ride. We used these as a starting point for a dialogue about our upcoming trip. This helps to get them excited and talk a little about what to expect.

read also: Activities for Road Tripping with 3-5 Year Olds

Tip #3: Things to Talk About

• Rules for the plane. Such as: You must have your seat belt buckled at all times
• Things that might make them nervous such as the loud noise of the plane or being separated from their teddy while it goes through security.
• Where you are going AND when you are coming back.

Tip #4: Where to Pack Activities

For the actual plane trip we pack a bag full of things for each kiddo. When they were younger we carried one bigger backpack with everything they needed. Starting around the age of 3, our twins started to each carry a backpack with most of these things and we each have a few backup games or toys in our carry ons.

Tip #5: Toys + Activities to Pack

• New Small Toys (some ideas; cars, planes, trains, little people, lacing cards) 
• Fine Motor Activities (these are our favorites)
• Rattles & Chew Toys (for infants) 
• New Books (Board Books for little ones, paperbacks for older kids)
• Stickers, paper or a small notebook
• Playdough or putty
• Triangular Crayons (don’t roll away) 
• DVD player and DVDs or Kindle Fire for Kids
• Child Sized Headphones

Read Also: Quality, Engaging, and Creative Activity Books to Bring on Family Trips

Tip #6: Also Pack for Contingencies

• Snacks (Prepped in little baggies) 
• Water Bottles (Empty. Fill it at the airport) 
• Diapers (if needed) 
• Lots of Wipes (regardless of age) 
• Gallon Sized Ziplock Bag (Handy in a million ways)
• Change of Clothes (For everyone. Extra if you are toilet training) 
• Nuk, Chew Toys, Chewy snacks or candy for take off

When we get to the airport we talk a lot about the different things we see and what we had read about in the books.

Tip #7: Prep Your Child As You Go

Talk to your child calmly and remind them before each major event (ie. Security, Boarding, Trays needing to be Raised, etc).

Tip #8: Have Electronics Prepped

Getting through security is one of the most stressful parts about flying with kids. We have found that having all of our electronics together is helpful. One of us is in charge of electronics, the other is in charge of getting the kids and their bags through security.

Tip #9: Get Out Some Energy

Find somewhere to let out some energy before you board. Don’t expect your little active child to sit still and wait for the plane and then sit still on the plane. It’s too much and they will meltdown.

Tip #10: What to Do While You Wait

• Our favorite airports have playgrounds but most have at least somewhere to move around a little. Try to research this ahead of time and check how long your layover is – if relevant.
• Play some movement games. Our favorite right now is timing each other to see who can balance on one foot the longest. Simple, but fun. Here are some more of our favorite waiting games.
• Take a walk to a far away water fountain or bathroom together.

Tip #11: Pre-Boarding Bathroom Break

A bathroom try immediately before we board or a fresh diaper is a must. Once you get on the plane it is not always predictable how soon your little kids will get to use the bathroom. A fresh diaper or a recent toileting try gives you the best chance for avoiding a bathroom related disaster.

Read also: 3 Simple Steps to Reset when travel goes wrong

Tip #12 Choosing Your Seat

When deciding where on the plane to sit, I actually prefer to be closer to the bathroom when flying with kids. This is especially true when you have a newly potty trained kid, but in general getting up to go to the bathroom is the best excuse to move around and my kids quickly caught on. When we are sitting closer to the bathroom this is less disruptive.

Tip #13: Seat Belts are a Must

We put on seat belts first and our rule is that they have to stay on. (Obviously when they need to use the bathroom, they can get up) This rule avoids having children climbing all over the seats and is a bit of physical reminder to be still for active kids.

Tip #14: Divide and Conquer

It’s not always possible, but when we can we each take one of the kids and sit near but not together. Our kids are obsessed with fairness, so we make sure one gets Mom on the way there and the other gets Mom on the way back. If we have a layover then we switch halfway both directions.

Tip #15: Fight Ear Pressure at Take Off

For take off and landing – when our children were babies nursing or bottles helped them. Now our twins drink water or eat a chewy snack.

Tip #16: Save Some Surprises

• For toddlers, we carried most of the snacks and new toys and books in our carry on. A second set of new toys, movies, and books was packed in our suitcase and kept hidden away until the flight home.
• Always wait until toys/snacks are needed before bringing them out one at a time. For our son, this moment didn’t come until the flight home. He spent the whole first flight playing with the Thomas trains in his backpack. Our daughter steadily worked her way through the items on each flight.

Tip #17: Focus on Your Kiddo

This may seem obvious, but being focused on your kid and giving that one on one attention will keep them happier longer. As your kids get older they will entertain themselves longer on their own, but the younger they are the more you should go into the flight mentally prepared to play with them / entertain them.

Nowadays, my twins are in middle school and I’m back to reading a book or watching a movie. You’ll get there too, but probably not this flight.

Tip #18: Pack a Variety of Activities

Try more active and imaginative toys that can be used on the tray. Cars and trains, little people to pretend with, or putty and playdo to squish are more entertaining and active than writing or coloring.

Tip #19: Ask for a Lid

When you get drinks for your kid from the flight attendant make sure to either ask for a lid on the cup or pour the drink into the water bottle / sippy cup that you brought along.

Tip #20: When You Dis-Embark Find a Place to Move

Try to find a way for your kids to move around a little after the flight. Let them play a movement game with you in a corner while the other adult waits for the luggage. Just get your wiggles out a little together. Jump, wiggle, twist, shake around a little while you wait for your luggage or taxi. If possible, also let them use a pool or go to the playground as soon as you arrive at your destination.

Happy Travels.

Find More Family Travel Tips Here

The stars and moon and planets of our solar system have long fascinated people of all ages. When NASA launched 60 years ago it was a vision, a dream. The reality of space exploration has far exceeded our expectations in so many ways.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NASA’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY

I am honestly not sure where my kids caught the space bug, but I noticed that their play started involving rockets blasting off to space. Over the course of the next few weeks, we delved into the planets, astronauts, the moon, the international space station and more.

Whether your kids are fantasizing about becoming astronauts or curious about the hubbub surround NASA’s anniversary, this is a fun collection of ideas to delve into outer space with preschoolers.

affiliate links are included below. 

Preschool Outer Space Unit Ideas

Field Trip Ideas

1. Planetarium
2. Science Museum : Here’s an example of a Museum trip from Something 2 Offer.
3. Backyard Moon or Star Watching : These tips on How to Spot Meteors from Frog Mom could help!

Outer Space Children’s Book List

There are so many amazing books for kids to absorb about outer space and astronauts. A few of our absolute favorites are below, but for the full list read BEST CHILDREN’S BOOKS ABOUT ASTRONAUTS & OUTER SPACE.

Mousetronaut Goes to Mars by Astronaut Mark Kelly
Order Online

This adorable book follows the adventures of a mouse astronaut, Meteor. He is determined to be apart of the first human misson to Mars. Children will be rooting along for this little mouse hero. 3+

The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System
by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen
Order Online

A classic Magic School Bus book. Venture into the space with the most adventurous classroom and most famous science teacher in children’s books. 3+

Moonshot : The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
Order Online

We are a huge fan of Brian Floca and this book is no exception. Stunning illustrations, fascinating information, and amazing retelling of the story of Apollo 11 for the next generation. 4+

A Trip into Space
by Lori Haskins Houran
Order Online

Good first looks at the International Space Station for preschoolers where astronauts live, work, and walk. 3+

Outer Space Learning Activity Ideas

Planets, Planets from Album I Know You’ll Grow.. by Music with Nancy
music/arts

We love Nancy Kopman’s music and I credit her Planets, Planets song to my twins learning the names of all of the planets. My daughter sang this song non-stop for almost a month. You can find the CD on Amazon.

Ball Solar System
science

My dad did this activity with my kids (I come by this teacher thing naturally). He gathered a bunch of balls of different sizes – soccer balls, baseball, tennis ball, etc. They used the balls to create a solar system on the dining room table. Then they took turns orbiting the balls (planets) around the table.

International Space Station
science and creativity

My kids are fascinated by astronauts and the idea of the international space station. We read a couple books about the ISS but then I found a Tour of ISS on UTube. There are a few so look around. My twins loved learning about how the astronauts bounce around without gravity and about the different living spaces in the station. After they watched it, they drew their own version of the space station (photo above).

Next they pretended their tent was a Space Station and a big yellow beach ball was a meteorite. This pretend play was very dramatic and exciting. Later they pretended that our whole house was a space station and their shoes were gravity boots. Much imagination and pretending happened for days.

Gravity Experiments
science

Gravity is a tricky concept for preschoolers to understand. It involves something they can’t really seem making it abstract and difficult to explain. We worked on the concept a little by doing a simple gravity experiment. One person stood at the top of the stairs and dropped two objects at the same time. The other people stood at the bottom and watched to see which item feel the fastest. We talked about this and made some guesses about why some things fell faster than others.

Outerspace Little Passports Unit
math and literacy

Our Little Passports subscription for this month just happened to match our interest which was a huge bonus. If you’re curious about Little Passports you can learn more here. We used their activities throughout our unit, usually during group time, and especially loved the outer space themed stamps. We used them to make pictures, create patterns, and tell stories.

Quiet Time Literacy Activity
literacy

I like to create at least one quiet time activity for each unit or interest. I put this on their shelf to practice making words and recognizing lowercase letters. The tray is from the Melissa and Doug magnetic letters. The right side has magnetic letters and the right side has cards with space themed words written down.

Into Space Quiet Time Activities
math and literacy

I made this set of printables for my kids to work on during Quiet Time. The pack includes a mini-book about a trip to the space station, patterning cards, and a drawing prompt. You can download it for FREE on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Outerspace Puppet Show
literacy and arts

My parents took my twins to see a puppet show at the Art Museum during the time we were learning about space and it inspired this idea. They worked on a space themed puppet show together based on the book Moonshot by Brian Floca (see list above). They created astronaut, rocket, and lunar module puppets, created a story, and rehearsed. Then they put the puppet show on for me and various stuffed pals. It was a great way to celebrate and conclude their project.

More Activity Ideas

• Galaxy Art Science from Preschool Powol Packets
• Stargazing Apps from iGame Mom
• Solar System Unit Study from Look We’re Learning
• Astronaut Ten Frame Matching Game from The Kindergarten Connection
• Moon Word Search Printable from Tales of Education at Home
• Astronomy for Kids from Planet Smarty Pants
• Space-Themed Salt Tray Activities from The Usual Mayhem
• Night Sky Dot to Dot Printable from Craft Create Calm
• Outerspace Coloring Pages from Sight and Sound Reading
• Outerspace Word Search from The Letters of Literacy

“Are we there yet?” my daughter asks from the backseat.

I look around at the empty, vast nothingness surrounding us unsure of how to answer her question. Of course we’re not there yet. We are nowhere.

“Nope, not yet.” I try to keep the irritation out of my voice. This isn’t the first time she’s asks.

I reach into the travel activity bag on the passenger side of the car feeling around for something interesting for her to do. My hand comes to rest on a tall paperback book that I’m pretty sure is a new activity book I picked out especially for this trip.

“Here sweetie. Why don’t you give this a try. It has tons of animals inside!” I tell her as I pass the book back.

She scrunches up her face at me, but I hear the pages start to flip and the backseat is quiet again.

Road trip mini-victory.

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9+ Best Activity Books for Family Trips

We have used a ton of activity books in the past half decade, but these are the ones that have held the attention of my twins. They are creative, engaging, unique and some of them are even reusable.

1. My First Wild Activity Book

I can’t think of a better activity book for kids who love animals. This one from Silver Dolphin takes you on an adventure through different habitats around the world with fun activities along the way. The first pages welcome your kiddo – an Explorer! – and has you create an “explorer profile” and portrait. The rest of the book is divided into seven different habitats. Each habitat has a fold out look and find page, space to finish a picture, and more.

My kids loved completing these activities and learned a little from the facts in each section along the way. I liked the inclusion of an art activity / craft in each section, but I will say since we used this as a travel activity book, these haven’t been done yet. The rest of it however was easy to do in the car and made for an excellent travel activity book for my kiddos.  ages 4-8

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2. Magic Velvet Activity Books

These books from Melissa and Doug are easy enough for preschoolers to do on their own but still fun for my seven year olds. You can buy ones in a huge variety of themes. ages 3-4+

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Top 10 Fine Motor Activities for Family Travel

3. National Geographic Road Trip Activity Book

If you’re going on a USA road trip with first graders and up I highly recommend this book. It is full of fun activities and interesting information about places around the country. We used this one when we drove from New York City to San Diego. ages 7+

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4. Usborne Activity Books

Usborne has a ton of activity books on a huge range of subjects and we have yet to buy one we don’t love. Our most recent was the SPACE ACTIVITY BOOK which was fascinating and fun. I highly recommend any in this series. ages 4+

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5. the Anti-Coloring Book

These are fun sort of coloring books for kids about second grade and up. They give your kiddo inspiration with a start of a picture, but leave you to fill in the details or story. I loved these as a kid and they are still fun decades later. ages 6+

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6. BIG FOOT Goes on Vacation

There are a couple in this series but this is our favorite. They are essentially WHERE’S WALDO books (also a great recommendation for travel activity book)

What I like about these book though for kids who can read to themselves are that in between the search for Big Foot pages they offer you fun, interesting facts about a topic.

This one has facts about carnivals, cruises, safaris, etc. ages 5+

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7. Melissa and Doug Reusable Stickers

I’m not sure if these count as “activity books” but they have pages and they are definitely an activity. My kids LOVE these and they are reusable which is awesome. You do have to remove the stickers and put them back on their starting page which is a little annoying but worth it to me to be able to reuse them.

The other thing I love about these is that they grow with your kid. My twins loved just sticking the stickers when they were toddlers. When they got to around age 4 they started to make up stories about the pages and stickers.  ages 2+

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8. Mini-Mega Activity Book

These were a huge hit on our cross country moving road trip and they still had more pages left that we finished on the next two flights they took. They have a big variety of activities inside which helps to keep their attention. ages 5+

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9. Don’t Let the Pigeon Finish This Activity Book

This one I don’t love for in the car, BUT I do love it for in the hotel. It has lots of activities that are fun and doable with just scissors, tape, and crayons. Throw this in the suitcase and you barely need anything else for your kids to do. It’s just good silly fun. I used one book for my twins. There are some pages where it would have been nice to have one for each of them, but it’s not necessary and for the most part it is way more fun if you do it all together. ages 3+

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Find All Family Travel Tips Here

Around the time the leaves start turning their brilliant Fall colors is a wonderful time to take toddlers and preschoolers for a Fall Nature Walk. Below are some ideas to get them curious, engaged and excited about Fall and observing the changes it brings.

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Fall Nature Walk

We have this beautiful book, The Nature Connection, that has a section for each month. I started using it as part of our homeschool preschool experience when my twins were about 3. It’s a wonderful resource that can grow with your child and each year you can dive a little deeper into each season.

Related curriculum or projects

• Fall and changing seasons
• Leaves
• Colors

Before the Field Trip

Before you go on your Fall Nature Walk, reading stories about Fall or leaves or whatever you hope to focus on can help get your kids excited. Below are two that I love to share with toddlers before a Fall walk.

Tap the Magic Tree

by Christie Matheson

This one is a favorite in our house. TAP THE MAGIC TREE encourages kids to interact with the pages to help a tree change with the seasons. Perfect for toddlers and up.

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The Busy Little Squirrel

by Nancy Tafuri

This is a great squirrel book for toddlers. The text is brief and repetitive, but also playful and full of animals. This is also a great book for Fall because it is about a squirrel getting ready for Winter.

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After reading these two books, I told my twins that we were going to look for signs of Fall. I asked them for their ideas about what we might find. It can be helpful for developing pre-literacy skills if you write down their ideas as they dictate them to you.

Leaves were on their list, so we brought along bags to collect things.

They also said we might see squirrels gathering things, so I brought binoculars as well so we could look up in the trees for the squirrels.

Note: with younger toddlers it might be best to read just one book and focus on just one thing during your walk.

During the Field Trip

Things to Bring:

*Notebook
*Writing and Drawing Implements
*Bags for Collecting things
*Camera

Things to Do:

*Talk about what they see, hear, feel
*Use the name of the month, “Let’s go for a September walk” or “what do you notice about September?”
*What is the weather like?
*Take pictures and/or draw pictures of interesting things you see.
*Use the nature quest check list from The Nature Connection to use your senses.
*Collect interesting samples of things on the ground such as leaves, rocks, twigs, etc and start a nature collection at home.

Read Also: How to Use Emergent Curriculum with Toddlers

We walked a little ways down a nature trail looking carefully for signs of Fall.

Read Also: 12 Children’s Book Inspired Walk Ideas

We found flowers, collected leaves that fell from the trees and noticed their colors and sizes. We looked up at trees and talked about the wind blowing the leaves.

We also noticed tiny acorns on the ground and even saw a couple of squirrels scurrying around.

After the field trip

When we got home, we spread our leaves and acorns out on the table. We talked about what we found and noticed the differences.

Try prompts such as – “tell me about what you found” or “This leaf looks green and brown to me, what colors are you seeing?”

Related Activities:

Depending on what you focused on during your walk, what you found on your walk, and the interests of your child(ren) – what you do after will vary greatly. Try to follow their enthusiasm and pick activities to extend that interest.

Here are some activities that we have done after a Fall Nature Walk:

• Fall Leaf Activities, including a Cooperative Tree Art Project
• Fall Leaf Tree Drawing Prompt
• Sung Fall Songs with a Fall Song Cube (free printable and directions HERE)
• Read more books about trees, leaves, squirrels and birds

Learn More about Walks with Toddlers

Once again we are new to the neighborhood. Moving isn’t new to my kids, but that doesn’t really make it any easier.

Everything seems new.

Everything seems different.

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My kids keep turning into the wrong driveway on the way scooting home from school.

Exploring your new neighborhood is one way to start feeling at home in your new space.

You notice things that seem the same as your last home.

You start to feel like things aren’t so new and scary.

It helps you feel at home.

Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt

I created this Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt for my kids when we moved to Mississippi (3 moves ago) and we have re-used it every time since.

Read Also: 4 Steps to Help Prepare Your Kids for a Move

The good news, is you don’t have to have just moved for your kids to find this fun. The Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt is also just a way to turn your next walk on its head.

Materials:

• Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt (download for free below)
• Clipboard
• Pen or Pencil
• Walking Shoes
• Camera (optional)

Download FREE: Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt

Activity:

Put your scavenger hunt on a clipboard. You can decide to either give each kid their own clipboard and scavenger hunt or work on it as a team.

I put one on a clipboard for us to do together. (Family bonding is also part of moving survival.)

Before we left the house, we read the items listed on the scavenger hunt together. I also gave them each a camera. This part is optional, but my kids love taking pictures and it helps them slow down a little when we’re walking.

We took our scavenger hunt on our clipboard, cameras, and walking feet out into the neighborhood.

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My twins had a blast running up and down the new sidewalks finding the things on our scavenger hunt.

It also encouraged them find familiar things like mailboxes and fire hydrants that helped them see how our old neighborhood and new neighborhood have things in common.

This was a fun introduction to our new area.

It’s a small thing – but when you’re moving with kids it is small things like this that slowly help a new place feel like home.

Download FREE: Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt

Get More Fun Scavenger Hunts Here!