Roadschooling in the RV definitely has it’s perks… we have flexibility to go amazing places, have incredible experiences, and I’m quite certain the kids learn far more from our hands-on exploration of the world than they do from a Zoom call or Google classroom. But it’s also not glamorous. We have connectivity issues with wifi, we’re in close quarters (which makes it especially exciting with a toddler and pups in tow) and sometimes it’s just a lot more fun to be swimming in a lake than doing math class online.

Over the past several weeks, our kids had a unique opportunity to share their roadschooling with a writer from The New Yorker. He wrote a charming little piece about our family and the ups and downs of school on the road. Check it out!

Our family has always loved to travel and explore new places. Before we had children (actually, before we were even married!) we (Ryan and Mattie) worked as guides in the Southwest. We took clients backpacking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and mountain biking from our home base in Prescott, AZ. When we were expecting our first child, many people told us that our lives would never be the same, and that we’d never get to do all the fun things we loved to do anymore. It was true that our lives changed forever by becoming parents, but we set out to prove them wrong about traveling and adventuring with kids.

It requires a little more planning, a little more gear, and a LOT of patience, but adventuring with children is totally doable and fun. We see the payoff in our children being flexible, willing to try new things, and ultimately our favorite people to travel with! Here are some of our best tips for traveling with kids.

Start early. 

Travel with infants isn’t as crazy as you think! In our opinion, infants do require more “gear” than older kiddos (bottles and diapers and wipes, oh my!) but they’re the easiest to keep happy… it doesn’t take much to keep them on their normal routine of sleeping and eating. Flying for the first time with an infant? We’ve got a checklist for that.

Let them help.

If your children are involved in the trip planning, it makes the whole process more enjoyable for everyone. This is especially true for pre-teens and teenagers! Even children as young as toddlers can be given a choice in a daily activity. When the kids are empowered in the planning, they’ll be more engaged (and more fun)!

Do your research.

In planning your trip, it’s helpful and fun to find some age-appropriate resources for your kids to help learn about where your going and build excitement. We also love to read books that inspire our kids to be adventurous. On our trip driving through Wyoming in a snowstorm, we read My Side of the Mountain aloud to the kids. It’s a story about a young boy who is determined to survive a winter in the woods, living inside a home he builds inside a tree trunk. It made for great imaginative play at our campsites! 

Build in time for free play & rest.

This is key in traveling with toddlers and elementary-age children, but good for kids of all ages. With a jam-packed itinerary, anyone can get burned out! Even if you have big plans for a long hike or a big museum day, build in time where the kids can just play in the dirt or roll in the grass. With pre-teen and teens, designate a time where they can chill, too.

Pack your Patience

It’s true, you’ll probably move a little slower with a gaggle of kids in tow. But that’s part of the beauty of traveling as a family: we notice things with our children that we’d otherwise miss, we slow down and observe, we experience the magic of an adventure through a child’s eyes. 

Ready to start adventuring with your kids? Check out our Resources page for help!

First on the itinerary today: drive twenty minutes to buy an RV surge protector. If you missed our previous post, read here to see why you need one!! Next on the priority list: find a spot with good coffee and good wifi so the kids could actually get some schoolwork done. And we found the perfect spot at Magnolia Press! 

The Silos District is so fun. The Gaines family has completely changed the Waco area with the success of their show and resulting empire. It has taken a toll on locals, that now pay higher property taxes and seeing continuously-rising real estate prices, but it’s also improved home values and brought income to the area from tourists like us.

Since the day was drizzly and grey, we had nearly the whole place to ourselves. We loved the 1905 latte (Magnolia’s house latte with toasted marshmallow and vanilla) for the grownups, and the kids enjoyed the apple cider steamer and “cocoa hot,” as Della calls it. The food offerings were great, too, including an apple pie cinnamon roll! It was the perfect start to September.

Just as the kids wrapped up their classes, the clouds cleared up a bit and we toured the rest of the Silos District, culminating with a stop at the bakery for some truly delicious cupcakes. They lived up to the hype! 

Just down the street is the Dr. Pepper museum, a must-see for our DP-loving fam. We all had our share of the sugary goodness (you can buy the old time, real sugar version in glass bottles at the gift shop!) and the kids attended a fun science show inside the museum. Do you think Dr. Pepper floats or sinks in water? The kids hypothesized correctly, and even guessed how the entertainer/scientist performed his “magic trick” involving a DP can. Fun stop!

We ended our touristy day with a stop at The Little Shop on Bosque, which is the location of the original Magnolia Store and now home to their off-season and imperfect discounted goods. Brynlee was excited to pick up a woven seagrass basket (girl after my own heart!) and the kids each got a leather journal to document the trip. We picked up dinner at Torchy’s Tacos (because how can you go to Texas without having the best queso?!?) and called it a day. A good, full day at that! 

Typically, Magnolia at the Silos is a bustling place, packed with people. If you can time a trip during the off-season (and pick a rainy day!) you’ll have a great experience without the long lines! Either way, it’s a fun stop for families and pups. And don’t miss Torchy’s. Just embrace the Tex Mex (and the ensuing queso gut) and do it. 

Also wanted to add: our final day in Waco was spent exploring Waco Mammoth National Monument. The kids had to finish up some schoolwork, so we had another stop at Magnolia Press, and then we ventured out in the rain to see this relatively new site. It’s small and still undeveloped, but it was so cool to see the remains of these giants “in situ,” meaning they’re still in the ground right where they discovered. Go check it out!