Did you know that the average American will spend 23 hours on road trips with their families this summer? Thatโs crazy in and of itself BUTโฆ
On average, that equals out to hearing…
“๐’๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฏ๐จ๐ณ๐บ” — 19 times
“๐๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐บ๐ฆ๐ต?” — 16 times
“๐๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ณ?” — 18 times
“๐’๐ฎ ๐ต๐ช๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฅ” — 17 times
And that’s per child!
Have no fear! I’m here for all your PaperPie road trip needs and some hacks that I have found to be super helpful during our time spent in the car.
Letโs start with a fun fact:
“I’m Bored! I’m Bored! I’m Bored!” – This is tough to hear all summer in and out of the car. Allow me to let you in on a little secret:
Children say they are bored when they are seeking structure and routine to fill their time with purposeful activities that will hold their interests. Structure and routine are the foundation of their school day, and they seek this at home, too! But letโs focus on how to reduce that while traveling and discuss: Books on the GO!
Travel time is perfect for learning!
One popular go-to resource when on-the-go are ourย Wipe Clean Books.ย
There are SEVENTY different options…yes SEVENTY!!! Take a few of these with you so your learners can brush up on their pen control and basic skills. ย Mazes, tracing games, and dot-to-dot activities are all skills-based AND fun! And hereโs a fun act: PaperPie has wipe-clean cards too! Animal Doodles are always a hit in our home! Hack: Use a hole puncher through the cards and bind them with a key ring or binder clip, throw them in your bag and you have the perfect grab and go boredom buster! These are perfect for kiddos in Pre-K and up!ย
Up Next:ย Sticker Books-We have over 100 options! Sticker Books are powerful tools!
I donโt think parents realize just how important sticker books are! They are great for developing a pincer grip and hand-eye coordination! ย They encourage fine motor skills, patience, and an eye for details. Kids of all ages will spend hours creating scenes and stories in the pages of this book. ย Hack: remove the backing on the sticker page! It will help your little pinch and grasp independently without your assistance! Talk about a confidence booster!ย
We Haveย Magic Painting Books– These are one of my favorites and are so fun for US adults too!
All you need is water to add color to our beautiful pages. ย We have over 50 options and our First Magic Painting books are perfect for ages 3 and up! Hack: Use a water pen! It makes using these so much simpler and mess FREE!ย
Don’t forget:ย Collections–ย These are such a space saver and perfect for the car!
You can read multiple books in one while only packing ONE book! ย For Example: Cow Takes a Bow has six of our phonics readers included. Hack: many of our books have a QR codes so thatโs just like having an audiobook too!
Last but certainly NOT least: Puzzle Pads– From Math Facts to Brain Teasers we have a ton! Why not use that time in the car to learn and fine tune those thinking skills! Hack: I use them as a game with my seven-year-old son. I time him on the pages! He loves a challenge and enjoys trying to beat his time. Itโs a great way to keep him off the iPad, engage with him and he doesnโt realize heโs learning. They also have tear out pages which is perfect for sharing with multiple kiddos!
Regardless of which travel books you choose you wonโt be disappointed! I wish you a happy summer of road trips with very minimal whining.