Category Archives: Kids and Camping

What You Should Know About Road Schooling Laws

12 Tuesday Sep 2023

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Considering road schooling your kids while traveling in your RV full time? You may be wondering about the legality of road schooling. Is homeschooling your kids while traveling even legal, and if so, what are the road schooling laws?

In this article, we will discuss these things so you can be 100% confident you are making the right choice for your family.

Is Roadschooling Legal?

The first thing you’re probably wondering is if road schooling is legal in the United States. Fortunately, the answer to this is yes, road schooling is perfectly legal! It is considered a form of homeschooling, which is legal in every state. That said, different states have different laws surrounding homeschooling, which is where road schooling laws get a little more complicated.

What are the Roadschooling Laws?

So what are the laws behind road schooling or homeschooling while traveling in an RV? Generally speaking, you will need to follow the homeschooling laws in your domicile state (the state where your legal address is).

The only exception to this rule comes into play if you plan to be in a state other than your domicile state for a month or more. If you will be visiting a state for 30 days or longer, you are required to follow the laws in that state. Obviously, this can be a gigantic pain, so many RVers with kids avoid issues by making a point of leaving each state before that 30-day mark.

Of course, in the states with very relaxed laws surrounding homeschooling, there likely won’t be any issues if you choose to stay longer than a month.

What are the Best Domicile States for Road Schooling?

One of the many things that’s really cool about full-time RVing? You can choose the home state that works best for you. Most RVers look for states that don’t charge income tax and have good rates for insurance. Many road schoolers also look for states with more laid-back homeschooling laws.

You see, there are a handful of states that make homeschooling quite difficult with assessments, testing requirements, and more. This isn’t to say road schoolers want to avoid proper curriculum and testing, but that things like testing can be especially difficult when you’re traveling full time, as it means returning to your domicile state one or more times each year.

To avoid the need to return home for testing, you can choose to domicile in a state like Texas where the homeschool laws are incredibly laid-back, or even Florida where registering with an umbrella school removes the need for yearly assessments.

States with very relaxed road school laws include:

  • Idaho
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Missouri
  • Iowa
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • New Jersey
  • Connecticut

States with moderate homeschool laws include:

  • Montana
  • California
  • Nevada
  • Arizona
  • New Mexico
  • Utah
  • Colorado
  • Kansas
  • South Dakota
  • North Dakota
  • Wyoming
  • Michigan
  • Arkansas
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Alabama
  • Georgia
  • Florida
  • Tennessee
  • Kentucky
  • Maryland
  • Delaware

Getting More Info on Roadschooling Laws

Still feeling a bit uneasy about the legality of road schooling? We recommend a membership with the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. These folks know the ins and outs of homeschool law like nobody else and are happy to help members by answering questions, providing coaching, and even representing them in court should the need ever arise.

That said, as long as you are following the laws of your domicile state and ensuring your children receive a good education on the road, roadschooling is perfectly legal and you should never have reason to be represented in court for homeschooling on the road.

What you will have however is a chance to give your kids educational choices and opportunities they would never get in a traditional classroom—something every parent dreams of. So why not get started on your road schooling adventure today? You won’t regret a minute of it!

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Kathleen K. ~ “It’s the best service you can ask for!”

Roadschooling in Gettysburg

02 Wednesday Nov 2022

Posted by in Kids and Camping, Travel Destinations

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As road schoolers, we are always looking for awesome ways to expand upon our studies through our travels. Really, literally, any place we go has some amount of educational value. However, there are some places that are extra awesome for road schoolers! Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is one such place.

We had the pleasure of visiting Gettysburg with some friends at the beginning of the summer. We learned a lot, had an awesome time, and are here today to offer our top tips for your roadschool visit to the town.

Before Your Visit

Before you head to Gettysburg, we highly recommend brushing up on Civil War history. You could do this by reading books like If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War or by watching videos like this one. You don’t have to dive too deep, but try to get a good foundation.

We found that the visitor center at this particular NPS site was not very helpful for building that foundation unless you wanted to spend money on the movie, museum, and cyclorama painting. Since we weren’t keen on spending all that much money at the time, we might not have had a very good time if we hadn’t already had a good understanding of Civil War History. Thankfully, we have covered this subject at various times over the years and had the foundation we needed.

Where to Go

Once you arrive in Gettysburg, you may be wondering where to go. Below are the things we did while in the area, after which we felt that we’d accomplished quite a lot without overwhelming the kids. Of course, you could definitely add on more of the many Gettysburg attractions if you had more time and/or a bigger budget to work with.

Gettysburg National Military Park

See the Visitor Center

The first place we went was the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitor Center. This was an odd NPS site because it is run by the National Parks Service in conjunction with the Gettysburg Foundation. This meant that things that would usually be free or included with our “America the Beautiful” pass cost money.

Things that cost money at this visitor center include:

  • A movie
  • A museum
  • A cyclorama painting
  • Guided tours of the battlefield

Without these things, there wasn’t a whole lot to see in the center. We did spend a few minutes looking at the very few free exhibits and chatting with a ranger, but this stop didn’t take long and I wouldn’t expect much from it in terms of helping you get a feel for the history of the place.

Tour the Battlefield

The next stop was the battlefield itself. The visitor center has maps for driving tours and you can pick and choose where you stop. There is some information that you can read at most stops, but we actually ended up looking up videos on YouTube about the various events in order to get a good grasp on them.

I learned later that there are Gettysburg “auto tour” apps that you can download in order to hear the story of what happened as you explore the place.

Visit the David Wills House

We also visited the David Wills House. This is part of the NPS site but is actually located in the town. It is one of the only things the park offers for free, so you can bet we took advantage!

The house is where Abraham Lincoln (as well as many others) stayed the night before his famous Gettysburg Address. Guests can walk through the house and read the information on the family that lived there, the other people who stayed in the house that night, Lincoln’s experience there, and the Civil War in general.

We found this to be a very informative place, and highly recommend checking it out while you’re in the area.

Children of Gettysburg 1863

This is a must-do if you have young kids with you when visiting Gettysburg. While most of the history-related attractions in the town are geared toward adults and might come across as dry or boring to younger visitors, this museum was made with kids in mind. It gets the story of the battle across, but does so from a child’s point of view and uses hands-on activities to keep the kids engaged and interested.

We loved this museum. We took several kids between the ages 2–11, and every one of them had a good time.

Eisenhower National Historic Site

Like most people, we visited Gettysburg to learn some Civil War history. What we didn’t expect was a wonderful history lesson on President Eisenhower.

The Eisenhower National Historic Site is located on the property that Ike and Mamie Eisenhower called home, and is just outside of Gettysburg. The National Parks Service offers fantastic and free guided tours of the Eisenhower house, which looks just like it did when the Eisenhowers were living there—colorful bathrooms and all!

Be aware that tours are only offered during the spring, summer, and fall, and even then only on certain days of the week. Additionally, nearby parking is very limited and fills up quickly, especially on the weekends. If you plan to visit on a Saturday or Sunday, we recommend paying for the shuttle from the Gettysburg Visitor Center. That said, we visited during the week and there was plenty of parking.

What to Eat

Because Gettysburg is a tourist attraction, the majority of the restaurants in the area are pretty pricey. This meant most of our meals were made in our RV. Still, we did manage to find some gems that you might want to try:

Gettysburger — This place serves up incredible hamburgers with interesting toppings. The burgers are huge and could easily be shared between two smaller eaters.

Lincoln Diner — This is just a diner with diner food, but the prices are unbeatable, especially for kids’ meals. If you’re looking to have a cheap meal as a family, this is your spot.

Perrydell Farm and Dairy — Okay, so this is technically outside of Gettysburg, but we had an awesome time here. We got delicious ice cream, petted some baby cows, and even saw the milking process in action.

Where to Stay

We stayed at Gettysburg Farm RV Campground, which is part of the Thousand Trails system. There are also a few Encore parks nearby that are part of the Trails Collection, so if you have Thousand Trails, be sure to look into these options. Keep in mind that even if you don’t have a Thousand Trails membership, you can pay to stay in these campgrounds.

Besides the Thousand Trails and Encore parks, there are many camping options near Gettysburg. These include the lovely Gettysburg KOA, nearby boondocking in the Michaux State Forest, and even a couple of Boondockers Welcome options.

May contain affiliate links.

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Edward K. ~ “When I called in I had a flat tire on my RV. I didn’t think I was going to get service as fast as I did. Mary was quick to help. Offered assistance right away. It was reassuring to know I was going to be taken care of.“

Camping with Your Kids Without Going Crazy: Tips for Maintaining Your Sanity

06 Wednesday Jul 2022

Posted by in Kids and Camping

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Camping in the wilderness or RVing can be a wonderful getaway for your family, but keeping peace in a tiny tent is not always easy. If you are planning a family camping trip this summer, you need to think carefully about the situation. Are your kids mature enough to enjoy camping, or should you send them off to grandma’s house for the duration of your trip?

There are many things to consider when contemplating a camping trip with the kids. Here are some timely tips you can use to make camping more fun for everyone, no matter what their age.

Pack lots of games and kid-friendly activities.

Camping can be a majestic activity for adults, but children do not always appreciate the beautiful scenery and spectacular sunsets. If you want to enjoy the beauty of nature, bring some things to keep the kids entertained.

Bring lots of baby wipes and antibacterial spray.

Keeping kids clean in the wilderness is no easy task, so bring some sanitary supplies to keep those germs at bay. Practice good hand hygiene when restrooms are available and use alternative cleaning methods when they are not.

Avoid overpacking.

Some parents bring everything but the kitchen sink on their camping trips, but overpacking is a huge mistake if you are bringing the kids. Make a list of the essentials you need, then leave everything else at home.

Enjoy short hikes.

A 10-mile hike is probably not on the cards if you have small kids in tow, so tamp down your expectations and try to enjoy shorter hikes instead. Study park maps ahead of time and looks for scenic overlooks, accessible views, and other spots that can be reached quickly and easily.

Set up camp before it gets dark.

Setting up a tent while the sky darkens is a recipe for disaster and undue stress, so keep an eye on the clock and get your campsite set up while there is still plenty of daylight left.

Leave the devices at home.

The magic of camping is all about communing with nature, not crouching over electronic devices. Bring a cell phone and charger for emergencies, but leave the rest of the devices at home.

Stick to your usual routine.

If the kids have a regular bedtime, stick to it even while you are in the tent. Disrupting a long-established routine will do nothing but raise your stress level.

Seek out kid-friendly campgrounds.

Not all camping spots are family-friendly, so do your homework and find a place where your kids will be welcome.

Camping can be a wonderful adventure for the entire family, but heading into the wilderness with the kids in tow is not for the faint of heart. If you want to enjoy your next camping trip and keep your sanity, the above can help you get started.

About the author: Ali Walker

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Ensuring Kids Have Plenty of Fun in Your RV

22 Wednesday Sep 2021

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Millennials are spearheading the RV boom in a big way, reports the RV Industry Association, with the Class B camper van holding particular sway among this adventurous crowd. Apart from the freedom and independence of RVs, their ability to house families with kids is also of interest, which makes sense considering the fact that millennials are growing up (they are aged 25-40) and kids love nothing more than outdoor adventures. Children certainly enjoy being in RVs, but when families are undertaking long road trips, they need to ensure be entertained. Otherwise, they may start asking that question (“Are we there yet?”) hundreds of times. Below you will find a host of fun, screen-free ideas that parents, grandparents, and friends can enjoy alongside younger members of the family.

Shape Sorters and Puzzles

Having to solve a problem can keep curious kids occupied for many minutes straight. For younger tots, shape sorters, building blocks, and puzzles will do the trick. This type of toy has actually picked up in popularity, with many parents opting for gender-neutral games and toys that can be reused by various kids in the home. Board games involving question-and-answer-type activities are ideal for older kids. Moreover, having the opportunity to play with all toys can teach kids that there are no limits when it comes to pursuing interests or trying new activities and subjects out. You can either bring a Trivial Pursuit-type game along or simply print out a few trivial questions kids can compete to solve.

Paper Dolls

This activity is fun and time-consuming, making it a good way to make the minutes go by quicker. Make sure to bring child-safe scissors onboard. These have rounded edges but are still able to cut perfect edges on paper and other materials. Bring a few coloring and glitter ink pens as well, so that kids can embellish paper clothing to their chosen style.

NERF Guns

If you are on a road trip, then without a doubt you will be making various stops and indeed, you may decide to camp in a green, lakeside, or seaside area — all of which make an ideal setting for NERF gun wars. If you will be camping by the water, of course, make sure you have water pistols as well. This type of toy is ideal for getting kids to run, jump, and hone their stealth tactics.

Card Games

From UNO to Poker, there are so many card games that families can enjoy together. Cards are light, weightless, and easy to pack and they make for an ideal mid-morning or lazy afternoon activity. Popular games include Disney’s Eye Found It packs, Five Crowns, and Set. Older kids, meanwhile, will love learning more mature games that require skill, memory, and strategy. Even a simple deck of cards will do for games like Old Maid, Slap Jack, Memory, and President.

Kids love RV trips owing to the sense of adventure they bring. To make road trips seem shorter, make sure to bring various games and toys, since kids can get tired of playing the same type of game over and over. Top choices include shape sorters, puzzles, NERF and water guns, and good old card games which passengers of all ages will undoubtedly enjoy playing.

Author: Alicia Rennoll

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Saving Energy On A Family Camping Trip

04 Wednesday Aug 2021

Posted by in Kids and Camping, The Great Outdoors

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There are now 94.5 million camper households throughout North America, with RV ownership at an all-time high of 13 million households. A little over 50% of RV users bring along their family when camping, according to Kampgrounds of America. Camping is mostly seen as a respite from everyday life, but parents may find that it’s also a wonderful opportunity for the whole family to learn how to save energy. Awareness and the practice of energy-saving lower the costs of camping, and lead to taking care of nature – the very thing that campers are enthusiastic about.

Clean Resources

Each family member should understand what green energy is in order to make good choices. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says that using clean renewables reduces the need for importing energy and decreases the use of “dirty” fossil fuels. Field trips, games, and role-modeling are some of the ways that even younger children can discover that solar, hydro, wind, geothermal and biomass are sources of clean energy. Through familiarity, each family member will be able to come up with ideas on how to make use of renewable resources to save energy.

Conserving Energy

You can start going green by using the most popular type of renewable energy. Install solar panels on your RV to conserve energy. Solar energy is practically free, and is obviously in abundance wherever you go, even when it’s cloudy. It keeps the appliances, lights, chargers and heaters going. If your campsites don’t have electrical hook-ups, you can still enjoy watching TV, have a cool drink from your refrigerator, or ensure you have light to read by at night. 

You can also reduce your energy consumption by hanging wet clothes on a clothesline rather than using a dryer. Wind is another free natural resource. Together with the sun, it can dry whatever you wash, and a clothesline can easily be constructed wherever you’re camping. Using less propane is also a good goal. The Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education says that propane is a popular choice for campers because of its portability, but it also produces carbon dioxide, the leading cause of climate change. Instead of propane, get that grill going and barbecue to your heart’s content. Cooking outdoors is an exciting activity for the whole family, and everyone can take part in the preparation and cooking.

Cutting Down On Electricity

Organize your fridge, and arrange your food and drinks neatly so that it’s not over-packed. RV fridges work best when there’s space for air to circulate. Find ways to lessen the need to open the refrigerator door. This will make it run more efficiently, and thus, conserve energy. 

Family members can take turns in cooking outdoors. It saves electricity and keeps your RV’s interior cooler resulting in less air conditioner use. Assign specific people to check leaks, cover vents that let the heat out, and identify appliances or anything that may be turned on, but is not being used.   

There are many more ways to care for the RV and save energy while you’re camping: the trick is to make it fun and treat everything as an adventure. Over time, energy conservation, even while camping, will be second nature to the whole family.

Author: Alicia Rennoll

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Awesome National Park Programs You May Not Know About

07 Wednesday Jul 2021

Posted by in Kids and Camping, National Parks, The Great Outdoors

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It’s no secret that our national parks sites are absolutely amazing. From breathtaking views to incredible hikes to awesome history lessons, there’s something for everyone in these spectacular places. What many people don’t know is that in addition to keeping these parks, monuments, historic sites, and trails in tip-top shape, the National Parks Service also offers a variety of programs to enhance your visit to each location.

As a traveler, there’s a good chance you find yourself visiting NPS sites often. (And if you don’t, you should change that, because as mentioned above, these places are incredible.) Therefore, it only makes sense for you to learn about all of the awesome programs the NPS has to offer so you can take full advantage and make your visits as awesome as possible.

Unfortunately, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, finding out about these programs can be a little bit tricky. That’s where this article comes into play.

Below we’ve listed 6 amazing programs offered in the national parks. Determine which ones are useful to you, and make sure to use them on your next outing to a national park.

“America the Beautiful” Pass

First and foremost, we absolutely must mention the “America the Beautiful” pass. This pass allows the holder to enter all NPS sites without paying entry fees. The cost for this pass is $80 for 12 months. As you might imagine, it can be a huge money saver if you visit several national parks a year.

Other Types of Passes

Even better than the “America the Beautiful” pass are the special passes provided to seniors, military members, and people with disabilities.

Senior passes are provided for those ages 62 and older, and the cost is a mere $20 a year or $80 for a lifetime pass. Military passes are for current US military members and Gold Star families, and are free of charge. Lastly, the Access Pass is for anyone with a permanent disability, and is also free to obtain.

In addition to entry to the parks, these three passes all offer cardholders discounts on certain campsites.

“Every Kid Outdoors” Program

Another way to get a national parks pass is through the “Every Kid Outdoors” program. This program gives every 4th grader (and 5th grader for 2021 only) an annual national parks pass for free. The goal of the program is to ensure every child has a chance to see the majesty of America’s national parks while making memories outside.

The pass is good from September 1st of the child’s 4th grade year through August 31st of the following year, and can be obtained through this site.

Junior Ranger Program

Even if your kid isn’t in 4th or 5th grade right now, there is still an NPS program that is wonderful for them. The Junior Ranger Program is tons of fun for kids ages 5–13, and gives them the opportunity to be fully engaged in their visits to the parks.

To participate, simply visit a NPS visitor center and ask for a Junior Ranger book. These are usually free, but occasionally you may be charged a small fee. Fill out the book as you explore the park, return it to a ranger, be sworn in as an official Junior Ranger, and go home with a park-specific badge to display on a sash, banner, or anywhere else you see fit.

BARK Ranger Program

Have fur babies rather than human children? If so, the BARK Ranger program might be of interest to you.

Similar to the Junior Ranger Program, this program gives dogs (and kitties) an opportunity to join the NPS team by earning special badges. In this case, the badges are park-specific dog tags, and are earned by learning the rules of visiting a national park.

Volunteers-in-Parks Program

Last but not least, there is the Volunteers-in-Parks program. This awesome program gives national park lovers a chance to donate their skills and time in order to help improve the parks. It is open to all individuals, but children under the age of 18 must have signed permission from a parent or guardian.

In return for their efforts, volunteers who complete at least 250 hours of work in a single calendar year will be offered a volunteer pass that gives them free entry to NPS sites.

May contain affiliate links.

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

RV Protect

Ronald B. ~ “We are extremely happy with this service. Both the roadside assistance and the RV techs I’ve had conversations with were great. It’s good to know there are real people on the other end ready to help! Great product, & great folks operating it!” 

Tips For Hiking With Kids

16 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by in Healthy Lifestyle, Kids and Camping

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Tips For Hiking With Kids

One of the very best camping activities is hiking. There’s nothing like a nice morning hike to put you in a good mood, and hitting the trail is the perfect way to reconnect with nature. Hiking is fun during all parts of the year (though we do recommend heading south to do your winter hiking), and as long as you choose the right trail, it can be a good activity for people of all abilities and fitness levels.

All that said, you might be hesitant to add hiking to your list of camping activities if you have kids. After all, kids have a tendency to complain when a lot of walking has to happen, and there’s little reason to believe the same won’t be true of a hike. Besides, many parents can have trouble believing their kids will be up to the challenges a hike can pose.

The thing is, with a little bit of planning, hiking with kids can actually be fun. Try using the tips below to plan the perfect hiking adventure with your kids and rediscover your love of walking the trails.

Slow Down

First and foremost, it’s incredibly important that you slow down. Little legs can’t keep up with an adult’s longer stride, and asking them to will tire them out quickly, leading to the aforementioned whining.

Slow Down

Slowing your hike might seem like a huge bummer. However, this really isn’t the case. Slowing down can actually be a really nice thing if you choose to use the extra time to look around and really observe and appreciate your surroundings.

In fact, you might even find that you prefer slower hiking, opting to continue moving a bit slower even when the kids aren’t around.

Pack Snacks

Another thing that can lead to whining? Hunger. Unfortunately, kids get hungry quickly, especially when they’re moving around. For this reason, it’s crucial that you pack plenty of snacks that they will eat. This might seem silly if you’ll only be hiking for a couple of hours, but trust us when we say you won’t regret it.

Keep It Short and Sweet

Speaking of short two-hour hikes, that amount of time tends to be the sweet spot for kids. Go much longer than a couple of hours and you’re likely to have some unhappy little friends for the remainder of your exploration.

This will of course vary from one kid to the next, so you might want to experiment a bit to find the best hike length for your kids, but starting with two hours is a good plan of attack that isn’t likely to induce meltdowns or other negative outcomes.

Include Small Challenges

A short hike doesn’t have to be a boring one. If your kids are a bit older, consider picking short hikes with some challenging bits to keep things interesting. There’s no reason an 8- or 9-year-old can’t handle a bit of rock scrambling or bouldering, and they will likely feel more engaged during the hike and more accomplished after when challenges like this are put in their path.

Include Challenges In Your Hikes

Just be sure to know your own kids and their limits, testing with the smallest challenges and growing from there based on how they do.

Grab the Right Gear

The right gear can make all the difference in the world when hiking with little ones. A small backpack for each kid will allow them to carry their own things—a lifesaver when you have multiple kids, as putting everything in a single pack will get heavy fast. You’ll also want to make sure every kid has their own water container, as well as a hat to keep the sun out of their eyes.

Hiking Gear

Lastly, if you’ll be hiking with a baby or toddler, be sure to invest in a high-quality hiking baby carrier for their comfort and your own.

Head to National Parks

We love hiking with kids in national parks. Most national parks have plenty of short yet rewarding hikes, with some even offering some challenging bits. The views will always be gorgeous in these parks, and the Junior Ranger programs here offer young hikers some incentive to get out on the trails.

Give the Kids Cameras

Give The Kids A CameraLast but not least, we highly recommend handing each kid a camera to carry during the hike. This will help keep them engaged by encouraging them to truly observe their surroundings. It will also give you an opportunity to see the world from their point of view, something most adults don’t do enough of.

May contain affiliate links.

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

RV ProtectScott H. ~ “We have been extremely happy with Coach-Net’s service agents as well as the overall service that they provide.”

Make Your Next RV Road Trip More Kid-Friendly

09 Thursday Jul 2020

Posted by in Kids and Camping, Tips & Tricks

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Make Your Next RV Road Trip More Kid-Friendly

Family trips and RVs go hand in hand. Having an RV with you wherever you go just makes things easier, especially when it comes to traveling with kids. In fact, we’d even go so far as to say almost any RV road trip is a kid-friendly trip.

Still, hitting the road with little ones does take a bit of extra planning to make sure things go smoothly. In fact, the more time you take to plan according to your kids’ needs, the more fun the trip is going to be for the whole family.

Below are our top tips for planning a kid-friendly RV road trip.

Involve Kids in the Planning

Let Your Kids Plan With YouDo you have kids who are reluctant to join in your adventures? It could be that they would benefit from being involved in the planning process. Not only will letting your kids help plan get them more excited about the trip, but it will also help them gain skills such as budgeting, time management, and route planning.

Bring On-the-Road Entertainment

Absolutely nobody likes being stuck in a vehicle for hours on end. That said, kids are probably the least likely people to happily sit still during a long road trip.

Instead of enduring hours upon hours of whining, make sure to create a good stash of things to do in the car. A well-charged tablet is a great start. However, you will want other options at the ready.

RV Games

Try the following:

  • Books or audiobooks
  • Podcasts
  • Car-friendly games such as road trip bingo
  • Pipe cleaners or WikkiStix for bending into shapes
  • Window clings for the vehicle windows
  • Colored pencils and coloring/activity books (avoid crayons, as they melt in the heat)
  • Stickers and paper

Pack Snacks

Besides fun things to do on the road, you’ll also want to make sure you have plenty of kid-friendly snacks and meals on hand. After all, a hungry kid is a cranky kid, and nobody wants to deal with that. Fortunately, when you’re traveling with an RV, you have an entire kitchen at your disposal, making this easy enough to do.

Snacks that can be grabbed quickly and munched on while driving are perfect for travel days. Meanwhile, those days spent sightseeing call for sandwiches and other easy-to-pack lunches.

Plan Frequent Stops

Take A Pit StopAs mentioned above, traveling with an RV means traveling with your kitchen. It also means you’ll have a bathroom and your own beds anywhere you go. This is amazing news for parents everywhere, as it makes pit stops a cinch.

Plan to take full advantage of pulling a tiny house behind you by making plenty of rest stops. You might even consider super short travel days, stopping to sightsee and rest for the day after only 3 or 4 hours of driving. While this will mean taking longer to get to your final destination, it’ll give you opportunities for many more adventures, and it will likely keep everyone much happier, as long stretches of riding in a seatbelt will be non-existent.

Find Kid-Friendly Campgrounds

Generally speaking, RVing is a family-friendly activity, and the vast majority of campgrounds and RV park will be welcoming to kids. That said, there are some parks that cater to the 55+ crowd, and others that are made specifically for kids. We highly recommend avoiding the former and seeking out the latter whenever possible anytime you plan on traveling with kids.

The campgrounds that cater to families with kids will have fun planned activities, amenities such as water play areas and playgrounds, and even kid-centric live entertainment. Finding one of these campgrounds adds a whole new level of fun to your family getaway.

Add in Education

A super cool thing about travel is that it offers awesome educational opportunities around every corner. Take advantage of this when traveling with kids by actively seeking out these opportunities and weaving them into your adventures.

Not only will the kids learn something new, but they’ll also likely have a really great time doing it, meaning you’ll be adding even more fun to your trip!

Wondering what kinds of educational opportunities there are? Try the following:

Take a Camera, Binoculars, and Magnifying Glass

Kids With Magnifying GlassGetting kids involved in whatever you are doing is key to ensuring they have a good time and learn a thing or two during your trip. There are many ways to go about this, and the options we’ve mentioned so far are a great start.

That said, you can take this a step further by packing a few simple things. Items such as a kid camera, binoculars, and a magnifying glass encourage little explorers to look closely at the world around them and draw them into whatever experience your family is having together.

Don’t Forget Sunscreen and Bug Spray

Bug bites and sunburns are both bound to lead to grumpy kids. Avoid this issue by thinking ahead. A bottle of sunscreen and a container of bug spray don’t take up much room and can be picked up at any store. Make sure to apply these things every time you head outside, and you shouldn’t have any complaints about bites or burns.

Skip the Nice Clothes

Ditch The Nice Clothes Kids plus camping equals a mess. For this reason, you will definitely want to skip the nice clothes and reach for the older, more worn-out clothes in your kids’ drawers. Sure, it’s tempting to pack those cute new summer outfits for your family vacation, but having those brand new clothes ruined will only lead to upset, and asking your kids to stay clean restricts the amount of exploring they can do.

Keep Things Laid-Back

Lastly, you will want to make sure you keep things laid-back. Trying to cram in every single activity is only going to lead to stress.

Kids are much happier when they have time to run and play freely, and parents tend to have a better vacation when there’s plenty of downtime built-in for sitting around the campsite, grilling out, and enjoying a campfire.

So go ahead and plan to see some of those awesome attractions, but leave lots of time for relaxing as well!

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

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Tips & Tricks For Road-Schooling Your Kids

18 Tuesday Feb 2020

Posted by in Kids and Camping, Tips & Tricks

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Road-schooling Your KidsMy family has been on the road for over 4 years now. During this time, we’ve been road schooling our son and have met countless other families doing exactly the same thing. I was also homeschooled as a child, meaning the world of learning at home certainly wasn’t new to me when we jumped in.

I have talked to a lot of road schooling newbies through the years, and have noticed a common theme: nervous parents who are afraid they aren’t doing it right. Thanks to my experience with homeschooling, I never had this fear. However, we have learned an awful lot about road schooling through trial and error.

Below are the tips I’d like to share with those nervous newbies. These simple tips will help ensure your road schooling experience is as wonderful as it should be.

Know the Rules

First and foremost, you want to make sure you are road schooling legally. Generally speaking, this means following the homeschool laws for whatever state you use as your domicile. These laws vary widely from one state to the next, and some states definitely make homeschooling hard on the parents.

Road-schooling Rules

If you are currently a resident of a state with extremely strict homeschooling laws, you might want to consider changing your domicile. Texas is a wonderful option, as the homeschooling laws are lax and there is no state income tax.

Don’t Try to Mimic School

For those who were raised in a traditional school environment, it can be very hard to let go of the idea that school should look a certain way. That said, if you can manage to think outside of the box, you will likely end up with something that is even better than a traditional school.

Don't Mimic Public Schools

Your schooling probably won’t take a full 8 hours a day, and there is no reason to make your kids sit still for that long. Likewise, your schooling doesn’t have to follow a certain path or have your kids learning a particular thing just because they are of a certain age. Try instead to follow their interests and make learning a fun family affair.

Making learning fun and showing your children that even adults can learn new things will encourage them to be lifelong learners. This is far more important than learning a few facts just long enough to pass a test.

Incorporate Education into Your Travels

One of the major benefits of road schooling is the fact that you can use your travels to enhance your child’s education. Plan your travels around educational attractions and then weave those attractions into your child’s schooling.

Going to a historic site? Read books and watch documentaries to learn about what makes the site significant.

Road-schooling Outside the Box

Headed to a national park? Learn about the ecosystem within that particular park.

There are thousands of amazing educational stops you can make during your travels, and learning by actually doing and seeing is sure to make a bigger impact than a textbook ever would.

Schedule Bookwork Strategically

Have workbooks, textbooks, or specific reading you’d like your child to get through? Many families find it helpful to do this kind of work during times when hands-on learning isn’t going to happen anyway.

For instance, you might save your bookwork for travel days when you’ll be stuck in the vehicle for hours on end. Another idea might be to do bookwork on laundry days, or even just on scheduled “down days”. This prevents an overbooked schedule and allows you to truly enjoy the days spent exploring the world through field trips.

Find Friends Along the Way

Many people wonder what they will do to ensure their kids get to socialize while traveling. Believe it or not, our family actually has more friends on the road than we ever had when living in a house.

The key for us was joining an RV club. We are members of Fulltime Families and absolutely love it. We have made countless friends, met up with dozens of them for months each winter, and have even traveled alongside some of them for weeks at a time.

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

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Is Full-Time Travel Life For You?

08 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by in Kids and Camping, RV Newbie, The Great Outdoors

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Is Full Time Travel Life For You?Most people who own RVs only want a way to get away on the weekends, or maybe a little home to take on summer vacation adventures. That said, a growing number of RV owners are hitting the road full-time.

Full-time RV living certainly has a lot of benefits. After all, who wouldn’t want the freedom to go wherever they like, whenever they like?

The opportunity to simplify, connect with your family and nature, and see the most beautiful parts of our country are all excellent pros that make full-timing sound like a dream. However, it is important to note that living in an RV full-time also has its downsides. Therefore, RV living isn’t for everyone.

If you’re considering the full-time life, we highly recommend taking the time to think about your personality and where you are in life. Full-timing may be an excellent choice for you, or it could not be the best fit at this point in your life.

Ask yourself the questions below, making sure to answer honestly in order to get a better understanding of whether or not you’ll take to full-time RVing well.

Can I Be Flexible?

The first question to ask is whether or not you can be flexible and adaptable. Why? Because things will go wrong.

You can have the best-laid travel plans in the world, and something still might happen to mess them up. Things break in the RV, vehicles break down, and weather can be uncooperative.

Changing Plans

The ability to be flexible and change plans accordingly is a valuable skill when living the full-time lifestyle.

How Do I Handle Stress in the Moment?

Of course, even the most flexible person can and will get frustrated when plans have to change. This is especially true when those changes come about due to problems with the rig, something that can cause a lot of stress for a lot of different reasons.

Relaxing In Hammock

How you handle this kind of stress is key, as it will determine the mood of your travels. If you get extremely upset and can’t handle the stress with grace, you will have a hard time solving the problems that cause the stress. This can make happy travel difficult, to say the least.

Am I Willing to Learn New Skills and Get My Hands Dirty?

When the aforementioned problems do arise, having the ability to fix them yourself will help reduce stress and keep you on the road for as long as possible. Fortunately, most RV problems are pretty easy to fix on your own as long as you’re willing to watch some YouTube videos and get your hands a little bit dirty.

Fixing RV Fridge

Breaking out the tools and doing a bit of research is often enough to get another vehicle (if you have one) up and running as well, and doing this repair work yourself can save you tons of time and money.

Do I Have a Financial Plan?

Speaking of money, you will need some sort of money coming in if you want your life on the road to last very long at all. Thankfully, the internet makes it pretty easy to hold down a job while traveling. Other options include traveling for seasonal work or living off of retirement income.

If you’re not sure where to begin in the search for a job that travels well, check out this article for some tips and ideas.

Can I Thrive with a “Feast or Famine” Style of Socialization?

Those who live on the road full-time must be pretty intentional about finding ways to socialize. This isn’t to say socializing is impossible, but it might mean working your travel schedule around events and meetups.

This can lead to a “feast or famine” situation, meaning that you will sometimes have a couple of weeks that are chock-full of friends and can be overwhelming. Other times, you may go several weeks with no real social interaction at all. Being the type of person who is okay with this is definitely helpful when traveling full-time.

RVing Alone & Together

Looking for ways to find friends while traveling? This article explains some of the best ways to do that. You might also check out RV clubs such as Fulltime Families and Escapees.

Is My Family On Board?

Lastly, but probably most importantly, you will need to find out whether or not your significant other and any other immediate family members are on board. Traveling with people who didn’t want to travel in the first place is never fun. This is true for short-term trips as well as long-term trips, making it extremely important that everyone in your family is excited to live the traveling lifestyle.

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

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