Decide how far you want to travel on a road trip and how much time you can spend on the trip. It is also helpful to decide how much time you want to commit to driving each day, as this may factor into how far you want to travel. To create a visual, draw a perimeter on a paper map to narrow down the area of the country where your trip needs to take place.
Research an educational topic, theme or idea that interests you or your family. Ask family members for suggestions or research options on the Internet, where there is a plethora of ideas. An example of an educational trip around a theme could be planning a trip around discovering animals. Such a trip might include visiting several zoos, a wildlife preserve and a natural science museum. Learning about something family members are interested in will add excitement to the trip and illicit additional ideas of how to maximize the theme.
Write learning objectives for the educational trip. Once you know the general area for the trip and the theme, you can start brainstorming questions about the topic to create learning objectives. Using the example of animals again, possible questions could include: "What animals are native to our region?" "Are there any animals that are now extinct, who used to live in our region?" and "How are animals classified?" Questions should be designed for the developmental level of the group. One way to quickly get questions is to ask all family members to write down questions they have about the topic. Use the questions you like to create learning objectives, by rewording them into statements, such as: "At the end of the vacation, everyone will be able to list ten animals who are native to our region." Make the objectives realistic.
Research the questions and learning objectives, looking specifically for learning opportunities in your travel area, where your group can find the answers. Try searching your topic and cities that are in your travel area. For example, if your topic is animals and your travel area includes New York City, you may want to search the words "native animals" and "New York City." You can also add the word "museum" or "wildlife habitat," or any other idea you have that relates to your topic to help narrow down your search. Compile a list of attractions that meet the agenda for your vacation.
Create your travel itinerary. Some attractions you found may not be conveniently located when you map out your route. Prioritize attractions based on your interests. Try to visit all of your priority attractions. Once you have your route, you will want to reserve hotels along the way. To add excitement to your trip, try to find hotels and restaurants that go with your theme.
Make some lists. Make a list of things you need to take care of before you leave, such as hiring someone to take care of your home, arrange boarding for pets or arranging time off for family members. Make a list of things you will need to bring with you for the trip. Also make a list of specific things you can bring on the trip that will supplement the learning experience or are otherwise related to the educational goal of your trip. If your topic is animals, you may want to bring animal activity books, animal movies and animal-theme decorated journals for family members.
Prepare for your trip. Often the most stressful time of the vacation is getting ready for it. Review your lists and be sure to check off everything. Then relax and get ready to learn.
