Sometimes I share what we do in our homeschool, but the truth is that everything we do at home, well, anyone could do at home. We all teach our children- it’s called parenting! Homeschool just requires a bit more focus, but in my opinion, it’s a pretty natural extension of parenting. I realized not long ago how much “homeschooling” we do in the car, and since then, I’ve had a post about CarSchooling on my mind.
What is CarSchooling?
Honestly I thought it was a term I jokingly made up until I googled it and saw that other people had realized the same thing I did. We are in the car a lot. Between driving to the grocery store, the park, activities, play dates, and visiting family, we spend a lot of time in the car. While it’s tempting to use that time to zone out (and sometimes I do), I’ve realized what a valuable resource that time is. Now we fill it with learning in multiple forms that make the trip engaging and more entertaining for all. CarSchooling is just utilizing the time we spend traveling in the car to enhance our children’s education, whether we homeschool, public school, private school, charter school, online school, unschool, or any combination of schooling out there. 😉
We don’t do videos unless the road trip is 3+ hours, but we always have music, stories, or podcasts playing. Here our some of out favorites!
Favorite Music CDs
Count, Add, Subtract! : Warning, it’s super catchy and I find myself singing these math songs when I’m on my own. They’ve helped both girls pick up everything from counting and skip counting, to adding and subtracting.
Camp Songs with Ella Jenkins and Friends : So many good songs to sing along to, like This Land Is Your Land and Sloop John B. and This Little Light of Mine. We love this one.
Here Comes Science : A CD that every science lover should have it- fun facts about science to a beat? Good stuff!
Little People Sing-a-long Favorites but we also love all the Little People CDs : The kids have loved these since they were tiny toddlers. They are cutesy and fun and we all still sing along.
Favorite Story CDs
Tell Me a Story and honestly anything else read by Jim Weiss : His voice is like butter and entrances both girls. They seriously both gaze out the window in silence and just listen.
Amelia Bedelia Audio Collection : Hailey is is a serious Amelia Bedelia phase right now. I think it’s because she finally understands the irony and thinks it’s hilarious.
The House at Pooh Corner : I’m a sucker for a classic.
Disney’s Songs and Story : These CDs have about 4-5 songs from the motion picture, then tell an abridged version of the story (8-13 minutes long). They are so much fun for Disney fans!
Favorite Podcasts
Wow in the World : From NPR, hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz guide curious kids and their grown-ups on a journey into the wonders of the world around them.
Story Nory : A great collection of free kid-friendly audio stories.
Story Pirates : We have not listened to this yet, but so many people on Instagram suggested it to me I had to include it. From the site: The Story Pirates aren’t your typical swashbuckling sailors. We don’t steal gold, pillage villages, or claim land; We’re searching for a different kind of treasure: kids’ wildest, most imaginative stories.
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls : A story podcast about real-life inspirational women, based off the popular book Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.
Favorite Workbooks
Kumon My First Book of Uppercase Letters
Favorite Games to Play
Spelling Bee
Skip Counting Challenge and other Verbal Math Quizzes
Brain Quest Question and Answer Cards (if your child can read)
I’ve shared with you how we keep our car clean, which helps me keep my sanity. Another huge helper for carschooling is a good middle seat organization system. I love this one.
I know in today’s world most of us spend a lot of time in the car. It’s been really fascinating to me to realize how much learning takes place on the road. If you have any favorite carschooling podcasts, workbooks, songs, or activities, I’d love to hear what they are!
What do your kids like to do or listen to in the car?
