Staying Safe on the Go: A Travel Safety Unit Study
Whether you’re heading to grandma’s house or crossing an ocean, traveling safely is a life skill worth mastering. This unit study for the Travel Safety Badge will walk learners of all ages through the basics of staying safe on the go—whether by car, plane, train, or boat. With hands-on activities, roleplay, packing challenges, and safety planning, this unit makes travel safety engaging, practical, and memorable.
This unit study includes hands-on activities, games, and discussion ideas for families, clubs, or classrooms. If you’re completing this badge as part of your homeschool or group, consider pairing it with other relevant badges like First Aid, Map Reading, Culture by Country, or Emergency Preparedness.
Staying Close
The first step in travel safety is simply staying close with your family or group. Young children don’t need to know flight numbers or emergency exits just yet—but they do need to know how to stay near a trusted adult in busy places. This section introduces the concept of personal space and sticking together, turning a basic rule (“hold hands!”) into something kids understand through movement, roleplay, and fun. These activities build awareness and set the foundation for all other travel safety skills.
Play “Snake Follow the Leader” (Great for younger kids) – Discuss the importance of holding hands to make sure everyone stays together. Have everyone hold hands in a long line. The leader leads the line around and over simple obstacles without anyone dropping hands. If you have a planned trip, role play all going to to the ticket counter together, heading to your gate or bus, etc. Discuss what to do if you get separated from the group.
Play “Shadow Follow the Leader” (Better for older kids) – Play in a parking lot or backyard on a sunny day either in the morning or afternoon when shadows are a bit longer. Discuss the importance of staying together when you travel. Choose an adult as the leader. The goal is to make sure your shadow is always touching the shadow of the leader. Wherever they go, you must follow close enough that your shadow touches theirs. If you have a large group, older kids can be secondary leaders. In this case, assign the younger kids to each older child’s group. The younger kids must keep their shadow touching the older child’s while the older child must keep their shadow touching the adults shadow. This allows the group to stay together but spread out a bit more.
This visual game is a fun way for kids to grasp the concept of staying close without needing to be told every second. It is also a great exercise in teamwork and a way to help older kids practice watching out for the younger ones (don’t let them lose their shadows!) The goal of the game is to work as a team and not separate the shadows. Try walking in a large circle, in zig-zags, etc. as a group and see if everyone can stay together even if they are not holding hands.
Fulfills: Preschool starred requirement #1
Pack It Up
Knowing what to bring on a trip is part of being prepared—but it’s also part of feeling secure. For young children, packing a travel bag helps them take ownership of their comfort and safety. This activity turns packing into a hands-on, imaginative experience, helping kids think through what they need to feel calm, clean, entertained, and safe while away from home. For older kids, practicing packing helps them think about situations such as weather and proper footwear as well as wants vs needs so they don’t overpack.
To Do: Provide each child with a suitcase or backpack and a travel scenario—“We’re flying to Grandma’s in winter” or “We’re going on a day trip to the zoo.” Ask them to pack their bag with things that will help them stay safe and comfortable: a jacket, hiking boots, book, snack, sunscreen, bug spray, ID tag, etc.
Optional Extension: Use the printable cutouts in our Travel Packing List Activity and have kids sort “helpful” vs. “unnecessary” items in a travel safety kit.
Fulfills: Preschool starred requirement #2
Who Am I, and Where Do I Belong?
When traveling, it’s important for kids to know who they are, where they live, and how to get help if they ever get separated from their grown-up. This activity helps children memorize essential personal information and understand when—and with whom—it’s safe to share it. By practicing real-world scenarios in a safe, guided way, kids gain confidence and learn to stay calm and clear if something unexpected happens.
To Do: Make an Emergency ID Card with name, parent’s name, home address, and emergency contact phone number. Laminate it or slip it into a luggage tag to keep with your child when traveling. Have the kids memorize their information and roleplay different scenarios—what to say to a police officer, how to ask for help if lost, who it’s safe to talk to in a crowd.
Discussion Prompt: Why is it important to not share this information with just anyone?
Fulfills: Level 1 starred requirement #2
On the Move: Travel Safety Drill
Whether you’re buckling up in a car or listening to a flight attendant on a plane, every type of travel comes with its own set of safety rules. This activity helps kids connect common transportation methods with the safety habits that go with them. It also opens up an important conversation about how our behavior—like staying quiet during instructions—can help keep everyone safe.
To Do: In a large room or grassy area, assign each of the four sides a mode of transportation: Car, Bus, Airplane and Ship. Put a sign in each area so the kids know which is which. Start everyone in the center of the play area. Call out a safety instruction such as “Always wear your seatbelt” and have the kids run to the mode of transportation that requires that safety rule.
If a safety rule applies to more than one mode of transportation the kids should pick the one they think is the most important. If kids split between two or more areas have them explain why they chose the one they did. For example for wearing a seatbelt, Car would be the most obvious, but you also wear a seatbelt on a plane so some kids may go to that area. That is a great time to discuss that in a car you always have to wear you seatbelt, but in a plane you can get up and move around when it is safe.
If you need ideas for safety rules, print out the Travel Safety Rules PDF.
Group Discussion: What are examples of good vs. distracting behavior while traveling? Why is staying quiet or cooperative important during announcements or instructions?
Fulfills: Level 2 starred requirement #2
“Safety Through Time: A Timeline”
Understanding how travel has become safer over time helps us appreciate the rules and inventions we sometimes take for granted. From the invention of seatbelts to the creation of air traffic control, each change in law or technology came about to solve a problem or prevent accidents. Creating a travel safety timeline lets kids explore the “why” behind the rules—why we wear life jackets, fasten seatbelts, or follow airport procedures. It turns history into something practical and shows how people around the world work to keep travelers safe.
To Do: Make a timeline of travel safety laws. Include key developments like the invention of seatbelts, introduction of airbags, creation of TSA, etc. Use online resources or assign research topics to each student. Timeline can be physical (string and index cards) or digital (Google Slides or Canva).
Suggested Printable: “Blank Travel Safety Timeline” template
Fulfills: Level 3 starred requirement #2
Optional Activities to Extend Learning
- Travel Emergency Roleplay: Act out how to handle a lost wallet, delayed flight, or lost phone. Create travel emergency cards and draw them from a jar.
- Safety Sign Bingo: Make a bingo card with common signs from airports, trains, or roads. Go on a scavenger hunt or watch a travel video to spot them.
- Travel Safety Kit Challenge: Using a printable checklist, have kids assemble a real or pretend safety kit. Can they remember bandages, ID, whistle, flashlight, hand sanitizer?
Final Thoughts
Travel is one of the best ways to expand your horizons—but it’s also a time when safety matters most. With just a few fun activities and real-world discussions, kids of all ages can develop awareness, caution, and confidence. Whether they’re boarding a plane, riding in the backseat, or just dreaming of far-off places, these travel safety lessons will help them go boldly—but wisely—into the world.
Want to take this further? Pair the Travel Safety badge with our First Aid, Map Reading, or Cultural by Country badges for a well-rounded unit on global exploration and preparedness.
