Homeschool and Travel
By April Lykins, Travel Advisor
From new to seasoned homeschool families we are all looking for ways to ignite a passion for knowledge into our little ones. You may already be using books, online resources, games and manipulatives, but have you considered adding travel to your homeschool plans?
Travel is a great way to help your visual hands-on learners gain access to their world through all of their senses. All types of travel can be a learning experience. Let’s explore some travel destinations and the ways we can incorporate them into all our homeschool lessons.
National Monuments and Parks
I am sure this one comes as no surprise to homeschool families. National Monuments and Parks are rich in historical and scientific knowledge. Many states across the U.S have a wide variety of parks to choose from with many of them being little to no cost! That is a mathematical win!
Zoo’s, Aquariums, and Botanical Gardens
A must for the younger homeschoolers! Zoos, Aquariums and Gardens are a clear winner for Animal Science lessons. Many of these places have homeschool specific days so your children can enter at a lower cost and gain access to some on-site education provided by staff.
Family Travel
Of course there are times when your family may just be setting out on a good family vacation. One of the great benefits of homeschooling is being able to take these vacations when destinations are less busy. This allows time for some great immersion into the environment that you are visiting. How do we turn every day family travel into a homeschool lesson? Consider adding these into your family travel itinerary:
Have older homeschoolers help you budget for the trip teaching them to add in things like gas, accommodations, food and fun!
Have the younger ones color the map of the area you are visiting.
Learn the state name and city you will be traveling to and even print off a lapbook of the area.
Have all children learn a bit about the history of the place you will be visiting.
After visiting, have older homeschoolers write about their experience and younger ones draw and talk about what they learned.
These are obviously just a few ways that you can turn your next trip into a homeschool lesson! If you aren’t homeschooling, no worries! Take this guide with you on your next vacation to enrich what your children are learning in school! Learning through hands-on, visually stimulating activities is one of the best ways to get our children excited about the world around them.
