Learning Vacations, Educational Trips That Teach Kids

Is travel the best education? Can family travel enhance learning for kids?

Here is one good example about the Roman army which we have learned about through books as we have traveled the world and some first hand experience in Rome at the colosseum, Nimes, Split Croatia's Diocletian's Palace, Pompeii, Ephesus, Turkey, Puy du Fou, Provence,  Hierapolis ....to name just a few places that taught us about the Roman Empire.

"Hey, we learned about that in Jerash" our ten year old said when we were watching the classic Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor during a family movie night in our motorhome in Barcelona. We all perked up on remembering our recent family vacation to Jordan and the exciting Roman Army Experience and Chariot Race in the 244 meter Hippodrome in one of the best-preserved and largest Greco-Roman cities in the world.

I will be writing more about our experience in Jerash, but this photo shows one of the highlights where Roman Centurians demonstrated the "tortoise" and "anti-quus" etc moves that made the Roman army so powerful. When we saw it again in this historic movie, of course we had to smile. There is nothing quite like living history!

What have been your favorite learning on vacation opportunities?

 

 

Comments

[LindsayinSpain]

My daughter was born and raised in Spain, and so whenever we visit the UK I take every opportunity to teach her about her heritage by visiting the wonderful museums, stately homes, parks around where I grew up - I believe there is nothing better than "learning by doing". Visiting a local school recently on a Caribbean holiday was a real eye opener for her!

[Elizabeth]

I did something as a teen called 'global colleges' and went to Kenya for a month. I also went to Oxford for the Oxford Tradition and Interlochen arts academy. These were amazing programs but pricey,and long; kids are away for a month or more.

[Jeanne soultravelers3]

Lindsay - That's great to do! It's so important to keep up with their mother tongue as well. I've met sooo many English kids raised in Spain who could not read or write their native tongue well. Of course the same thing often happens with native Spanish speakers raised in the US.

Visiting locals schools are great and eye opening!

[Jeanne soultravelers3]

Sounds really cool Elizabeth! The great news is when one does world travel as a family one can get many of the same benefits without the high price or getting homesick. ;)

[Jeff McCombs]

Will Mozart be doing a blog? Seems like a natural choice and something that many children who can't travel, but can dream, would enjoy. Maybe you can alternate in some way.

[Jeanne soultravelers3]

We've thought about it at times, Jeff, but it's really a LOT of work to do a blog, so she is not really interested in doing that at this point in time.

She makes little videos all the time so we have thought about her having her own youtube channel as well.

We'll see as time goes on..so far the timing has not been right. She'd rather play in her free time instead of blog or make videos for others, ( pretty normal for a 10 year old) so we follow her lead on that.

It would also take more work for us and we are always looking for ways to spend less time online. ;)

[Elizabeth]

EXACTLY! Traveling as a family is much, much better. God bless homeschooling!!

[Annie@GreenTravelReviews]

I'm a more "learning by doing" kind of person so learning history and culture by traveling seems a much better way to me. I'm not opposed to "normal" schooling, but I think children who travel have the potential to learn much from that.