This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Happy Travels

Homeschooling gives our family plenty of opportunities to see, and learn about, the world.

Whether you are driving to the Oregon coast, taking a backpacking trip through the Amazon or touring the museums of Europe, every journey brings opportunities for adventure, togetherness and learning. I come from a family of avid travelers and I’m passing my love of traveling onto my children. Visiting new places expands your world and your mind – history, geography, and culture all come alive when you leave home. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness,” said Mark Twain.

One of the best things about homeschooling, given my wanderlust, is that we can pretty much take off any time we want for as long as we want. We regularly travel in the winter and spring, instead of the summer, and we avoid spring break, which is a busy travel time. This means we can take advantage of off-season rates as well as enjoy places when they are less busy. A few years ago, we took a seven-week expedition to Mexico during the winter. My husband’s father is from Mexico, so it is important to us that our kids be familiar with the country. We visited the ruins of Monte Alban, the migrating monarch butterflies and Diego Rivera’s murals in Mexico City. As on all our travels, we made an effort to talk to the locals and eat the cuisine typical of the area. It was a trip we’ll never forget, and I know several other homeschooling families who have taken extended vacations as well.

Although most of the time we go someplace because it’s fun or to visit family and friends, occasionally we travel someplace specifically to learn about it. A couple of years ago, Davis, my husband and I went to Washington D.C. We left the younger two home with grandparents to have some one-on-one time with Davis, and also because we had an ambitious schedule. Davis had been studying American history and government and this was the perfect field trip to solidify her knowledge. We plan to return to D.C. with each of the other two as they get older.

Find out what's happening in Woodinvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Even if we aren’t traveling with the goal of educating in mind, when we go someplace new, we try to learn about it ahead of time. We visited Alaska earlier this summer and the kids and I read fiction set in our 49th state, as well as non-fiction describing the area, animals and some basic history. During the trip, we encourage journaling and photography, which are great ways for everyone to solidify their memories of the vacation. My kids have also written newsletters about their travels to share with family once they arrive home. And while mugs and t-shirts are fun souvenirs, we almost always bring back a book or puzzle that serves the dual purpose of reminding us about our trip, and teaching us a little something new.

I have done a fair amount of traveling with just the kids while my husband is at work. We’ve flown to visit family and done road trips. While I absolutely have some horror stories, like the time I was stuck on a grounded plane for hours with my 7- and 4-year old daughters, and my 8-month old son, for the most part things have gone very smoothly. And since my kids have been traveling since birth, they are really seasoned and know the routine.  

Find out what's happening in Woodinvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

So whether camping in the National Parks or jetting to Hawaii for some sunshine is your thing, get out there! 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Woodinville