Your children have one primary job in life, and that’s to learn. This shouldn’t be stopped just because you’re not at home. In fact, the opposite is true. Travelling and exploring the world are great opportunities to enrich your child’s education and maybe pick up some information for yourself as well.

Here are a few ways that you can continue to educate your child on your family vacation, so they can continue learning over the summer and no matter where they are.

Learn About Your Location

Children are naturally curious and want to learn why things are the way they are. By learning about the places you visit, you can satisfy this curiosity and help them learn more, enriching their education. When you’re preparing and planning your vacation, think about where you’re going to go and how your family can learn from it.

If you’re visiting a natural place of beauty, learn about the environment there. What plants and animals are common? If there are unusual rock formations, why are they there? 

This might require a bit of homework for you in advance, but your kids will appreciate it. It’s also a good idea to keep their eyes open. Maybe they should try to spot specific plants, animals, insects, or birds and jot them down. 

If you’re visiting a place of historical or cultural interest, you can do the same thing. Do some homework in advance about the place you’re visiting and then explain things to your child while you’re there.

Another option is to get your child to learn about it and teach you. Or, if something sparks their curiosity, teach them how to research it when you get back.

Journaling

A fantastic way to teach your child and help them remember their experiences is by encouraging them to keep a journal. Journaling is a fantastic way to improve your child’s reading and writing skills, and they will also learn how to express themselves.

A journal or diary is also good for their mental health. Some children find it a helpful way to write down and process their emotions and thoughts, big and small. 

What about reading your child’s diary? If you do want to read their journal, which might be helpful to track their progress, make sure they know in advance. It might be an idea to encourage two diaries, especially as they get older and have more complex feelings, one that’s private and one that you can read.

Privacy will help your child to trust you, especially if a diary contains their unfiltered thoughts and feelings. We all think and feel things we want to keep to ourselves.

You can also encourage your child to take photographs and even draw things that they’ve seen and done. This way, you can print out and display your favourites when you get home so you and your child can remember them fondly.

Museums and Places to Learn

Some places you visit are specifically designed for children to learn. These educational sites are perfect for a more well-rounded learning experience. True, your children can learn anyway, but it helps to have a more organized lesson plan to mix things up.

Look for educational spots that deal with science and math as much as possible, because this adds more variety to the daily learning experience. It’s also important to find places where your children can get involved with a more hands-on experience than simply watching and listening.

Again, your child can continue to learn later. For example, if you go to an art gallery featuring a certain artist or style, you can then encourage your child to draw or paint in their style for a project. 

Learning the Language

Different places mean that your children have more opportunities to learn new languages. It’s been found that children pick up languages far more easily than adults, and they can learn more than one language at a time.

If you’re visiting different parts of the world and spending time there, at least try to teach them the basics. If your stay lasts a couple of months, your child might be able to become more conversational in that language. This will stand them in good stead as they get older.

While On the Move

Travelling doesn’t just mean teleporting from experience to experience. There’s also plenty of moments in between. Sometimes it is nice to use this downtime to relax and talk about whatever you like, or even nothing at all.

But it’s also a good opportunity to learn more with fun games. For example, a Dr. Seuss character memory set of flashcards might not seem like learning, but it helps younger children develop their memory skills. You can also download educational games and shows for your children to enjoy on their tablets.