Tips for Learning While Traveling
During Christina's 12 years of homeschooling, her and her family have roadschooled in locations such as Switzerland, Turkey, France, Germany, Belgium, Lebanon, Jordan, UK, Greece, Mexcio, and more.
Here are some of her top tips for learning while traveling, especially if your travels will be international.
1. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Read up on where you want to go before you get there. Learn about what the location has to offer, where things are in relation to each other, and what special sites or activities would help provide a rich experience for your family. Being spontaneous is fun but it's good to know what you’re getting into and keep in mind the possibilities for learning.
2. KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES
Learning on the road can get expensive, especially if you have a large family. You have to pick your priorities. For example, if you're a foodie family, your priority may be hunting down and splurging on the best meals. If you care more about your accomodations, you might prefer to your budget to go to a good quality hotel. If you really care about is beautiful scenery, booking a serene Airbnb may be the way to go. Know before you book where you want your budget to go and how you want to adapt within that while you're on the road.
3. HAVE AN ITINERARY
If your travels are not well organized, things can become stressful very quickly. When we travel I'm very intentional and purposeful about where we go and what we do. I always have a detailed itinerary and make sure to hit specific landmarks and museums that I know will help add value to our family's experience. I also make sure to get the kids headsets for the landmark places we visit so they can absorb the history and important knowledge.
4. AIM FOR DIVERSE EXPERIENCES
When traveling, learning doesn't just have to come from Islamic landmarks. Enjoy some non-Islamic history as well. In addition to your more typical educational opportunities like museums or science centers, throw in some fun stuff like cultural celebrations, outdoors excursions, and relaxing scenery. Engaging in a variety of experiences will help make the trip more enriching and help make sure you do something appropriate for everyone in the family.
5. IMMERSE YOURSELF
Take care to immerse yourself as much as you can in the local culture. Eat authentic food from the region, learn a bit of the language if you can, spend time at beloved local hangouts locations to really help give your children an immersive experience. Spend time in the urban areas as well as more rural ones so the children get to experience a variety of landscapes and living experiences. Try living like a local; it goes a long way towards helping your family gain understanding, empathy, and appreciation for others.
6. FOR ROADTRIPS IN PARTICULAR
Whether you’re driving locally or internationally, it's important to maximize your time on the road. Instead of vegging out to movies while you drive, try listening to Quran, Islamic lectures, podcasts, or audiobooks. This will help keep the barakah in your travels instead of just being idle. Young children can also pack small bags with travel-friendly games inside. Making frequent stops while driving can also help ensure the car time doesn’t get overwhelming.
7. STAY FLEXIBLE AND BE WILLING TO ADAPT
You can't plan for everything or determine how your family will enjoy things in the moment. So keep and open mind and be willing to make changes on the go so you can enjoy the best experience possible for your family.
CHRISTINA’S TOP TIP: TRAVEL AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
Any opportunity to experience another country or place is invaluable for your family. So use your opportuntiies and resources to get out and see new things as much as possible. You will gain so much world experience while making meaningful memories and bonding with your family.