5 Benefits of Homeschooling/ Worldschooling Your Child { The things your child will learn from world-schooling away from home}

Travel is exciting and full of adventure, for adults and children too! If you can spend a month or longer in any country as a family, then the sky’s the limit for learning on the road.

Here are 5 things your child can expect to learn when you homeschool when traveling:

1. Languages. There are more than 6,500 languages alive in the world today, and English is but one of them. Parents know that a child’s brain is like a sponge, soaking up words and new sounds as they go. When a traveler takes an honest effort to learn a few words and phrases in a region that they are visiting, people often feel honored that you have given their language a try. Children naturally know how to play with each other, however learning little things like hello, my name is, what is your name, and thank you makes it so much easier for children to gain friends while traveling. In addition to meeting new friends and making traveling easier, language learning also increases confidence, feeds the brain, and teaches how to look at other cultures from a different perspective. 

Another fun way to improve language learning is to have your child ask for directions when traveling or to place their order at the cafe in the language of the food being served  (Italian, Mexican, Russian). Most waiters or waitresses will be patient to help with pronunciations and take time to engage with your child.

2. Receiving first-hand experience of the do’s and don’ts of other cultures. Sooner or later, kids will realize that we are all different, but if they have the chance from a young age to develop relationships with people of a different religion or skin color, then you are helping them to overcome taught feelings of hatred. Difference is good. Respect is essential. The earlier they see this, the better. As you travel more with your children, you will notice  acceptance and tolerance among people tends to blossom while fear and suspect tend to slip away in the background.

In most American restaurants and cafes, people tend to sit at “their table”, but when you travel with your kids to other countries and more communal areas, you and your family will get the opportunity to sit by many different people from all over the world. By being kind and politely striking up conversations with other travelers, you may develop new and lasting friendships or at minimum some important travel tips. 

RELATED: Tips for Train Travel in Europe with Kids

Outside of cafes, parks and beaches offer an opportunity for your kids to meet and play with other kids and get to understand and accept the differences of others. 

3. Connecting with locals. Traveling with children opens up conversations of all sorts, so it is good to have a young one on board! Kids will make comments and open up to people of all ages, regardless of a common language, as they are naturally inquisitive. 

Further foster this curiosity by bringing them to destinations where local craft is richly practiced in farmers markets, like pottery-making, or abaca-weaving locals where they are sure to ask the how’s and why’s of the trade. 

4. Getting off the beaten track. You can only visit so many museums before they all start to look alike. Kids encourage trips to playgrounds, to the beach, or out for a hike in the forest where a different sort of nature can be experienced. They are desperate to touch, experience, and explore. Allowing them to explore should be one of the main goals when traveling after all. Let children experience the beauty of the real world. It will open doors to opportunities, possibilities and allow children to discover themselves. 

5. Togetherness. Traveling without mundane distractions and senseless arguments about who gets to sit where at the dinner table, means that the entire family can focus on “being together”, learning about the world at the same time.

Being away from home not only breaks our regular routine, both for children and adults, but is a wonderful time where the family is taken out of its comfort zone and the value of relying on each other for support, learning, comfort, and fun is stronger. 

If you want to hear a seasoned mom’s point of view on homeschooling, please watch the following video: Homeschooling or Worldschooling Your Child w/ Food Allergies or Sensitivities. MapsCookingKids.com

We would be so grateful if you liked our video and subscribed to our YouTube channel. Plus connect with us over on Twitter and Instagram to share your views on parenting, homeschooling, and traveling with kids. 

As a homeschooling parent, what are some of your greatest experiences that you or your kid(s) have had from traveling? If you are new to traveling with your children, what are some of your fears? What are some of the destinations you would like to visit?