Is there such thing as travel education?

I once read a quote that said something like:

Not taking your children travelling because they won’t remember it is like not reading to them because they wont remember that either

• -Someone annonymous on Facebook

Ok, so I don’t remember exactly what it said but you get the idea of what it was and it really resonated with me. I’m someone who never doubted that I would travel with my kids and show them the world. People have insinuated that it is sometimes seen as quite selfish that I have taken them away as if my reasoning is that I want to see places so I will drag the kids.

There is a bit of truth in that I suppose. I do enjoy travelling so I wanted to take the kids along to see what I saw and understand why I love to travel. I guess it was a tiny bit selfish but not really, despite being so young when they went on the first trips they have learnt so much from their many adventures. Each and every kid has had a teacher who has told me that they have benefitted in some way or another from the travels we have been on. So what have they learnt that coincides with the school curriculum then?

Geography and Travel

I think this is the obvious one. I didn’t really like geography at school, not enough time was spent looking at the actual countries for me. Instead, I vaguely remember lots of things about rock formations and teenage me wasn’t bothered. My kids on the other hand are fully invested in learning about it. They love everything geography but especially the countries! Why? Because they are gaining a travel education!

Maths – On The Road Tutoring

Working out a daily budget for travel? That’s maths.
Converting currency? Also maths.
Tipping in a restaurant? Maths again!
Working out what time it is at home to call Grandma? Maths!
Maths isn’t always algebra. A lot of our daily arithmetic we do in our heads, and we don’t have to write it down on paper. Encouraging the kids to help work out these things is helping them to develop important skills!

Religious Travel Education

There’s nothing quite like immersing yourself in a culture to learn all about the religion and customs. We often visit places of worship when we are somewhere new. The kids were in awe of the Big Buddha and mesmerised by the call to prayer they heard in Penang. The kids aren’t scared of religions that they don’t practise themselves. They understand that everyone has their own beliefs and that is OK. And the reason they have learnt this? It’s from the education of travel. Something that just cannot be taught in schools in the same way.

Reading

Of course, reading is a big thing for them too. Reading information about places we are visiting, looking at guides and deciding where we want to visit plus reading their favourite books as a way to pass time on flights. Even the small reading that we don’t even notice like reading signs at attractions or at the airport is all reading and they are learning from it.

Foreign Languages Lessons

It’s amazing how much they pick up just by hearing conversations. Greeting the lady at reception in Thailand means Sawasdee ka is still repeated now. Kalimera is another regular one too, often said to the cleaning lady at our accommodations in Greece and of course Hola! Little by little, they pick up more than they realise and it shows in their school studies.

So, there is such a thing as a travel education. The chance to spend time as a family is invaluable anyway, but throw into it all the other things they will learn. Lots of kids (myself included) learn to swim when on holiday or travelling. Lots learn how to communicate with others who don’t necessarily speak the same language as them. They become more tolerant of change and understand that we don’t all look the same or have the same skin colour. There are so many benefits to travelling that can’t be taught in a classroom but the fact that school lessons can be taught on the road is a big fat bonus!

Can you think of any other benefits that kids earn when travelling? Let me know in the comments!

Becky x