How Learning can be Incorporated into Summer Travel
July 18, 2023
By:
Kelsey Cook
The summer months are a great time for students to relax and have fun after working hard the past school year. However, this extra time off can be responsible for the learning loss that happens when students close the books and hit the road for summer vacation. This loss of academic knowledge can easily be reduced by incorporating learning activities to engage kids wherever your summer takes you.
Traveling doesn’t just mean going on a vacation internationally or even to a different state, it can be as simple as exploring a new place in your hometown or somewhere that doesn’t require hours in a car or airport. Wherever you go, travel allows you to learn valuable life skills and world knowledge that can’t always be taught in a classroom. Kids can learn a lot through seeing and experiencing a new place, whether they have previously learned about the destination or not. It provides them with the opportunity to try new things which builds self-confidence and the ability to quickly adapt to new circumstances.
The learning benefits of travel can be enhanced by including classroom topics into your everyday adventures that are still exciting for kids to be a part of! Parents can incorporate these four steps in their travel plans to engage kids in new education activities during the summer:
1. Research the Destination
Once you decide where you’re going, research the destination and see if there are any educational connections to topics your kids have previously been introduced to. These could be as simple as connections to history or geography lessons they may have had. This can help you find activities that might be interesting and relevant to your child to go see in person, while brushing up on topics they’ve learned. Finding books that are related to or about the destination can help boost their excitement and can also give them something to do when traveling there.
2. Keep a travel journal
Having a travel journal is a great way for kids to reflect on what they saw and experienced each day. It also sharpens writing skills such as vocabulary, storytelling, and sentence structure. Encourage them to record dates and any new language or words they hear. Doodling or sketching things they see can also help enhance their creativity too!
3. Explore and embrace new culture
Exploring a new destination gives them hands on experience with certain things they’ve learned or will learn about in school. This can be things such as animals, geography, landmarks, and nature. Embracing the different cultures allows your child to become exposed to other ways of life that might be completely different to what they are used to. This also challenges them to become more open-minded and empathetic toward other values and traditions.
4. Ask questions
As you are exploring the area ask them questions that encourage them to observe their surroundings and process what they are thinking. Asking questions like “Why do you think...?” and “How do you think about...?” helps children analyze information, strengthen critical thinking skills, and develop their own individual ideas.
Regardless of where you are going, these four suggestions can help easily incorporate learning into your travel plans this summer. When using these steps make sure to follow their interest to keep your travel plans fun while still implementing educational experiences that are fun for the whole family.
Sources:
https://blog.education.com/2019/05/15/summer-learning-on-road/