
Enhancing Children’s Learning Through Travel Adventures
Nurturing our children’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge is a top priority for parents. While school plays a crucial role in this, there’s something really special about travel that can ignite a child’s curiosity and enhance their learning experiences in ways that textbooks cannot equal.
Whether it’s a visit to the supermarket, a trip to the seaside, a weekend in Europe, or a fortnight in the Caribbean, during these times children learn by engaging all of their senses as they are exposed to different accents, languages, sounds, smells, flavours, colours and sights.
These experiences not only provide priceless learning opportunities for children but also character-shaping opportunities which will help to develop their view of the world as they grow.
So how exactly is travel valuable for children’s development?….
Personal development
Travel can have a positive effect on children’s personal development. Travelling is a great way to give children new responsibilities such as packing their bag or suitcase, which teaches them to make decisions for themselves, to be organised, and to be responsible for their belongings.
When travelling, encourage them to get involved in tasks such as map reading and finding places to eat. All of this will help them become more self-reliant, which will impact their everyday life when they return from your trip.
Being in new situations requires us to adapt, and the ability to adapt is an important skill that your child will call upon throughout their life to cope with change. Travel not only involves getting used to different environments and cultural norms, but it can also force changes in sleep patterns, eating habits, and routines, so it is a great way to teach children how to adjust and be flexible.
Travel can also help children learn to be patient. You may have to wait in long traffic jams or queues at the checkout or airport and spend a long time in a car, train or plane, so children must find ways to keep themselves occupied during these times.
Family Bonding
Generally, when you go away as a family, you will have plenty of time to spend with your children. Sharing the experiences of travel strengthens bonds and will create memories.
Positive experiences contribute to healthy brain development in children, especially when they involve an important person in their life, such as a parent or grandparent. When children grow up and look back in years to come, they won’t remember the new toys they had bought for them, but they will remember the adventures they had on those days at the seaside, or the holidays in those interesting places, even if they do forget some of the details.
Hands-on learning
Travel allows children to experience hands-on learning. While it is possible to learn from books and teachers, some things just have to be experienced, and travel gives children real-life interactive examples of what they may have studied at school.
For example, they don’t just learn a different language, they can hear it being spoken all around them. They can see what people wear, hear their music, see their architecture in real life, and get to smell and taste their food.
Unity in Diversity
When on the go, you are often surrounded by people who look and sound different to you. This is an ideal opportunity to show children that people may be different on the outside, but we have many similarities. They will learn that they can still enjoy playing with children from places or countries they’re not familiar with, even if they speak a different language – play transcends language barriers. This is important for children to learn as it helps them to develop tolerance and acceptance.
Bringing history and geography to life
When children see historical buildings or sites with their own eyes, it brings what they have learnt at school to life and the facts and figures they have been taught start to make sense. Telling a child about famous figures such as William Shakespeare or Anne Frank will never have the same impact as hearing about them as you walk around their homes and get a feel for how they lived. Being there in person is also really helpful for taking in information and remembering it. Travelling also helps children to form a better geographical understanding of their country and the world they live in. Show them maps of where they live, the rest of the country and the rest of the world. They can search for places they have visited or places they are about to visit. Not only will they learn the names of different towns, cities, and countries, but they will also begin to understand how far apart or close together places are.
See the world as your child’s classroom. Taking them out of their comfort zone and everyday life, for a day, weekend, or fortnight, undoubtedly broadens their horizons. It will help equip them with valuable life skills, making them more adaptable, confident, and independent. And the experiences they have on their travels will not just help grow their knowledge, they will also help to mould tolerant and compassionate individuals with a taste for adventure!