Authored by Jesse Woods

Everyone is familiar with homeschooling, but how about Worldschooling? The latest buzz word in alternative education. But what exactly is it?

Worldschooling is not just a method of education, but instead is an all-encompassing whole family lifestyle choice. Some people choose to live like this for a few months of the year while they go travelling, others make it a way of life. 

Worldschooling is all about learning from the real world. It is experiencing different cultures, places, people, food, history and societies while travelling and it can be an incredible enriching education. 

If you dream of travelling but think it’s not possible until your children are grown and have finished their formal education you might want to think again!

But how does Worldschooling work, and can it work for your family? How should you teach your children on while you are on the road?

Worldschooling: How to Teach Your Children on the Road

Visit Diverse Locations

Go to as many different places as possible! 

For example you can learn about pharaohs, mummification and Pythagoras theorem when you visit the pyramids in Egypt, take cooking lessons in Cambodia and learn to kayak in Thailand, 

Don’t value one place over another for education, there is something to draw from every single place you visit. Even places like Disneyland, you can look at how films are made and the different areas in which they were shot!

Visit places that a rich in culture, visit different continents, don’t leave lower income and areas of poverty off your list. These places can foster incredible empathy and resilience in your children. 

Visit tropical areas, snowy areas, busy cities, quiet villages, mountainous regions, and places by the ocean! While you’re in each area, visit historical sites and museums. 

These places are packed with information about the local area and history. Similarly to researching classes, have a look what famous sites or museums are available in different areas before you pass through. 

Have a Small Supply of Resources

If you’ve lived on the road before, or spend a large portion of your life travelling, you know that space is a luxury! 

However, there are a few things that you will need to teach your children on the road. If you have space for a small bag or box, which contains the following things, your children will have all they need to learn wherever you are in the world. 

• A sketchpad
• A notebook
• Pen, pencil, rubber, and sharpener
• Good quality colored pencils 
• Small tin of watercolors
• A laptop or iPad 

Children learn mostly through doing and experiencing, which is why this list is so small! They might want to write notes about places you’re visiting or draw pictures when you’re at a historic site. 

Ensuring that they each have their own notebook or sketchpad which is readily available can encourage spur of the moment learning when you’re out and about on the road. 

Many parents don’t like to use technology, so you might want to omit these from your list, but they can come in handy when your child asks a question that they want to explore further. YouTube is your best friend!

Draw From Other People

One of the best things about travelling, is speaking to new people and learning from them. 

By immersing yourself in local culture and traditions, rather than seeking out the more touristy attractions, your children are bound to learn a wealth of information. 

You can research different classes or talks in the areas you visit, but the best learning comes when you accidently cross paths with someone just carrying out their everyday lives. 

For example seeing the local fishermen going out in the early morning to sea and waiting to hear their stories and what they’ve caught upon return. 

Getting to know the locals and getting stuck into their everyday life activities will teach your children much more than a textbook ever could. 

And Lastly… Talk!

If you’re picturing travelling around with workbooks and worksheets, think again. Most of your children’s education will come through talking about the places you’re visiting, the people you see, the economy, the land, the jobs etc. 

Conversations spark off interest, and their curiosity and questions will always lead to great discussions. 

There is learning to be done all around you, where you are, so just talk to your children about what you see, and what you think. 

Is WorldSchooling for Your Family?

Whilst not everyone is free to up sticks and go travelling with your children, if you have a digital job that you could do online from anywhere in the world, this style of education could work well for your children. 

If you already unschool your children, and have lots of flexibility in their education, while following their interests and passions, this way of life might flow on well from unschooling. 

It provides children with a deeper real life understanding and respect for different cultures and places because they get to see, live, and experience diversity.