Hey Mama Monday: Travel Tips for Homeschoolers, Mama

Because of home education, we have the freedom to travel any time of the year or any day of the week. Some families have well-planned travel ideas, and some families are very spontaneous. It can be refreshing to get out, even if you bring the school books with you! Over the years, we learned both to plan our travel and to also take spontaneous day trips. Sometimes, driving one or two hours away and hunting for the fun things to do in a new city is a needed break.

Research all the museums, zoos, factories, discovery centers, and hidden gems near you and purpose to put a field trip on the calendar each month or two. (If I don’t put it on the calendar, it probably won’t happen.) Don’t forget to see which of your favorite places offer “homeschool days” at a discount.

Hotels

Some hotel chains offer family rooms or suites. If you stay with one brand, they often have reward points that can add up to extra nights. For larger families, it may be more economical to find a hotel that offers free breakfast than to go out to eat with everyone. Stopping at grocery stores for meal items also saves money.

Camping

Camping was always our children’s favorite memories. Tent camping is labor intensive but very economical. Some campgrounds offer family cabins (cheaper than hotels and still a good camping type experience).

Parks

Even a simple picnic at a nice park is memorable. Finding your state or national parks always offer wonderful adventuring. If you have young ones, look for the shortest, easiest hikes or trails. We always brought sandwiches and fruit, and each child’s backpack had snacks and water.

Travel Packs

If you are traveling long distances, consider making travel packs. These can be as simple as brown lunch paper sacks filled with surprises. On a particularly long trip, the children would get a new surprise bag every hour or two. The bags included dollar store items: snacks, colored pencils, coloring books, new toys, books, games, etc. These long trips are also great for getting in all those audio books you’ve been waiting to hear.

I know, Mom. You get tired even thinking about traveling. Start with just making lunch and going to a local park and then venture further the next time. Pretty soon, you will see how refreshing it is to see your children play and laugh and discover new things as you keep them Home Where They Belong.

We do not “trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).

Deborah Wuehler is the Senior Editor and Director of Production here at The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. She would say she is a very ordinary homeschool mom–with one exception: she has an extra-ordinary God Who provides all she needs for life and homeschooling. She has eight children aged 11 to 29. Deborah’s mission is this: to point other homeschoolers to the Lord in all they do, think, and feel—and to confirm that they, too, can find everything they need for life, godliness–and homeschooling–in their knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:3, 4).