Homeschooling When Not At Home

 

We recently went on a trip away from home for 10 days and realized that even though we were away from home that our homeschooling did not need to stop.  Here are a few tips from what I learned to make homeschooling successful while away from home.

 

1.  Plan ahead:

 

When at home I have bins of craft supplies, a printer to print any printables, etc.  Yet, while away I do not have access to these things so I HAD to plan ahead.  I looked at what curriculum activities we would maybe do for the week, what feast days were coming up, what art projects we would do, what read-alongs we would want to read, and I put together a little bag of supplies that I needed.  I brought glue sticks, crayons, colored paper, ribbon, scissors and a few more items.  The other part of planning ahead was making sure to not bring more than we needed.  Some of our more hands on curriculums I decided to leave at home to make it easier for us all!  Everything needed to fit in one small bin for the entire trip!

 

 

 

 2.  Keep the Schedule:

We have learned that our children succeed with a schedule.  Since we have loosely started homeschooling two years ago it has simply become a part of our daily life and our children have come to expect it each day.  I knew that if I did not bring homeschool activities that when we usually do book work (during our youngest sons afternoon nap time) that our older children would be confused and more easily bored!  We continued most days to do our book work and activities during nap time each day and it worked great!

 

 

 

3.  Add Fun Field Trips:
 

One of the best parts of going to a new place is the opportunity to explore new sites and fun places to visit!  We did a few fun field trips while we were away to the local zoo, and other great activities!  It is also a great way to learn about the local history and geography!  Make sure to check out what is around where you are traveling to and plan for when they are open during your stay!

4.  Pray:

Traveling and being away from home with little ones can be stressful, but with God anything is possible.  Take the time to start and end each day with prayer and ask God to bless you and your family with a love of exploring His beautiful world and creations while also enjoying precious time together.  Take time to visit fun churches, chapels and shrines in the area that you are visiting as well!