Teach your kids to travel locally
It’s easy to be seduced by the allure of international travel. Not all of us are lucky enough to live next to white sand beaches or in fascinating towns with oodles of history.
But local travel is becoming more popular and it’s ideal for family travel. It’s generally closer, cheaper and it’s easy to hit the ground running, avoiding timezone issues or culture shock. Plus, it’s way, way, way better for the environment.
There’s a bit of a stigma about local travel though. Lots of people see domestic travel as purely for fun, not ‘an enriching experience’. People imagine local travel to be about beach time or campsite stays, and only visiting a museum when it’s raining or if there’s something REALLY special. After all, how different can Devon be from Berkshire?
But the stigma is wrong.
Local travel can be a significant, transformational learning experience. There’s so much to learn in local areas, particularly in small museums or local attractions. Like, did you know that there’s a tiny beach in Cornwall that was protected with hidden flame throwers during WWII because almost all the communications lines to the rest of the world were buried in the sand there? We learned that at the incredible Porthcurno Telegraph Museum.
We’ve gathered some tips on how to make your domestic holiday an engaging learning experience for kids and adults!
1. It starts with research
There’s no way around it – education involves research. Luckily there are plenty of ways to research local areas. You could start by Googling, ‘facts about…’ and see what comes up. A map is always helpful, as is basic info like the largest town, important rivers etc.
The most enjoyable part of research involves local attractions – I don’t mean water parks, but museums, National Trust properties or cultural events and centres. Although these may initially seem a little dull and ‘for the older generation’, there’s so much to learn in places like this. It can be great fun to set kids a challenge in a local attraction – ask them to each find out the most interesting thing they’ve learned that day with a small prize for the winner.
“It can be great fun to set kids a challenge in a local attraction – ask them to each find out the most interesting thing they’ve learned that day with a small prize for the winner”
Researching a local area, like Devon can be a little trickier than researching a whole culture or country – after all you’re focusing on a much smaller area, but there is always something to learn.
2. Use social media
Social media can be a fantastic tool for research. Instagram accounts provide beautiful images and places to visit, but are often run by locals who have a huge amount of insight into local places. You can always ask them a question or drop them a DM.
If you’re looking for loads of recommendations, try a Facebook group for a local area. Devon with Kids is an example of a really active Facebook group filled with Devon locals and those interested in visiting. FB groups can be a great place for finding out of the way locations and activities which are fascinating for kids.
3. Look at famous people from the area
Researching famous people from an area can often give great insight into what the area is known for and what the locals are proud of. Plus, it will give you a great advantage at trivia nights! While some areas have more famous people than others, everywhere has someone famous to be proud of.
If you’re looking for a full educational experience, make sure to do some research on famous women and POC from that area. Often the stories of white men are prioritized but with a little digging, the stories of others can be found too.
4. Make up some materials before you go
Making up some basic educational materials isn’t as difficult as you might think. Work with your kids before you go to make a checklist of places you’d like to visit, things you’d like to see or animals you’d love to find. All of these lists involve some research both for you and your kids. Prepping some educational materials helps to prime the kids for a bit of local learning, and almost always gets them more enthusiastic and excited about the trip.
“Printed out maps are also useful. They give kids a basic outline of where they are. Plus, if you print out a basic version, they can scribble all over them and record some of their memories on them ”
Mini quizzes are also a great option, easily created. An A4 sheet of paper asking kids to list famous places they know in an area, or what the largest city is, biggest river or where it’s close to, is all it takes.
Printed out maps are also useful. They give kids a basic outline of where they are. Plus, if you print out a basic version, they can scribble all over them and record some of their memories on them.
(If this idea appeals to you, keep an eye out for our travel sketchbook campaign coming later in the summer!)
We’d love to hear about your experiences teaching and learning about local areas. We’re planning on being in the UK over the summer so we’re planning on nabbing some recommendations for places to visit too!
If you’re interested in the DTK approach to learning about local places, why not check out our free activity workbook about Devon?
It’s got 3 activities and is designed for kids 6-12 to spark their curiosity about Devon. It’s ideal for anyone holidaying in Devon this summer, but can be done by anyone who wants to learn a little about the local area!
Sign up below to receive your free Devon workbook!