We have spent over a year travelling around the UK and more recently ventured abroad to explore South Africa and Zimbabwe, tasting travel beyond our doorstep. Travel certainly broadens the mind offering countless learning opportunities; each village, town, city or country has offered us, and in particular the girls, the valuable opportunity to gleam historical, geographical and cultural facts through real and purposeful experiences. This immersive approach will hopefully have a long lasting effect.

There is no better way to get a true sense of the world than by travelling and experiencing it for yourself. It’s all too easy to limit travel opportunities to familiar and regular locations but stepping out of your comfort zones and your routines, although scary, can be exhilarating and rewarding. Travelling to new places, experiencing new cultures and meeting new people can instil a sense of what life is really all about.

The aim of us upping sticks to explore the UK was for our girls to get better understanding of the country in which they live and seeking out real world experiences of those subjects taught in school such as history and geography. The aim of travelling further afield was to experience different cultures and whilst also learning about the history and geography associated with the countries, our travels to Africa promoted cultural understanding, tolerance and comprehension.

Travel Tips – skills and learning through travel experiences

Compassion through meeting people

People may look different in other parts of the world; they may dress differently and talk in different languages but ultimately they carry out similar daily routines – they eat, sleep, work and play. By meeting people in other countries, children and adults alike will gain an understanding that we are all one, despite personal, cultural and economic differences. Model and encourage youngsters to interact with different people, promoting conversation skills.

An adventurous and inquisitive mind

Children often stick to foods that they are familiar but travelling to other countries allows them to learn about new foods, how and where they are grown. Encourage children to try new dishes and sample new flavours after all you won’t know if you like something unless you try it!

Economic understanding

Giving children some money to spend during their travels gives them a real life context in which to budget, convert between currencies, compare prices and gain understanding for the value of purchasing something. Many countries around the world encourage bartering so encourage children to interact with sellers, build confidence and practice those conversational skills.