One of the joys of childhood is that it’s a time when we’re naturally creative and imaginative.
Children have an innate desire to learn new things, see the world differently and are naturally inquisitive.
For most of us adults, when we think back to our childhood, we have fond memories of exploring, running, walking, climbing, screaming and getting into all sorts of trouble.
It’s easy to dismiss such precious memories, however, those moments of play have actually helped to develop a variety of skills that we use each and every day.
You might be wondering how playtime, travelling and ‘fun’ activities have anything to do with education but they play a vital role and research shows that children who engage in a wide range of activities outperform those who don’t.
Travelling with your child has several long-lasting benefits and enables them to adapt more quickly in the globalised world we live in.
The importance of this really sunk in for me recently when I attended The Language Show In Kensington, London. At one of the talks, the panel shared the impact that living abroad and being exposed to other languages had in their lives.
One of my big takeaways from the talk was that language exposure (which often comes through travelling) enables people (young and old) to connect with a wide range of people, understand other perspectives and be more open-minded.
This is incredibly important when it comes to various elements of education - especially creative and discursive writing. For instance, discursive and persuasive writing pieces often require students to show their understanding of other perspectives and acknowledge different viewpoints.
Children who have been exposed to other cultures and ways of life through travel and exploration are more likely to acquire the skills needed to write compellingly.
Travel also helps children on a deeper level. For example, it enables children to appreciate other customs, religions and cultures which means they’re less likely to be prejudiced and are more likely to show compassion to vulnerable individuals or those who are marginalised.
These sorts of qualities are imperative in helping a child to develop the skills needed to differentiate themselves from others and eventually stand out in the workplace.
Travelling with your child can also enable them to soak up interpersonal skills such as the ability to problem solve, engage in teamwork and negotiate with a wide range of people.
You might not realise it but whilst you’re handling what might seem to be small negotiations such as the hotel room or transport, your child is watching you and is absorbing all of the skills you use to make decisions, talk to others and handle complex matters.
Travelling with your child adds colour to their picture of the world and provides them with the inspiration to think imaginatively, write creatively and persuasively and incorporate some of the experiences they encounter into their academic work.
It helps them to stand out from the crowd and opens their minds to the endless possibilities that life has to offer.
It teaches them to think critically and problem solve. Furthermore, it doesn’t feel like work. It’s fun! Travelling has so many benefits so never feel as though it’s a waste of time. The key is in how you use your opportunities to travel to enhance their learning.
Here are some tips for doing just that:
✔️ Visit museums whenever you’re abroad and encourage your child to take pictures. Use these pictures as tools for writing stimulus. For example, they could write a story based on one of the photos. When I visited the Anne Frank Museum, I took photos and used them as inspiration for diary entry pieces for my students. They really enjoyed it and it enabled them to feel as they they understood her story better.
✔️ Take a sketchbook with you to art galleries and encourage your child to draw pictures of the art or write words that describe what they see. Bullet points are perfectly fine.
✔️ Turn trips to the beach, parks into adventures. You could for instance, have a treasure hunt at the beach and then ask your child to write a poem or story about their adventure.
✔️ Visit family and friends. This is a great way to expose your child to other languages and encourage them to ask questions about what life is like in that particular country.
✔️ Ask them what the differences are between the country you’re visiting and the country you currently live in. For example, do they drive on the left or right side? Do people wear hijabs or let their hair be loose? Are siestas common? There’s so much you can do.
Do you travel with your children? If so, leave a comment below sharing where you’ve been to and where you’d like to go next.