Nothing gets this family so excited as a Road Trip! We love family vacation time and look forward to it all year. Today begins Garfias Family Road Trip 2011: Wichita. That is pronounced Wi-CHEE-ta by our Peruvian leader and repeated with glee by the minions. When we return, I’ll be sure to share what we saw and learned on the trail. In the meantime, I’ve scheduled a few articles to pop up here to tide you over.
Family Road Trips are a great way to learn. We learn about each other while traveling together in the van, and we learn a lot about God’s world while exploring it as a family. From my article for Home School Enrichment one year ago on this subject:
One of the greatest blessings of learning together as a family is that we have the privilege to learn outside the home. My husband and I take advantage of every opportunity we can find to take our children to learning opportunities within our community and around the country. We want them to be comfortable in museums, galleries, historical sites, exhibits, and gardens from a young age, so that as they grow and mature they will come to a fuller understanding of how to learn from these experiences. We have been pleasantly surprised to find that the young children learn and appreciate much from these outings, too!…
Our vacations are primarily learning times. Whether it is a family road trip to see the grandparents, or a family vacation to a scenic destination, our itinerary is full of museums. With young preschoolers and toddlers, we have had memorable tours of Plymouth Plantation, the Smithsonian Museums, the Dallas Art Museum, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Indian Reservation, the Shaker Village, the Boston Aquarium, the Alamo, and the Spanish Fortresses of Peru (yes, Peru!). Young children are delighted at the novelty of scenes outside their usual experience and relish the opportunity to explore cultures other than their own. These family outings help broaden the young learning horizons.
Read more about taking educational family trips far and near, and tips on learning outside the home with young children, in the article here.
Have fun!
Sounds like you are ready! Hope you have beautiful weather and get to see lots!
NOT ready yet! Furiously throwing things into suitcases and shouting last-minute chores at my scrambling, giggling boys. I need a vacation from preparing for the vacation!
Hi Lea Ann,
I hope you are enjoying your vacation.
I tried to email you, but my message bounced back to me. I wanted to say that I read your article on the magazine and admired your honesty. You had also asked me about my homeschooling blog site.
I also want to say that I received the book I won–Teaching the Trivium. That book is so full of information. I was amazed. For example, for a child to learn Latin can help them score higher in their SAT tests. Wow!
God bless you for what you are contributing to the homeschooling community.
Rebecca G.
So sorry you had difficulty contacting me, Rebecca. I still have your email, so when I get back in town, I’ll get in touch again and we can talk more. If I forget, post me a reminder.