A good question was recently asked in the homeschool forums. Scottiegazelle says
We are presently living in our motor home so we can travel with my husband while he works. He pretty much stays in the NE (primarily PA but also CT, NY, NJ, MD, and DE). His jobs take us all over the place, and I am looking for the best way(s) to maximize the experience for my kids.
She also adds that they have very little warning time before going to a new place, and therefore cannot study about the place before going. Her oldest child will be six soon and they cannot get library cards because they are not residents.
Here is my answer: All things considered, the age of the children, lack of library card, and little lead-in time, I would say you need to just travel and explore freely while keeping your lessons learned simple. Here is an idea you can use.
Create travel posters or postcards. (For smaller children, I prefer to have the artwork be big, but since scottiegazelle is traveling in a motor home, I would limit the size to 8 ½ X 11 inches.) For each place you visit, collect the free brochures, take photographs, and have each child come up with one trivia question, or neat fact. After your visit to the Statue of Liberty, for example, you would come home and create a collage with your pictures, brochure clippings, and questions. You can print the answers in tiny print on the back. You can use them to share your adventures with Dad at the end of his workday. You make copies of these “postcards”, shrink them to the proper size (via computer and/or printer) and send them to friends and families. You can also use them to decorate the motor home, so you can look at, remember, and reinforce what you have learned in your travels.
At the end of your trip, you and your children can take your project one-step further, and compile everything you have learned into a book. This way you will have some wonderful mementos to not only show what you have learned, but to remember and share some wonderful family moments.
Another thing you may want to do is to take note of the books (children’s books in particular) being sold in the bookstore at these venues, and run to the local bookstore and pick up a reasonably priced version. I have found that children’s books teach as much as any adult book, while providing the basics in a simple, easy to understand manner. The children will love owning a collection of books that documents their travels.
ps. These tips can be easily applied to documenting field trips.
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