by J Mock

Created on: November 01, 2008   Last Updated: November 08, 2008

Travel, in the form of a trip to the local beach or an international vacation can be used as an educational tool for children.

The advantage of learning through travel is that the education is derived as a consequence of the child having the opportunity to attain "first hand" experience of a subject, rather than simply reading about it in a textbook or listening to a verbal description.

Education should be fun, and a child is more susceptible to learning if it is approached in a manner that they find amusing and enjoyable.

Travelling enables the child to adopt a "hands-on" approach in the learning of new, and exciting, environments. The senses are not confined, but openly expanded.

Education and travel complement each other. A direct and indirect source of knowledge and understanding. The child's enlightenment is not limited to the intentional acquisition of education, but the learning curve continues as the child unknowingly absorbs the surrounding sights ands sounds.

Children can experience what they have learned within the classroom, alongside the new discoveries. A topical report that has been tutored at school or at home can be further enhanced by traveling.

Learning about sea-life and coastlines within school, books, television and the Internet can be practiced by a trip to the coast. The child may have read about rock pools and starfish, and a visit to the beach allows for the child to expand their knowledge. Wading through rock-pools , trying to find a starfish is an exciting prospect in the eyes of a child, and if luck prevails the child may actually touch and hold one in their hands.

Traveling also opens the door for a wealth of new discoveries and challenges. The opportunity to experience alternative forms of travel, with a journey by air, sea or rail., and to witness the varying environments, from forests and deserts to mountains and oceans, anything new to a child is exciting and provokes questioning and ultimately learning.

New cultures and beliefs, of how other people live., a child can be so full of questions it can be difficult to find all the answers. Children are fascinated by new experiences and want to sample as many as is plausible. Different sights, different sounds, even different smells.

Being able to participate is activities and pastimes that are not commonly available with the home surroundings can ignite a child's willingness to learn. The practical is often always more alluring in appeasing their adventurous spirit.Any new discovery is a form of education and traveling is an ideal method in achieving this quest, from the research into the intended destination, to the actual experience and the memories and records of the trip.

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