This is an excerpt from an article in the FPEA Guide to Homeschooling 2011-2012.
For the past 13 years, our family has been fortunate enough to “vacation for a living,” and we’ve managed to visit over 5,000 attractions and maybe 2,000 historical museums. That’s a lot – right? And guess what – I’m the only history buff in the family! As a matter of fact, one of my husband’s favorite travel markers says, “On this site in 1816…nothing happened.” Sound like your family?
Why try to weave these museums into your travels? Because easily one-third of all the attractions out there are historical; it’s hard to avoid them. And, home-education experts would tell you that kids do better on history test questions and biographical reports if they’ve actually toured the famous person’s home or visited a historic village.
So, we know it’s good for them. But how do you sneak history into your day trips and vacations without the family declaring mutiny? Let’s take a journey with my travel family and see what I use to unlock the amusing, adventuresome side of history…
- Big Anniversaries. No, not your romantic wedding anniversary coming up – instead, major historical anniversaries. America’s 400th anniversary started in Jamestown in 2007; America’s birthday festivals occur July 4 in Philadelphia; DeSoto first landed near Tampa Bay in 1539; and in the 1668 Sack of St. Augustine is remembered each year in March…
- Holidays. Why not try sampling warm breads from recipes of Spanish explorers, or collect Easter eggs at the Miami Metrozoo, share July 4 fireworks in a quaint historic town…
- Living History Re-Enactments and Outdoor Dramas. Go behind the scenes of a pirate raid in Tampa or behind enemy lines of a Civil War camp at Hernando, Natural Bridge and Olustee. Famous battlefields and old forts may look dull on a normal day, but add re-enactors and period attire and you’ve got the kids’ attention!
The best way to entice your family to come along on historical journeys might be to sneak some history in. So many excellent historical parks are just minutes from lakes, beaches and amusement parks. Your kids will be having so much hands-on fun and meeting such interesting characters, they won’t even know it’s a history lesson!
This article was written by Michele Zavatsky. She and her family wrote Kids Love Florida – A Family Travel Guide to Exploring “Kid-Tested” Places in Florida…Year Round! To find out more about Michele visit www.kidslovetravel.com. FPEA members can read and download this entire article by visiting the FPEA Guide to Homeschooling 2011-2012
What great ideas! Of course, in my family, I’M the one that loves history!
This is so true, unless you are a true history buff retaining historical dates is a challenge, but when you bring the educational experience directly to them, children will remember these important events, and actually have fun with them; not your typical “mom how much more schoolwork do we have left today.” The words field trip, get my boys motivated. This is great advice, that anyone can integrate into any style of curriculum they are currently using.
Diana LoPresti
FPEA, Ambassador
Celebration, FL