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How To Teach Your Kids About the World Without Leaving Home

How to teach your kids about world cultures without leaving home.

Confession time.  I am not that into traveling.  I know, that is a very untrendy thing to say.  And it makes me sound like I don’t care about the world. 

It isn’t that I don’t enjoy a nice vacation.  I have places on my ‘To Visit’ bucket list.  We still take trips occasionally.  Wanderlust is just not a word I would ever use to describe my feelings. 

That does not mean I don’t know the rest of the world is out there.  And it doesn’t mean I don’t want my kids to learn about the rest of the world.  Travel provides so much that shape children’s lives, but sometimes we can’t afford it, can’t take the time off, or just don’t want to. 

There are ways to bring the world to your children.  Here are 4 ways to teach your kids about the world without leaving home.

How To Teach Your Kids About the World Without Leaving Home. Tips for learning about other cultures, all from home. #travel #kids #cultures #world #staycation #summer Team-Cartwright.com

How To Teach Your Kids About World Cultures

Books

Tips on how to help your children explore the world, all while staying home. Suggestion one: Read books on other cultures! #travel #staycation #summer #parenting Team-Cartwright.com

Books are my go-to for everything.  Head over to your local library and check out books on other cultures.  It is really easy to do!  Our library actually has the children’s section sorted by categories just like this one.  But if you need help finding some, ask your librarian.  That is what they are there for!

So where do you start?  There are a few methods I like to use to pick books on other cultures.  One is of course just to pick places I would like to visit (you know, if time, money, and post-travel laundry weren’t factors.)  You can have your children pick a place they want to learn about. 

Or just go random! Point to a place on a map, just grab the first book you find or ask the librarian for their choice.  Don’t forget to look at periodicals like National Geographic.  They can take you to some really amazing places.  Reading unlocks the world for your children.

Food

Tips on how to share the world with your children without leaving home. Try new foods! Food is important to any culture. Think local or global, just try something new. #travel #staycation #kids #culture #food Team-Cartwright.com

I love food, almost as much as I love books.  Food is an integral part of every culture.  So try some local cuisine from home!  Finding new foods to try is easier in some areas.  When we lived in the city we had a ton of options.  Where we live now has a bit fewer choices.  That’s okay. 

Pinterest brings recipes from all over the world to you.  You can try to make something from another country at home with your children.  (And cooking teaches so many STEM skills!)

This doesn’t have to be hard.  In fact, you don’t even have to think of foods from far away.  Can you get a deep dish pizza and learn more about Chicago?  How about trying a lobster roll from Connecticut.  Maybe see if you can get some good southern barbecue. 

We all know it is good for our kids to try new foods, even if that is hard to make happen.  But learning about a new place and trying a food you made together?  That might just work.

Talk

Tips to teach your children about the world without leaving home. Talk to people who have a different background from you! Don't be afraid to reach out and learn more about those different than yourself. #summer #travel #kids #staycation #tips #culture Team-Cartwright.com

Do you know someone who loves to travel? Know anyone who has lived in a different country?  See if they will talk to your children about it.  Hearing a first-hand account can really make a distant place come alive.

You could even ask a friend that has a different background from you to come to dinner and talk with your children.  Broaching this sort of topic can be awkward.  (I imagine something like ‘Hey, you’re different than us! Let’s ask you a ton of questions!)  But I think it is worth testing the waters. 

Learning about other cultures is so important for kids.  And if we are afraid to ask the tough questions, how will they learn to ask? I think we all have a responsibility to try to learn more about other people and not just staying in a bubble of the known.  Teaching our children that is important.

Staycation

How to teach your kids about travel without leaving home. Staycation tips to explore learn travel life lessons. #travel #summer #kids #staycation #cultures Team-Cartwright.com

Alright, I kind of hate the word staycation.  But the idea behind it can be fun.  Your culture is part of the world, so explore it!  Traveling is in part about just trying new things.  Check out your area and find something new to do! 

Is there a park you’ve been wanting to check out? A museum? Is there anything that will teach you about your local history?  Experiencing something new bonds a family.  It forces you out of your comfort zone and makes you adapt to new situations.  These are good things, and you can do that without going halfway across the globe.

If you are feeling wild and crazy spend a night in a local hotel.  Packing a suitcase alone is a learning experience for kids.  How do they decide what to pack?  Can they be responsible for their things outside of the home?  I love schedules and routines, but teaching flexibility young is a good idea.

How to bring the world to your children. 4 ways to explore the new cultures without leaving home. Books, food, local cultures, all can be explored on a budget. #budget #travel #staycation #culture #explore #kids #world #toddler #preschooler #summer Team-Cartwright.com

Conclusion

Travel is great, and kids learn so much from it.  But sometimes we don’t have the time, the budget, or even the desire to go.  That’s okay.  You can still teach your children so much about the world, all without leaving home.  The important thing is to show your kids that we live in a big, beautiful world.  Not everyone is like us, and that is a good thing.  We need to be open to learning more about others.  Knowledge leads to understanding and acceptance.  So happy travels, right at home.

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The ladies of the BFBN are all talking about travel today! And some of them are big travelers, so you know they have good tips.  Check them out and learn how to explore your world with your kids!

Christine Keys: How To Help Toddlers That Get Car Sick

Chronicles of a Babywise Mom: Four Best Tips for Traveling with Four Kids

The Journey of Parenthood: How To Successfully Travel with an Infant

Mama’s Organized Chaos: Practice These Every Day and Your Child Will Travel with Ease

Twin Mom and More: Traveling with Children: To Drive Overnight or During the Day

4 Ways to teach your children about world cultures. Share the world with your kids all while staying home. Easy ways to teach global thinking to your kids. #travel #world #cultures #summer #global #thinking #awareness #budget Team-Cartwright.com
How to share the world with your children without leaving home.  Travel is an amazing educational experience for children, but it isn't always possible to take them around the world.   Here are ways to teach your children about the world and all the different cultures in it without even leaving home. #kids #travel #education #experience #cheap #budget #homeschool #toddler #preschool Team-Cartwright.com

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Jonathan Fleming

Wednesday 25th of July 2018

Teaching kids about different cultures is quite hard. Teaching them these cultures increased their knowledge, understanding and sensitivity towards others also.

Shari

Monday 9th of July 2018

Great ideas! I want my kids to learn about other places and cultures but can't afford to travel right now...I do love to travel!

Jasmine Hewitt

Monday 9th of July 2018

books are an excellent way of learning about other places and cultures!

kimcartwright

Monday 9th of July 2018

They are! And there are so many great picture books out there. It makes it really easy to teach our kids about the world.

Rosie

Sunday 8th of July 2018

This was such an amazing read! We often do staycations or travel to places close by. I feel like my kids aren't getting a very good experience of the world around them. This was really helpful and I can't wait to use a few of these tips the next time I teach them about a different culture!

kimcartwright

Monday 9th of July 2018

I hope it helps! We don't do a ton of vacations either, but my kids love to learn about other cultures through books!

Inez

Friday 6th of July 2018

I think it's really important to teach kids about other cultures and countries and there really are so many ways to do it without traveling. (Though, I love to travel!) I love the idea of staying in a local hotel and having someone over that has traveled. Great tips!

kimcartwright

Friday 6th of July 2018

It is so important to introduce kids to other cultures! I want to have children that think of more than just their little neighborhood. But travel isn't usually in the cards for us. Hopefully, in the future, we can see more of the places we read and learn about!

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