There is no better way to learn about the world than to see the world. It’s one thing to pick up information in classes at school, from a good browse of educational sites and from documentaries on TV and YouTube – and that’s all worthwhile. It’s another thing entirely to see the places that you’re learning about, to breathe the air and picture yourself back in the mists of history in those places. We all get to understand a bit more about geography and history in particular when we can walk through it ourselves.
So when it comes to choosing a destination for a day trip or a longer journey, there is definitely something to be said for picking a place with some educational heft. If your children are keen on a certain area of learning, it can be a good idea on multiple fronts to choose holiday destinations based on educational potential. And below, we’ll take a look at some of those potential destinations.
London
If you’re in the UK, then you are fortunate to have one of the most educationally-packed big cities in the world within close reach. In fact, you have several sites within a few hours’ travel in truth, but London is the richest of those. Historically, there’s an almost endless list of destinations, from the Tower of London to Nelson’s Column, from Westminster Abbey to Marble Arch. No matter your subject of interest, there’s a worthwhile destination, with the Houses of Parliament for politics buffs and the City of London for economics fans.
Rome
While London has proximity and modern global importance in its favour, Rome is the city for someone with a keen and deep interest in history – and if you can find time to also see Athens, then you’ve covered most of the ancient world from a point of view of influence. Any chance for school trips to Italy should be grasped with both hands – much of how we do things today was taken from the ancient Roman Empire, and the wealth of art, architecture and culture to be found here will touch any keen traveller deeply.
Costa Rica
A more esoteric destination than many, Costa Rica is a place well worth visiting for all manner of reasons – quite apart from anything, you may gain an insight into why it’s consistently one of the happiest places in the world for its residents! But more specifically, Costa Rica is a conservationist paradise with an incredible array of native species in its acres of rainforest. If you want to emphasise lessons about nature, spots such as San Jose and Papagayo are essential places to visit.
Take your pick from the USA
Although a young nation, the USA has a plethora of interesting places to visit depending on what interests you. Kids with a keen interest in space travel will appreciate the chance to visit Houston, for example, while history and politics meet head-on in Washington, DC. New York, meanwhile, offers an exceptionally wide range of sights to see, and the historian in you might appreciate the chance to frequent Broadway and take in the musical Hamilton in the very city where Alexander Hamilton made his splash on his adopted country.
