Unschooling On Wheels: Three Years of Part-Time Travel in Our Cosy Caravan...
...with two adults, three kids and two dogs!
Three years ago, we lucked out buying our caravan from a fellow homeschooling family, aiming to blend our love for travel and adventure with home education. Balancing work, homeschool commitments, and squeezing into a caravan with two adults, three kids, and two dogs sounded daunting, but three years on, we're still on the road each month!
We've honed our routine, taking a long weekend trip each month, extending to a three-week adventure in early summer. Balancing work remotely when needed and the kids participating in online sessions, we've found a rhythm that works for us. We make sure to block out the dates for our trips for the whole year ahead, otherwise life gets in the way!
Our recent trip to Brook Farm in Somerset didn't unfold seamlessly, but the first trip of the year is all about ironing out the kinks and getting back in the swing of it all. The peaceful campsite at £22 a night, including electric, provided the perfect backdrop for our family adventures. With the farm as your base, you can easily explore Glastonbury, the Challis Wells, Glastonbury Abbey, and Glastonbury Tor, not forgetting the muddy but enchanting Cheddar Gorge and Ebbor Gorge. The Mendip Hills are full of great hiking routes, so plenty to choose from.
Setting up the caravan for the year ahead had its challenges – a fuse box mishap and a non-functional gas system led to a supermarket run with hungry and exhausted kids. But once fed and nestled in bed, our caravan became the cosy hub for our first trip of the year.
Justin and I spent time cleaning, fixing and setting up the caravan up for the year ahead. The kids ran wild, off on their own adventures, only popping back to collect additional supplies! We read, sat in the sun (albeit wrapped in blankets!), listened to rain tucked up in bed, cosied down for a film and listened to stories. We did head out on Sunday to Ebbor Gorge for a beautiful hike, the views were worth the climb!
Our caravan is old and dated, we haven't given it a Pinterest makeover, we would rather spend the money on our adventures and not worry about the mud and spilled drinks (which happens often when you share a tiny space with dogs and kids). But we love it. It makes a warm and secure base for our adventures. We can go off grid (when our gas is working!) The kids think it's like sleeping in a giant den! So they're happy and I always have access to a shower so I'm happy!
While family travel does require effort, the joy of exploring new places and the rhythm of roadschooling make it all worthwhile. We get to make treasured memories together, explore new places and enjoy life at a slower pace. Tell me, what adventures do you enjoy with your family? Have you travelled or lived on the road whilst unschooling, I would love to hear about your experiences.
I'd love for you to join me on this journey as I share insights into our unschooling lifestyle, our adventures in part-time travel, and the joy of building a supportive community. I'll also take you along as we embrace the beautiful rhythms of the seasons.
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In future posts, peppered amongst my regular offerings, I look forward to sharing resources that aid our journeys, our favourite family hikes, and the cool campsites we've uncovered - hoping to inspire your own roadschooling and family adventures if that's your thing.
Talking of your thing, Could you do me a quick favour and answer a question? It would be really helpful to know what brings you to my Substack publication as I find my feet as well as my voice in this beautiful, growing community.
I share lots about our travels and adventures over on my Instagram stories, so do come over and say Hi if you want to follow along, it would be great to connect with you. I would love to hear about your favourite places to visit, we're on the look out for our next adventure so any recommendations welcome!
Warmest wishes,
We homeschool our two neurodiverse boys and our caravan is our haven. We don’t go away as often as you as it’s a major undertaking every time but having our familiar bolthole enables the kids to explore unfamiliar places. Next week we’re off to London to do the museums for eldest but staying on a working farm for youngest :-) We’ve been all over the country and had some wonderful adventures over the years - it’s nice for them to link their learning with a real experience. We’ve seen glacial valleys and Tudor houses, visited cathedrals and ancient standing stones. They always have something to say about our adventures and reconnect with them every time that element of learning comes up.
More please!! We are dreaming of one day exploring our big beautiful country in a retro van. It's still only a dream for us at this stage but I'm so keen to hear all about your family's travelling adventures, the highs, the lows, the nuts and bolts. I love how you guys schedule all your mini trips for the year too! 💛