I formally homeschooled the kids during our year abroad. We knew we were putting them back into public school in the US so we wanted to make sure they kept up with their peers.
Aside from the formal homeschooling, we were able to educate the kids in lots of other things. Many of these got worked into lessons both formally and informally. While the traditional schoolwork was very important, the experiences below made the year incredibly rich and educational and I’m extremely proud we were able to introduce the kids to so many places, ideas and things!
Historical Sites Visited
- Parthenon, Greece
- Versailles, France
- Great Wall of China
- Forbidden City, China
- Topkapi Palace, Turkey
- Viking Ship Museum, Norway
- Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, Greece
- Alhambra, Spain
- Alcazar, Spain
- Gettysburg battlefield, US
- U.S. Capitol
- Chiang Mai which is a 700 year old walled city complete with a moat, Thailand
- Bangkok Grand Palace, Thailand
- San Miguel Castle in Almuñécar, Spain
- Italica (Roman ruins), Spain
Museums Visited
- Louvre, France
- Picasso Museum, Spain
- Park Guell & Gaudi Buildings, Spain
- Smithsonian Natural History Museum, US
- National Archives, US
- Siam Insect Zoo, Thailand
- 3D Art Museum, Thailand
Religious Buildings & Experiences
- Seville Cathedral, Spain
- Blue Mosque, Turkey
- Hagia Sophia, Turkey
- La Sagrada Familia, Spain
- Notre Dame, France
- White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand
- Chatting with Monks, Thailand
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Thailand
- Yee Peng Festival, Thailand
- Loi Krathong Festival, Thailand
Learning How
- silk is made at the Thai Silk Village
- umbrellas are hand made at the Umbrella Factory in Thailand
- wood carvings are hand made in Marrakesh
- to cook Thai food
- to do various “adult jobs” at Kidzania
- to take care of an elephant for the day in Thailand
Working with Different Currencies and Exchange Rates
- Thai Baht
- Chinese Yuan
- Moroccan Dirham
- Euro
- British Pound
- Albanian Lek
- Croatian Kuna
- Turkish Lira
Geography
- 4 Continents (Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America)
- 15 Countries (Hong Kong, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, China, Norway, Spain, UK/Gibraltar, France, Greece, Turkey, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Germany)
- Mekong River
- Mediterranean Sea
- Gulf of Thailand
- Strait of Gilbratar
- Sierra Nevada (Spain)
- Adriatic Sea
- Aegean Sea
- Bosphorus Strait
- Golden Horn
Cultural Experiences
- Traditional Khantoke Dinner, Thailand
- Flamenco at Dia de Andalucia, Spain
- Carnaval, Spain
- Loi Krathong, Thailand
- Standing for Thai Royal Anthem before movies
Trying New Cuisines
- Gozleme, Turkey
- Gyros, Greece
- Doner, Turkey
- Pad Thai, Thailand
- Mango & Sticky Rice, Thailand
- Crepes, France
- Pide, Turkey
- Baguette, everywhere!
- Mint Tea, Morocco
- Beef or Chicken Tagine, Morocco
- Turkish Tea & Coffee, Turkey
- “Fun Mushrooms”, Thailand
- Sushi
- Tom Kha Soup, Thailand
- Bubble Tea, Thailand
- Banana & Nutella Pancakes, Thailand
- Food-Go-Round food, Thailand
- Turkish ice cream, Turkey
- Turkish Clay Pot, Turkey