Summer term is finally here! At least officially because in reality, it doesn’t look very summery… And I bet you all are a little tired of home education by now. Nothing seems to go right and everyone want to quit. Isn’t it time to change our routines and include more outings? I should think so! Let’s explore together my top home education days out.
Because who doesn’t like a good trip and learning on the go?
Plus a change of scenery and a break from routine can reduce stress and promote mental well-being for both children and parents. That is tempting!
We are based in Kent but still near East Sussex so if you’re looking for exciting and educational day trips in this area, you’re in the right place. It is bursting with wonderful places that offer a perfect blend of fun and learning for our curious kids.
Let’s make learning an adventure again.
Index
Nature walks with some twists
Ashdown Forest – is most famous as the home of Winnie the Pooh and the bridge where you can play Pooh sticks, but it offers way more. We go there regularly for hikes, sketching nature, finding species for studying and just sheer enjoyment. Especially with a group of friends!
Broadwater Warren Nature Reserve – beautiful woodland set in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, great for bird watching, butterflies, dragonflies and plant explorations.
Harrison Rocks – a great walk with interesting rock sculptures that are perfect for climbing (even professionals go there), hiding and hiking. Similar one as High Rocks but you don’t need to pay! Where we live there are quite a few of these rock crops – Wellington Rocks, Toad Rock and the Happy Valley area are all in or near Tunbridge Wells.
Knole Park – this is a huge park with lots of deer and a historical house, perfect for den building, walks or learning a bit of history. The park is free, you need tickets to enter the house.
Castles and historic houses
Scotney Castle, Tonbridge Castle – must haves for anyone studying medieval history.
Fancy visiting a medieval monastery? Head to the amazing Bayham Abbey ruins which include much of the 13th to 15th-century church, the chapter house and the gatehouse. And the site is free to visit but check the opening times.
Also in medieval history theme is the beautiful town of Canterbury, where you could travel in time and become a medieval pilgrim. The Canterbury Cathedral has sections dating back to the 11th Century and was a site of the infamous murder of Thomas Becket.
Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield – you can’t miss this most famous battlefield in England.
Lewes Castle – a Norman Castle built after the Battle of Hastings.
Penshurst Place, Hever Castle, Leeds Castle – Turbulent Tudors.
Camber Castle – not far from the beautiful beach of Camber Sands there are ruins of a historic castle built by Henry VIII.
Chartwell – Family home and garden of Sir Winston Churchill so more modern history.
Coast and its features
Our coast is an ideal outdoor classroom for home-educated children. Any beach is great for learning about different marine animals and plants, their habitats, and the ecosystems they form.
Seven Sisters, Birling Gap and its beautiful cliffs make an amazing trip to understand the effects of erosion, weather patterns, and tidal movements.
Eastbourne – observing tide pools and identifying various species can spark interest in marine biology! Our favourite part of Eastbourne beach is near the cliff area, that’s where you can explore rock pools.
Camber Sands – exploring coastal landforms, such as dunes will provide practical lessons in geography. Not far from the beach there are also ruins of a historic castle built by Henry VIII: Camber Castle.
Hastings – a lovely seaside town with a shipwreck museum, cliff railway, aquarium and more to discover.
London’s Museums with their fantastic workshops and exhibitions.
National Gallery
First, check out its fantastic art resources on its website and also have a look at the workshops.
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/learning/search
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/learning/primary-schools/practical-workshops
These are advertised as primary school workshops but they will accept home education groups.
If you can’t gather a group to book a workshop with a bit of planning and research you can easily re-create them for yourself. Just pick some of the pictures you would like to look at in detail, gather basic info about them and go to the gallery equipped with some sketchbooks and pencils. Let your children copy the specific details of the paintings or re-create them fully, according to their imaginations.
Science museum
First, look at the museum’s fantastic resources for learning at home and don’t forget about their YouTube channel.
https://learning.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/learning-resources
https://www.youtube.com/user/SciMusLearning
As a home educator, you can book specific home ed days:
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/groups/home-educating-visit
But home educating families are welcome to visit at any time and explore free interactive galleries, experience hands-on science or even enjoy a 3D IMAX documentary (not free).
Entry to the museum is free but you still need to book your visit in advance, some parts of the museum like Wonder Lab are also paid for.
Natural History Museum
This museum also has a range of great indoor and outdoor activities to explore:
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/activities-for-all.html
Museum welcomes Home Educators to visit and offers a range of opportunities:
You can explore our galleries on your own self-led visit. For your visit get prepared by exploring these self-guided tours
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/galleries-and-museum-map.html
As a Home Educator, you can also book to attend Home Education Days, which take place in January and September. They cost about £3 per child.
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/schools/school-visits-at-south-kensington/home-educator-group-visits.html
Royal Museums Greenwich
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich Royal Observatory, and Cutty Sark – they are all based in Greenwich and offer a fantastic opportunity to enrich your home education curriculum with hands-on learning experiences. And there is plenty to choose from whether you want to stand on a prime meridian line or smell the tea on Cutty Sark ship designed to carry tea from China to England as fast as possible.
https://www.rmg.co.uk/schools-communities/school-sessions
To book a workshop you will need a bigger group but it was worthy!
Francis Drake’s pirate ship
Sail through history aboard the full-size reconstruction of the famous Elizabethan galleon.
Do you have some budding pirate or a kid fascinated by sailing ships and sea adventures? Then this tour will be well-spent money. You can visit as a family, just check out opening times as sometimes they are closed for private functions. Or if you can gather a bigger group, book one of their school workshops!
https://www.goldenhinde.co.uk/learning
Other
Herstmonceux observatory – they have spectacular interactive science exhibitions, so be prepared for plenty of hands-on experiences. Previously they organised specific home education days, so watch out for them, but you can always visit with a group for pre-booked activities or simply turn up for a day of spectacular interactive science experience. In the past, we had booked a stargazing evening with them and it was an amazing experience, but we were lucky that the night was clear! Still worth a try as even if you are not able to see the stars and planets through the telescope, they offer planetarium-style talks.
Clip and climb Tonbridge for a bit of sport – it’s worthy to gather a bigger group and book at a discounted price. Fancy something more challenging? Try Chimera Climbing in Tunbridge Wells.
Swimming pool trip – always fun and the one in Tonbridge offers home ed discounts during term time! Always worth asking your local pool if they have offers for home educators
Check local libraries for interesting exhibitions.
Map and orienteering skills – there is no better way to learn map skills and do some fun orienteering than exploring your local footpaths! Try to prepare a route using the ordinance map and the online map and go for an adventure.
Summary
I hope you have found exciting educational escapes to try with your children. Days out offer interesting and memorable opportunities to solidify knowledge and spark interest. Don’t wait – plan your next visit to refresh your home education. Enjoy and thank me later for saving your sanity!
And if you are still not convinced about ditching the books in favour of the trips here you have a summary of the benefits it could provide!
- Experiencing real-world environments helps reinforce classroom lessons through practical, hands-on activities and interactions.
- Days out provide opportunities for children to interact with peers and adults.
- Changing the learning environment keeps education dynamic and engaging, preventing monotony.
- Visiting museums, historical sites, and cultural landmarks broaden children’s understanding of different cultures and histories.
- Spending time outdoors fosters a connection with nature.
- A change of scenery and a break from routine can reduce stress and promote mental well-being for both children and parents.
