*Guest Post
If you do school at home, you homeschool. If you do it on the road, it stands to reason that you “roadschool!”
There are as many options available to roadschoolers as there are to homeschoolers . . . and there are thousands.
You could spend thousands of dollars on museums and activities. You could even consider it money well spent if it goes to furthering your child’s education.
But, maybe you don’t have thousands to spend. Your child’s education does NOT need to suffer as a result. In fact, their education will be incomparably enhanced if you take advantage of the low-cost opportunities all around you as you travel the country.
There are inexpensive and even free ways to enhance your homeschooling across the country, you just need to know where to look.
Reciprocal Museum Memberships
Reciprocal memberships offer discounted or free admission to participating museums, zoos, aquariums, and more all over the United States.
- North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM) – has one of the biggest networks. You can use this membership to guide you to activities. Type your location into the map search and you’ll see where the local participating places are.
- Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) – this membership is perfect for families with younger children. Children’s museums are designed to provide hands-on learning through play opportunities. An ACM membership offers 50 percent off admission to the in-network museums.
- Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) – If animals are a big hit with your kids, this membership might be perfect for you. Check out this pdf to see all the participating locations and how much your membership will discount your tickets.
- American Horticultural Society (AHS) – Studying botany this year? This membership will get you free or discounted admission at 320 gardens.
National and State Park Passes
Our country’s national parks are among the most valuable resources in America, and your roadschooling family has the unique opportunity of being able to visit far more parks than a family living a traditional stationary lifestyle.
For $80 a year, you can visit them all with the National Parks American the Beautiful Pass. Better yet, if you have a child in fourth grade, they can get your whole family into the parks for free. The program runs from September 1 through August 31. You can find out more here.
National parks offer endless hiking opportunities, nature studies, and ranger programs. The ranger-led programs vary from evening campground lectures to strenuous hikes.
A great way to facilitate education through national parks is with the Junior Ranger program. With a mobile lifestyle, you’ll be able to visit so many parks that your kids will be the envy of the other junior rangers with all the badges they’ll be able to show off.
The National Parks Service (NPS) website lists all the national parks with links to their Junior Ranger program. You can download the park-specific Junior Ranger booklet and get a head start.
The National Park Service even offers chances to earn general, non-park-related badges at home (or in the car, as your case may be).
Many state parks have similar programs as the national parks. If you’re going to be in one state for a long enough time to warrant a state park pass, you should take advantage of it. Each state is different, of course, but many have junior naturalist programs and ranger-led activities.
Check out Libraries
Libraries aren’t just about books. Many offer free programs available to all. You may be able to catch a free concert, attend a lecture, take a yoga class, or anything in between.
If you’re traveling with a plan, check out the website for the library near where you’ll be in a month. That way if there are sign-up sheets, you’ll be able to get your name down before the activities fill up. Don’t give up hope if it’s last minute, though, you’ll probably still be able to participate in activities.
And don’t forget that libraries usually have ebooks available.
Groupon
Search Groupon activities by location. Some of your most exciting adventures can be found on Groupon. Your search may bring you to an adventure you wouldn’t normally try, but it’s so cheap you just might say, “Why not?”
You may not find anything that suits you, but it’s worth the time to check because you might find something awesome.
Curriculum
No matter what style of education you implement, there’s a program that’s not too expensive.
For those choosing traditional schools online, check the local schools in your home base city or state. Many big cities have a public school online option. If you type your zip code into K12’s search bar, you’ll see the public cyber school options available.
If you’re more of a Charlotte Mason style family, AmblesideOnline has a free curriculum available.
If you prefer less online learning and more textbook learning, search for a used curriculum sale where not only can you often find the books you want for cheap, but also you can connect with other homeschool parents and pick their brains on what’s working for them.
Even if you’re sticking to the most traditional style of school, just the fact that you’re on the road makes you all sorts of unconventional. So, give that unconventionality some more room.
Don’t miss out on the unique opportunities the different areas of the country present. Do a little research into stopping points along your journey. For example, do a Google search, “what is [city] known for?” And use that search as a springboard to narrow down exactly what activities you want to do.
If you can study those location-specific things at a museum that’s part of a membership you’re participating in, you’ll save money there.
Also, let your child’s interests guide you. They’re going to retain the most when they’re interested in the subject. Train obsession? Find train-related activities near you. You can study science, history, and engineering by digging deep into that one interest.
Save Money on the Essentials
The major expenses of your life on the road will be insurance, fuel, and lodging. If you’re able to save just a little each day on those items, it will add up quickly.
Insurance
Your whole world is with you when you’re a full-time on-the-road family. You absolutely cannot skimp on insurance because you won’t have a backup vehicle or home with you. Be sure to find the coverage you need without paying more than you should. Your first step should be to compare quotes. You can do that easily, all at once on a comparison website.
Collision and comprehensive coverages are just as essential as the state-required liability coverage when your life is on the road.
If something happens to your vehicle and/or trailer, you want to make sure you can get it back to pre-accident condition without breaking the bank. Full coverage insurance will help you do that.
Roadside assistance is another option you should have. RVs have a lot of tires, and those tires are notorious for going flat at the most inopportune times and places. Roadside assistance coverage will pay for someone to come out and help you change that tire, among other things.
Fuel
There are several apps that can help guide you to the cheapest gas station near you. Getting better fuel efficiency is another way to save. Tripsavvy offers tips to get the best fuel efficiency when pulling an RV.
Lodging
Typically, if you’re full time on the road, you’ll be pulling your house behind you. There is the obvious expense of buying your RV, but then there’s the nightly expense of a campground or RV park.
This YouTube video explains one family’s experience with campground memberships. If your family intends to continue roadschooling for years, these options are worth consideration.
Public lands, like BLM and National Forest, often have places where you can go primitive camping. You won’t have the luxury of hooking up to water and electricity, but your stay will be free.
You children can learn in an exceptional way on the road, and you don’t have to spend a fortune to make it happen; just look for simple ways to save along the way.
Melanie Musson is a writer for Carinsurancecomparison.com. She homeschools her children and while not full-time roadsters, her family spends a lot of time traveling and taking advantage of the educational opportunities that can be found everywhere they visit.
