Trips can make books and learning come alive. For our boys we often combined reading and
learning with travel. Here are
some examples.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel
about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. The story is set in
the Town of "St. Petersburg", inspired by Hannibal, Missouri, where
Mark Twain lived. When my sons
were small we read a child’s version of the book and then took a trip to
Hannibal, Missouri. There is the
Mark Twain Boyhood Home there, a steamboat ride, and caves that inspired events
in Twain’s writings. A good source
for children’s versions of the classics is Tom Sawyer (Dover Children's Thrift
Classics). (A trip to Hannibal,
Missouri can easily be combined with a trip to Nauvoo, Illinois as well, to
learn about the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)
There are many children’s books on Abraham Lincoln. Choose one and enjoy talking about
Honest Abe as you travel. We have traveled
to all of the following but you can choose one and have fun with just
that. Lincoln sites include: his
cabin at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park near
Elizabethtown, Kentucky; another cabin at Abraham Lincoln Boyhood Home at Knob
Creek, Kentucky; the living history farm at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
in Lincoln City, Indiana, and the living history town of New Salem State
Historic Site in New Salem, Illinois.
Springfield, Illinois is where Lincoln lived and practiced law before he
became president. His home, law
office and tomb are located in Springfield.
Do you have a horse lover? Try combining Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry with
a trip to Chincoteague, Virginia, which is the gateway to the Virginia portion
of Assateague Island, home of the famous Chincoteague Wild Ponies. A closer
alternative to follow up on this book would be Georgia’s own Cumberland Island
which also has wild ponies as well as shells the size of soap dishes and lots
of sharks’ teeth. You travel to
Cumberland Island by ferry and can either make it a day trip or camp
overnight. We have great memories
of Cumberland. You are almost alone
on the beach at night after the last ferry leaves and the place becomes your
own island. Be aware that you need
reservations in advance to get on the ferry. However, there are often same day cancellations, which is what
we did.
I am encouraging you to write about your trips that you
combined with books or subjects that you studied with your children. Please share your ideas as part of this
post!
