Homeschooling on the Road

Re-enactment at Farnham Castle Keep!

Imagine waking up to the sound of waves crashing against the shore or the rustling of leaves in a forest. For our family, this isn’t just a daydream — it’s part of our everyday life. We live full-time in our van and homeschool our son, Theo, in a child-led way. Instead of following a rigid timetable, we let his curiosity guide us, and the world around us provides endless opportunities to learn.

Homeschooling on the road is an adventure like no other — and it’s a path many families are discovering as they combine vanlife with education. Here’s how we’ve made it work, and how you can too.

Why Vanlife and Homeschooling Work So Well Together

• Flexibility – We choose where to go and when to move on. This freedom creates spontaneous learning opportunities, from exploring a castle one day to tide pools the next. We have travelled all over the UK and seen things, from beautiful mountain ranges like Snowdonia National Park in Wales and waterfalls in Scotland, to hisotric sites like stonehenge In England. We have even been overseas to France and although it was a family holiday, there were stops along the way where we could learn something new. Learning isnt just for Theo, we have learnt so much since starting this journey!

  
  

• Real-World Learning – Textbooks become optional-why look at a textbook when you can see the real thing! Nature, history, and culture come alive when you’re standing in the places they happened. We try to go to as many outdoor spaces as possible, because Theo really loves being in nature and learning about the world around us. His dream is to see penguins in the wild, and we intend to try and make that happen for him. Rehabilitation with the aim to release instead of captivity is a big concern of Theos, so we try to avoid the big zoos and marine centres to develop his moral compass and understanding of where animals should be, they are not just cooprerate tools to make money.

  
  

• Affordable Exploration – Memberships with the National Trust and English Heritage mean we can explore countless historic sites across England, Wales, and Scotland. To keep costs low, we often seek out smaller, free, or inexpensive museums — and these are brilliant because they’re more personal and less overwhelming for children. Most of the free museums have donation points, its important to us that we stress to Theo the importance of helping people, and to keep museums running for future generations. We have seen museums ranging from the enourmous and free Cardiff museum to a small inexpensive museum like the Lancaster City Museum which offers a yearly membership for £10 per person which can get you access to three museums around the city. We also go to big parks, beaches and nature reserves which are all free to access. Well what about English, Maths and Science? These are a huge focus and things that are mainly learnt at a desk, but we try to visit places where he can speak to people, have real world expereinces and learn from the people who have lived it.

  
  

• Family Bonding – Living and learning in close quarters means we share experiences and discoveries together. People will automatically assume that living so closely could cause arguments, which we have faced people asking us this before, we very hardly argue, and Nathan and I have a really close and strong relationship. We communicate as a couple and a family and if there is tension, we talk about it, out of ear shot of Theo. It strengthens our connection every single day. We also use family bonding time to talk about travel, destinations, set a budget for the month and play games. We dont often watch movies or films, but when we do, we make a night of it by getting some snacks and making a cosy space for ourselves.

Fyvie Castle and Gardens - learning about nature

Preparing for Life on the Road

Choosing Your Vehicle

Your van is your home base. Think carefully about space, comfort, and how much time you’ll actually spend inside. For us, the van is cosy and practical — but most of our learning happens outside.

Building a Homeschool Approach

We don’t follow a super strict curriculum however, there is some core lessons that must take place like:

• English (Reading and writing)

• Maths (Counting, money and sums)

• Science (learnt mostly outside)

We set broad goals and let Theo’s interests guide us. For example:

• Visiting a Roman fort → history, geography, storytelling

• Exploring tide pools → science, sketching, observation

• Spending time at a living museum → culture, technology, daily life in the past and science

When we need extra support, we dip into online resources like IXL, Adapted Mind, Khan Academy or Duolingo, but the heart of our homeschooling is lived experiences.

Threlkeld Quarry & Mining Museum, the lake district. A small museum with big opportunities for learning!

Daily Life on the Road

Rhythm, Not Routine

Vanlife thrives on flexibility, but a gentle rhythm keeps us grounded. Our mornings often start with breakfast and core lessons like English and Maths. Afternoons might include an outing, hands-on learning, or simply following Theo’s curiosity wherever it leads and evenings consist of family time, where Theo will fill out his book and and include what he would like to learn the next day. This allows us to structure lessons based around his interests. Sometimes we will head straight out if thats what we have planned and then come back to do some workbooks in the evening. It all depends on how we feel.

Learning Through Outings

• Small Museums – Perfect for focused learning and less overwhelming than larger ones.

• Living and Working Museums – History comes alive when you see it in action, whether that’s a blacksmith at work or bread baking in an old stone oven.

• Nature Walks – A forest, coastline, or mountain becomes a science lesson, sparking conversations about habitats, ecosystems, and geology.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (Submarine Museum)

Overcoming Challenges

Space Constraints

Living small requires organisation. Storage solutions, tidy habits, and making use of the outdoors help us manage. Giving everyone a bit of personal space (even just headphones and a quiet corner) is key.

Balancing Work and Homeschooling

If you’re working on the road as well, set clear boundaries. Theo knows when we’re focused on work and when it’s family time, which helps keep balance. It can be hard at first to get your child to understand new routines, new boundries ect, but with consistency and starting off in a routine is the key to success. You can make changes later when they are more adapted to the new way of life, just like we did.

The Joy of Homeschooling on the Road

Building Memories

We keep journals, take photos, and talk about our experiences — not just as souvenirs, but as records of the learning that takes place every day. We will often sit down and just look through pictures together and recount memories. This makes us feel a sense of acheivment, especially for Theo.

Encouraging Independence

Theo helps plan our routes and choose outings. This teaches responsibility, problem-solving, and confidence. We will also have an A-Z map in the cab, and from time to time we use it to navigate, this is exciting to Theo, even if he makes a mistake, we just correct it. This teaches resilliance and peservenrance.

Celebrating Achievements

We celebrate everything from Theo mastering a new skill to completing a hike or exploring a dream destination. It keeps the journey exciting and rewarding.

A happy Theo after getting to the top and seeing this view in the lake district!

The Road Ahead

For us, homeschooling on the road isn’t about creating a perfect system — it’s about living fully. Theo’s education comes from castles, coastlines, museums, and conversations. Every day is an opportunity to learn, grow, and connect as a family.

If you’re considering this path, remember: homeschooling doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With curiosity, flexibility, and a spirit of adventure, you can create an education that goes far beyond textbooks.

Because in the end, homeschooling on the road isn’t just about lessons — it’s about family, discovery, and the joy of learning together. I dont want you to look at our story and feel overwhelmed, we also make mistakes, have squabbles and not everything is perfect. But there is beauty in the madness.

Learning at Cadbury Castle (mound) We had a brillaint day!