Worldschooling: What It Is, What It Costs and How Our Family Does It

Why Our Family Worldschools

Worldschooling means using travel, everyday life and the places you live as your children’s main classroom. We’re a Dutch-Australian family: me (Vanessa), Marty, Louie (9) and Leo (2). This is why we chose it.

I was in my final year of primary school when a teacher walked my younger brother into my classroom. He’d been labelled “naughty” and sent to sit somewhere else as punishment. She didn’t know he was my brother.

He’d been diagnosed with ADD and temporal lobe epilepsy. As a family, we were still working it out: appointments, medications and the emotional weight of it all. He was a sweet, kind kid. The school just didn’t have the time or tools to understand him.

I saw his face and cried, right there in front of my whole class. It wasn’t embarrassment. I felt so sorry for this gentle boy being shuffled around like a problem to manage.

He found his way in the end, on his own terms. Today he’s finishing a degree and works as a full-stack developer. School didn’t break him. It just wasn’t built for him.

That moment stayed with me. Years later, when Marty and I talked about how we wanted to raise Louie and Leo, it came straight back.

I don’t believe one system fits every child. For our family, worldschooling is the answer we found. Louie finished school in July, and by September we were in Vietnam. We explain how we made that call in How to Start Worldschooling.

This guide pulls together what we’ve learned so far, what we’re still figuring out, and where to go deeper on each topic. 🌍

What Is Worldschooling?

Worldschooling is an approach to education where travel, culture and everyday life become a big part of how children learn. A market becomes a maths lesson. A temple becomes history. A beach full of kids becomes a language class.

It looks different in every family. Some travel full time, others for a few months a year. Some follow a curriculum, others let learning grow from their kids’ interests, and most land somewhere in between.

There’s no official definition and no single right way. What worldschooling families share is the belief that the world outside a classroom is worth learning from.

Worldschooling vs Homeschooling vs Unschooling

People often use these words as if they mean the same thing. They overlap, but they answer different questions. Worldschooling is about where and through what kids learn. Homeschooling and unschooling are about how learning is structured.

Want to go deeper? Read our guides to homeschooling while travelling, unschooling for travelling families and worldschooling styles compared.

Worldschooling a 9-Year-Old and a 2-Year-Old

Most worldschooling guides picture one child, or kids close in age. Ours are seven years apart, and that shapes almost every day.

Louie, 9: the spark came back

Back in the Netherlands, we tried to get Louie drawing. He had zero interest. Now he sketches every single day, and nobody has to ask.

I can’t point to one reason. New places, new colours, more time, less pressure. Whatever it is, he seems inspired. He’s more engaged and happier than we’ve seen him in a long time.

His bookwork still happens every day. We share what a typical day looks like in Homeschooling While Travelling. But the drawing is the part I didn’t see coming. ✏️

Leo, 2: puzzles, books and a lot of singing

At two, Leo’s learning is simple: puzzles, picture books, singing, and following his big brother everywhere.

Naps shape our days more than any timetable. Some outings get cut short. Other times we split up, so one of us does the bigger activity with Louie while the other stays with Leo.

That’s the honest trade-off with a big age gap. Not everything works for both boys at once, and we’ve stopped expecting it to.

The day a hole in the sand made friends

One of my favourite moments so far happened on My Khe Beach in Da Nang. Louie started digging a big hole. Another kid wandered over and joined in. Then another.

Before long, a whole crew of children was working together to finish it. Most of them didn’t share a language with Louie. They didn’t need one.

It’s a small thing. But if you’re worried your child won’t make friends abroad, it’s the kind of moment that helps. Read more in our Worldschooling and Socialisation guide.

If your kids have a big age gap: plan the day around the youngest one’s sleep. Accept that you’ll split up sometimes. Give the older one something that’s truly theirs, like Louie’s sketchbook.

What Worldschooling Gives Kids

Learning that sticks

Kids remember what they’ve seen, touched and tasted. Budgeting at a market, reading a bus timetable in another language, asking why a temple looks the way it does. The lesson and the experience happen at the same time.

An education that fits the child

One-on-one learning lets you follow your child’s pace and interests. Louie’s sketching is a good example. Nobody planned it, and nobody could have forced it.

A wider view of the world

Living somewhere for a few months is different from visiting as a tourist. Kids start to see that their way of doing things is one of thousands, from how people eat to how they greet each other and celebrate.

In Vietnam, many families run small eateries from their own homes. So eating out often feels like a family meal: simple, home-cooked and made with love. It’s one of the quiet ways Louie and Leo are seeing how other families live. 🍜

A family in Hanoi even invited us for a meal while we were still in the Netherlands. We haven’t made it there yet, but it’s high on our list.

Languages picked up in real life

Children learn words fastest when they need them: at the playground, the market or the beach. Even a handful of phrases changes how locals respond to them.

More time together, on your own schedule

No school run and no term dates. You can stay longer when a place works and move on when it doesn’t. That time together is a gift, and also one of the hard parts below.

The Hard Parts

We won’t pretend this is all sunsets and breakthroughs. These are the challenges families raise most, and some we’re living right now.

• Money. Replacing an income remotely is the biggest barrier for most families. We share how we make it work on one salary in How to Become a Digital Nomad Family.
• Doubt. Some days you’ll wonder if you’re doing the right thing, especially when your child misses a friend or asks about “home”. We’ve felt it too.
• Friendships take effort. Without school, they don’t happen by default. Staying longer in one place helps most.
• The parent load. You’re the teacher, planner, remote worker and cook, often on the same day. A steady daily rhythm and slower travel make a real difference.
• Admin. Visas, insurance, tax and home education rules never fully go away. Start with our health insurance guide and visa guide.
• Additional needs. Children who rely on routine, therapies or specialist care need careful planning before and during travel.
• Teenagers. Teens need deeper friendships and a clear academic path. It’s not too late, but it takes more planning. See Worldschooling with Teenagers.

Worldschooling isn’t easier than school. It’s different: richer in some ways, harder in others. For a fuller picture, read The Truth About Worldschooling.

How to Get Started

Starting doesn’t have to mean selling everything and booking one-way tickets. These are the steps we’d suggest to any family, roughly in this order. Our own story and checklist are in How to Start Worldschooling.

1. Talk it through as a family. If one partner is hesitant, agree on a trial period, such as three or six months, rather than an open-ended plan.
2. Check the money. Build a budget from real costs for the places you’re considering, not averages. More on this in What Worldschooling Costs.
3. Check the law in your home country first. It often matters more than where you travel. See Is Worldschooling Legal?
4. Choose a learning style. Curriculum, child-led or a mix. Expect it to change once you’re on the road. Our homeschooling resources guide shows what other parents actually use.
5. Sort health and insurance. Leaving your home country can change your cover. Check vaccinations early too, using our travel vaccinations guide.
6. Book a first base for weeks, not months. It gives you room to change your mind.
7. Find your community before you leave. Join groups, ask questions and look for families a few steps ahead of you.

Not ready to go full time? Try a longer trip over the school holidays first. Think of it as a pilot, not a permanent decision.

Is Worldschooling Legal?

Usually, yes, but it depends on three things: your home country, where you’re legally resident, and how long you stay in each place.

Your home country matters most. Some countries make home education very hard while you’re registered as a resident. The Netherlands is one of them. We deregistered as a family, and explain what that involved in our unschooling guide. Australian families should check the home education rules in their own state.

Where you stay matters too. Many countries don’t regulate short-stay foreign families, but rules can apply once you become resident.

Keep these questions separate: visa rules, residency, tax, work permission and home education rules. A tourist visa doesn’t mean you can work, live or register a home school somewhere.

Our Worldschooling Legal Requirements guide covers the rules country by country. Laws change, so always check current details with the official education authority before you commit.

Where Families Worldschool

There’s no single best place. The right base depends on your budget, your kids’ ages, your visa options and how much community you want. We walk through how to weigh those up in How to Choose the Right Destination.

Where we started: Da Nang, Vietnam 🇻🇳

Da Nang is our first base, and it’s been a gentle start. It’s affordable and easy to get around, with a long beach, coworking spaces and plenty of families. It’s also where Louie’s hole-digging crew formed on My Khe Beach.

Worth knowing: home education isn’t formally recognised in Vietnam, so foreign families educate through their home country’s framework. Visa lengths also shape how long you can stay. Read more in our Da Nang guide, or compare Thailand vs Vietnam if you’re choosing between the two.

What we look for in a base

• Legal environment: how home education works for foreign families, and when residency rules kick in.
• Safety and healthcare: a good clinic or hospital within reach matters more with small kids.
• Cost of living: rent is usually the biggest variable.
• Community: other families nearby make friendships far easier.
• Internet: non-negotiable when you work remotely. See our internet guide.
• Toddler-friendliness: short travel days, shade, parks and somewhere quiet to nap.
• Visas: how long you can stay, and what it takes to extend. Check the visa guide.

Popular worldschooling bases

These places come up again and again in worldschooling communities. We haven’t lived in any of them yet, so this is based on research and conversations with other families. Check current details before you commit.

Chiang Mai, Thailand: affordable, with a large expat community, learning co-ops and alternative schools. The big drawback is burning season, roughly February to April, when air quality can be poor. It’s our next base after Christmas, and we explain why in Chiang Mai vs Bali.

Ubud, Bali: one of Asia’s best-known worldschooling hubs, with learning centres and regular family events. Popular areas can cost more than people expect, and traffic is a daily reality. See our Bali guide.

Lisbon, Portugal: good infrastructure, a mild climate and easy access to the rest of Europe. Rents have risen sharply, and Portugal’s home education rules apply once you’re resident. See our Portugal guide.

The Canary Islands, Spain: warm year-round, inside the EU and popular with European families. Home education sits in a legal grey area for Spanish residents. See our Spain guide.

Puerto Escondido, Mexico: a beach town with a growing nomad scene, surf lessons and Spanish immersion. The surf and currents are strong, and it’s hot for much of the year. See our Mexico guide.

Medellín, Colombia: a spring-like climate, solid infrastructure and nature close by. Research neighbourhoods and safety carefully before you choose where to stay.

Worldschooling hubs

A hub is a place where travelling families gather, often around a learning centre, co-living space or regular meet-ups. Hubs make friendships much easier, especially for kids aged six and up.

Our free Worldschooling Hubs Directory lists more than 430 hubs, pop-ups and communities by region. It’s the easiest place to start if community is high on your list.

Worldschooling by Age

Does it work at every age? Yes, but it looks very different as kids grow.

Ages 0 to 5

Little ones adapt quickly and learn mostly through play, routine and being with you. The practical side matters more: healthcare access, vaccinations and a routine that protects naps. That’s our life with Leo right now.

Ages 6 to 10

Many families find this the easiest stage. Kids remember experiences, adapt well and still happily spend time with their parents. Choose places with other families so friendships have time to form. Louie is nine, so this is where we are.

Ages 11 to 14

Friendships start to matter much more. Slower travel, two to three months or longer in each place, gives kids time to build real connections. Keep maths and languages steady.

Ages 15 and up

It’s not too late, but teens need a real say in where you go and how they learn. If university is the goal, plan qualifications early. Read Worldschooling with Teenagers and Can Worldschooled Kids Go to University?.

What Worldschooling Costs

This is the question families ask most, and the one with the most made-up numbers online. The honest answer: it depends on where you live, how often you move, your accommodation, and whether you keep a home running back home.

These are the things that make the biggest difference:

• Where you base yourselves. Southeast Asia and parts of Eastern Europe and Latin America usually cost far less than Western Europe, Australia or Japan.
• How often you move. Flights and short-term rentals eat budgets. Slow travel is cheaper.
• Your home base. Renting it out, as we did, can offset costs. Paying a mortgage on an empty house doubles them.
• Schooling. Online programs, tutors or international schools can add a lot.
• Insurance. Family health cover is a real monthly cost, not an extra.

Our real numbers: we share what we actually spend in Da Nang in How to Become a Digital Nomad Family. We also compare costs in Where Can Nomad Families Afford to Live?. To build your own budget, start with What It Really Costs to Live Abroad with Kids.

How families fund it

• Remote work: the most common option, with one or both parents working online.
• An online business: consulting, freelancing, digital products or content.
• Savings for a set period: many families travel for six to twelve months, then reassess.
• Renting out a home: steady income, plus somewhere to return to.
• House-sitting: it can cut accommodation costs, but platforms charge membership fees and long sits that suit families are harder to find. Check current details.

Curriculum, Apps and Tools

Finding the right resources takes most families a while, and your mix will probably change a few times. We’ve gathered what we and other parents use in these guides:

• Homeschooling Resources: What Real Parents Are Actually Using
• The Complete Guide to Online Programs for Homeschoolers and Worldschoolers
• The Best Documentaries for Worldschooling Kids
• The Best Books to Learn About Worldschooling

A few platforms worth knowing

• Khan Academy: free, self-paced learning, especially strong for maths.
• Outschool: live small-group classes on almost anything, which can also help with regular social contact.
• Duolingo: a daily language habit that works well alongside real-world practice.
• Curiosity Stream: documentary-based learning across many subjects.

Prices and features change, so check current details before you subscribe.

Apps for finding other families

A newer wave of apps aims to solve the “who else is nearby with kids?” problem. They’re all free to start, but user numbers vary a lot by destination, so check current details before relying on one.

• LinkEase: a map of nearby travelling families, with chat, meet-ups and learning activities for kids.
• Voyage Maps: a worldschooling app for connecting with families and finding hubs.
• Nomad Family App: a simple, privacy-first map of nomad families near you.
• Nomadschoolers: a directory of alternative schools, forest schools and learning programmes worldwide.
• Nomadic Pathway: a quiz that suggests destinations for your family. You’ll need to enter your email to see results.

Planning tools

• Notion: flexible enough to build your own learning tracker.
• Rome2Rio: compares routes across trains, buses, ferries and flights.
• Nomads.com (formerly Nomad List): crowdsourced data on costs, internet and community by city.

Finding Your People

Community isn’t a nice extra in this lifestyle. It’s what keeps kids happy and parents sane. Start looking before you leave, not once you land.

• Facebook groups: general worldschooling groups plus groups for your destination.
• Telegram and WhatsApp groups: usually shared locally once you arrive somewhere.
• Hubs and pop-ups: browse the Worldschooling Hubs Directory.
• Your kids’ interests: sport, art classes, surf lessons, or simply a busy beach with a spade.
• Online classes: regular sessions with the same kids can help between moves. See Helping Travelling Kids Make Friends.
• Our own community: the Worldly Tribe Facebook group is small and growing, with families sharing real questions and honest answers.

For a deeper look at friendships on the road, read our socialisation guide.

Worldschooling by Interest

One of the best parts of worldschooling is building learning around what your kids already love. Below is a short taste of each theme, with a link to our full guide.

Some of these places we know first-hand, and some are on our research list. We say which is which in each guide. 🌍

🦁 Wildlife and nature

Some of Louie’s biggest learning moments have involved animals. A wild dolphin took a fish from his hand at Tin Can Bay. He snorkelled with sea turtles at Lady Musgrave Island. In the Daintree, we watched a father cassowary lead his chicks across the road.

Wildlife teaches ecology, conservation and patience in a way worksheets can’t. Choose ethical operators, and look for ranger-led experiences where kids can ask all their questions.

Popular with families: Australia, Costa Rica, the Galápagos, Kenya and Tanzania, and Borneo.

Read the full guide: Why Wildlife Travel Is the Best Worldschooling You’ll Ever Do

🏛 History and ancient civilisations

Standing in a place changes how kids understand the past. A Roman road or a temple complex turns a date in a book into something real.

Popular with families: Egypt, Greece, Italy, Peru, Cambodia, Mexico’s Maya sites such as Chichén Itzá and Palenque, and Petra in Jordan.

Tip: read a story or watch a short documentary about a place before you go. Kids engage far more when they already know a little.

Read the full guide: 13 Best Destinations for Families Who Love History and Ancient Civilisations

🌊 Underwater and ocean learning

The ocean has been one of Louie’s best classrooms, from calm snorkelling spots in Australia to a humbling day on France’s Atlantic coast. We tell those stories in our ocean guide.

Popular with families: the Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Triangle in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, the barrier reef in Belize, and the Red Sea at Dahab in Egypt.

Tip: choose operators with a conservation focus and a proper reef briefing. Check minimum ages for snorkelling and diving tours before you book.

Read the full guide: Why the Ocean Is the Ultimate Worldschooling Classroom

🎨 Art, culture and museums

Since Louie started sketching every day, we look at art differently on the road. Seeing work where it was made, or watching a traditional dance performed, is a very different lesson from a picture in a book.

Popular with families: Italy, France (including the Lascaux IV replica of the famous cave paintings, as the original cave is closed to visitors), Japan, Ubud, Mexico City and the Netherlands.

Tip: before a big museum, spend 20 minutes looking at one or two pieces you’ll see there. Familiar art sparks far more curiosity. Our Dutch favourites are in Best Museums in the Netherlands for Worldschooling Families.

🍜 Food and culture

Marty and I have always been food people. Long before the boys, we chose holidays by what we’d get to eat and lingered at every market. Food is still how we get to know a place.

Markets teach maths, geography and trade history. Cooking classes teach all of that, plus patience. Kids who cook a dish remember the culture around it.

Popular with families: Italy, Japan, Thailand, Mexico, Morocco, Vietnam and India.

Read the full guide: 13 Destinations for Families Who Love Food and Culture

🌿 Eco-learning, conservation and volunteering

Conservation experiences combine science, ethics and action. They show kids that people can help protect the places they visit.

Popular with families: turtle nesting and reforestation projects in Costa Rica, community conservancies in Kenya and Tanzania, the Galápagos, orangutan rehabilitation centres in Borneo, and reef and bushfire recovery in Australia.

Volunteering: families often find placements through platforms like Workaway or Worldpackers, or through local organisations. Check that the organisation welcomes children, has clear age rules and does work the community wants. Beach clean-ups and wildlife surveys are an easy place to start.

Read the full guide: Volunteering Abroad with Kids

🏔 Adventure and the outdoors

Kids learn differently when their bodies are involved. Geography makes sense on a lava field, and ecosystems click when you’ve hiked through three in a day.

Popular with families: Costa Rica, New Zealand (we share our nine months at Milford Sound there), Iceland, Patagonia, Nepal, Norway and Canada’s national parks.

Tip: a guide or ranger who can explain why a glacier or canyon exists turns a hike into a lesson.

Read the full guide: 15 Epic Destinations for Families Who Love the Outdoors

Frequently Asked Questions

What is worldschooling?

It’s an approach where travel, culture and everyday life abroad become a big part of your children’s education. Families can combine it with a structured curriculum, unschooling, or something in between.

Is worldschooling legal?

It depends on your home country, your residency status and where you stay. Rules differ a lot between countries, and they change. Our legal guide breaks it down by country, but always check current details with official education authorities.

Is worldschooling the same as homeschooling?

Not quite. Homeschooling describes who leads education and how. Worldschooling describes learning through travel and place. Most worldschooling families also homeschool or unschool.

How much does worldschooling cost?

It depends on where you base yourselves, how often you move and your accommodation. We share our actual Da Nang spending in our digital nomad family guide and compare destinations in Where Can Nomad Families Afford to Live?. Treat any single monthly figure online, ours included, as a starting point rather than a promise.

Can you worldschool with a toddler?

Yes, but naps and routines will shape your days. Our two-year-old Leo learns through puzzles, books, singing and copying his brother. We shorten some activities or split up so both boys get what they need.

How many hours a day does worldschooling take?

For us, Louie’s bookwork takes about 1.5 to 2 hours a day. One-on-one learning moves faster than a classroom. See Homeschooling While Travelling for our routine.

Do worldschooled kids struggle socially?

Friendships take more effort without school, so staying longer in one place and joining activities helps. Kids also connect in ways that surprise you. Louie gathered a beach full of helpers over a hole in the sand, with barely a shared word.

Is it too late to start worldschooling with a teenager?

No, but teens need more say in the plan, deeper friendships and a clear academic path. Our teenagers guide covers how families make it work.

Can worldschooled kids go to university?

Yes. Many use accredited online high schools or recognised exams. Check entry requirements early for the countries and universities your child is interested in. See Can Worldschooled Kids Go to University?

Can children with ADHD or additional needs worldschool?

Many do, and some thrive away from rigid classrooms. Others rely on routine and specialist support that’s harder to find on the road. Talk to your child’s specialists first, and plan how you’ll keep a steady rhythm.

What if my partner isn’t on board?

It’s common. Marty and I don’t see school the same way either, and we share how we handle that in our unschooling guide. A fixed trial period is often easier to agree to than an open-ended plan.

What do we do with our house?

We rented ours out, so we still have somewhere to return to. Selling, renting and keeping all have trade-offs, and we cover them in our digital nomad family guide.

Do we have to deregister from our home country?

It depends on the country. As a Dutch family, we deregistered from our municipality. Australian families should check the home education rules in their state. Always confirm current rules with your local authority before you leave.

Do kids miss conventional school?

Some do, sometimes. They miss friends, routines or a favourite teacher. Take it seriously. Video calls, visits home and steady friendships on the road all help.

Our Takeaways

We’re still new to this. A few months in, I don’t have it all figured out, and I’d be wary of anyone who says they do.

What I do know is this. Louie is drawing again. Leo sings his way through the day. And a hole in the sand taught me more about kids and friendship than any parenting book.

Worldschooling isn’t easier than school. Some days it’s harder. But it fits our family, and that was the whole point: finding something that fits the child, not the other way round. My little brother deserved that. So do our boys.

Wondering whether your family could do this too? Start small. Check the laws and the money. Then talk to families who are a few steps ahead. You’ll find some of them in our Facebook group. 🌍

For schooling options beyond worldschooling, see our guide to education and childcare for nomad families.