Global Groovin'

You probably know some families who choose to home-school their children. Home-schooling parents report that they educate their kids at home for many reasons - some of the common ones are: so that children learn important life-skills, so that children enjoy the learning process more, so that the family can spend more time together, and so that the kids have more time to explore their other interests.

World-schooling is an increasingly popular form of home-schooling where families learn while traveling together. The idea is that most of the education takes place outside of formal lessons. Also called road-schooling, this form of learning taps the wealth of resources found in the environments and cultures of destinations the traveling families visit.

The World Is Your Classroom

It’s not just a saying! Experiential learning is proven to be very effective. Being immersed in an experience opens us up to deeper levels of comprehension. Parents who expand the classroom to encompass more of the world know that they’re providing their young ones with a wider range of experiences and information than the kids might receive if they were living and learning in one place.

The parents believe that these experiences will benefit their children in both the short and long-term. World-schoolers profit from incidental learning - learning without a specific goal or aim in mind. Students gain knowledge about whatever inspires them along their journeys instead of sticking to a pre-determined lesson plan.

Practical Application

Kids feel empowered when they can immediately apply the new lessons they’re learning. They know that what they’re spending their time mastering is valuable and can be used in real life - versus the common refrain of “when am I ever going to use this?” that can be heard echoing through public school hallways.

Students can learn math skills while helping to plan a food budget or coordinate travel times. They’ll likely feel very connected to their history lessons when they’re literally standing in the sites that they’re also reading about. A world classroom provides all sorts of amazing learning opportunities.

Take An “Edventure”

Let’s face it - most children don’t feel excited about sitting at a desk for a majority of the day listening to adults talk at them. Parents know that receiving an education is so important to the future success of their children. World-schooling is a solution that meets kids’ needs for stimulation and activity and parents’ needs for ensuring that their young ones learn valuable skills and information.

“Edventures” are adventures that families embark upon that emphasize both exploration and education. For example a family might visit a park or natural area where they trek and camp but also spend time focusing on learning about ecology of various biomes or on expanding literary skills by reading literature written about the area.

Outside The Box, Into The World

World-schooling is a lifestyle that works for families who are excited to step away from the norm. It emphasizes being present in your surroundings, taking advantage of the learning opportunities that surround you each day, and creating time in your family’s schedule for adventure.

How does your family learn from the world as its classroom? Share some of your most memorable world-schooling experiences (formal or informal) with us in the comments below.

Image Credit: World-schooling family photo from http://worldschooladventures.com/ where you can follow the edventures of an unschooling family.

Amara Evans is a vibrational healer, collective consciousness-raiser, writer, and devotee of the Goddess. She loves to connect with her global community through writing about important topics like the environment, spirituality, and fair trade.

Moms on the go, we’ve got to hand it to you. It takes a lot of coordination, a lot of patience, a lot of strength, and a whole lot of love to travel with your family in tow! Proper preparation and the right attitude can make your trip a joyful experience for everyone. Here are 4 must-have items we hope will make your journey a little smoother so you can focus on keeping all your ducks in a row.

A Waterproof Toiletry Bag

Not having one of these has ruined many a mother’s day! Imagine arriving in your hotel after a long day - or days - of travel with the family and opening your suitcase full of clothes, shoes, jewelry, and personal items to find that everything inside is saturated with shampoo or worse still with some sort of body oil.

Finding a way to immediately wash all of your clothes in a new place can be time consuming and especially stressful when you’re wondering whether or not you’ll need to get rid of some or all of your gear. Plus who wants to start a new adventure by doing laundry?

Believe us, we understand that if anybody can handle a gooey mess it’s a mom - but why go there when you don’t have to? Some sloppy disasters are avoidable. Using a waterproof toiletry bag like Global Groove Life’s Sac-de-bain will keep any unexpected explosions or leaks contained and protect your belongings from being stained or ruined.

Entertainment for All

Sometimes the thrill of exploring a new place isn’t quite so … well, thrilling for everyone in the family. If the little ones aren’t interested in seeing another museum or site they may love to go play in the park or have a family dance party at the beach. Playing some music they’re familiar with can create a sense of comfort in an unfamiliar place.

GGL has just the solution - the Boozik iPad Portable Bamboo Amplifier! It’s so easy to carry with you and takes little to no time to set up...  it’s cordless and battery-free. This sustainable speaker is made out of bamboo. It sounds great and is lightweight - the perfect combo for travel!

If the family is ready to take a break on a rainy day or if one of the young ones (or one of the adults) is feeling homesick or down use the Boozik bamboo amplifier to watch a favorite movie all together to lift everyone’s spirits.

A Bag Identifier

If you happened to buy black suitcases - which is totally silly but still somehow seems like a good idea sometimes - then you’ll need a way to quickly identify which ones belong to you at the airport, bus or train station. GGL has several unique options of bright key rings to help you!

A favorite is this Pom Pom Keychain - it’s cute, it’s colorful, it’s fluffy! Most importantly, it’s hard to miss! Even if you don’t have a generic looking bag, our pom poms and tassels make it super fast and easy for you to quickly locate your luggage in baggage check even if there are a lot of distractions. Easily identifiable bags don't get stolen as often either. Win - win!

A Carry-All Bag

Let’s face it - you’re going to be carrying more with you as a travel mom than you would if you were going solo or traveling with other adults. Even if your kids carry their own clothes, water, and ways to entertain themselves there are still important documents, snacks, and those essential items that you’ve learned never to leave home without.

That means you’re going to need a bag that’s large enough to tote all those goods around with you. And you’re going to want a bag that helps you stay organized and looking stylish. GGL’s Retreat Bag can hold it all!

The retreat bag is the perfect combination of style and function. It features an internal zipped pocket for extra orderliness and two external zip pockets for easy access to items you need on a regular basis. The Retreat Bag has an easy-wipe lining (just in case) inside the stunning Flower of Life patterned exterior.

Traveling with your family is an amazing way to share growth experiences, explore the world, and learn about each member of the family together. We salute all of the modern moms (and dads, too!) who are making this happen and sharing these precious gifts with your loved ones!

We hope this article made your trip planning just a little bit more fun and easy. What is your number 1 travel must-have? Share in the comments!

Amara Evans is a vibrational healer, collective consciousness-raiser, writer, and devotee of the Goddess. She loves to connect with her global community through writing about important topics like the environment, spirituality, and fair trade.

You probably know them as yoga balls, fitness balls, balance balls, or even birth balls. You've read the guides and watched the videos showing you how to use them, asking you to do squats, push-ups, bridges, curls, tucks and crunches. Maybe you've used yours to get your abs back, or improve your flexibility. Maybe after having one, you'd never do a workout without it. "They're so versatile!" you say, "I can use it for everything!"

It's true. They're remarkable tools. But we'll let you in on a secret: you can use them for so much more.

Let us show you five lesser known ways you can get value out of your balance ball using our yoga ball covers. We think you'll be surprised by just how useful these fitness classics can be!

1. Artful seating

Let's face it - yoga balls are ugly. They're usually a bright neon color, rubbery, sticky and big. We take our fitness balls out for exercise, and exercise only, and then promptly hide them back in the closet.  And for some, once that exercise ball is in the closet, it might never come back out again! We need the daily visual of the ball to remind us to actually use it for exercise. So how can we make a yoga ball something that we actually want to see taking up space in our homes?

Here's something that you probably haven't noticed about yoga balls:  their unique shape. "It's a sphere…lots of things are sphere," you'll say. But how often do you come across such a big, perfectly geometric shape in your daily life? Such shapes are rare, and visually appealing. Ask any interior designer. A balance ball has the ability to add a powerful dynamic to an otherwise drab room.

But of course, no matter how cool the shape, you can't call that neon, rubbery, sticky eyesore a piece of art just yet. You'll need to cover the ugly with something pretty. That's where our yoga ball covers come in. Made by local artisans in Chiang Mai Thailand, we truly believe our designs have artistic as well as functional value. Simply plop on a patterned cover or a fluffy fleece cover that matches the décor of your room, and voilà - you have a statement piece. 

2. Office Chair

We do a lot of sitting on our yoga balls when we're exercising, so why not do it while we're working too? Here are some great reasons to use your newly decorated fitness ball as an office chair:

• It's fun! Ever get bored staring at your computer screen during the afternoon slump? Do a couple bounces on your exercise ball, and get yourself moving without even getting up. We all can relate to the simply joy of bouncing… now you can do it all day long!
• It burns calories. According to a study by the European Journal of Applied Physiology, sitting on a yoga ball burns 6% more calories per day than sitting on a regular office chair.
• It improves posture. Without a back to lean on, sitting on a balance ball forces you to sit up straighter all day.
• It makes stretching easy. Use  your "seat" as a true yoga ball for stretches during breaks from work. It'll not only make you feel better, but it'll get you mind flowing quicker.
• It might even make you more productive. According to Sweat Science, in one study, men who were sitting on excercise balls typed 551 words in 20 minutes, while men who were sitting in a normal chair typed 519. 

3. Kids room decoration

Kids love yoga balls! They're fun to roll around, bounce on, and play with.  Plus, the right balance ball cover will add the perfect amount of color and excitement to your child's room.  Add some cheetah print for an animal lover, or a  bright purple fur cover for a sweet cuddle bug.

So there you have it. We hope whether you have an old yoga ball gathering dust in storage, or you've just purchased your first, you'll find our suggestions helpful in getting the most out of your fitness ball!