If you’re navigating the exciting (and sometimes slightly chaotic!) world of educating your kids while travelling, you’re not alone. Whether you’re already deep into this lifestyle or just starting to explore the idea, worldschooling can be a wonderfully flexible and enriching way to learn.
Creating a worldschooling schedule for 5–7 year olds can feel a bit overwhelming at first — especially when you’re juggling time zones, travel days, and finding that balance between structured learning and spontaneous adventure. But the beauty of worldschooling is that it doesn’t have to look like traditional school at all. With the right approach, you can tailor a rhythm that works for your child, your travel plans, and your family’s values.
What is Worldschooling and Why is Age 5–7 the Perfect Time to Start?
Worldschooling is the beautiful, flexible intersection of education and travel—where the world becomes your child’s classroom. For kids aged 5 to 7, it’s a magical window of curiosity, creativity, and rapid development. You’re not just teaching your child to read or add—you’re showing them how the world works in real time. This age group thrives on hands-on learning and exploratory play, making it an ideal time to worldschool.
Whether you’re doing a gap year abroad or diving into full-time digital nomad life, this is when your little learners are most eager to engage, ask questions, and absorb everything around them.
How to Create a Worldschooling Schedule for 5–7 Year Olds
What Does a Worldschooling Routine Look Like?
Forget the rigid classroom timetable. With worldschooling, rhythm matters more than structure. Your child doesn’t need to sit at a desk from 9 to 3. In fact, studies show that young children only need 1–2 hours of focused learning per dayto stay on track.
Here’s a simple weekly rhythm to follow:
- Monday–Thursday: 1–2 hours of literacy, maths, or unit-based learning.
- Friday: Nature walk, museum trip, or cultural immersion day.
- Weekends: Unstructured play, journaling, or travel transitions.
Daily structure could look like:
- Morning: Reading/literacy activity, followed by maths (15–30 mins each).
- Midday: Outdoor activity, museum, cultural experience.
- Afternoon: Creative time—drawing, music, building, or storytelling.
The goal? Keep it light, meaningful, and engaging.
Sample Weekly Schedule
| Day | Morning Learning | Afternoon Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Phonics + Maths | Nature walk + journal |
| Tuesday | Book reading + science | Explore local market |
| Wednesday | Storytelling + maths | Museum or historical site |
| Thursday | Creative writing + logic | Cooking class |
| Friday | Cultural immersion day | Free play or crafts |
Curriculum Ideas for Worldschooling Ages 5–7
Literacy
- Phonics games and early readers
- Reading aloud together
- Keeping a travel journal or storybook
- Apps like Teach Your Monster to Read or Reading Eggs
Maths
- Real-world maths: shopping, cooking, measuring distances
- Hands-on materials: Cuisenaire rods, number puzzles
- Games: card games, board games like Sum Swamp
Science
- Nature walks and observation
- Science experiments with travel-friendly kits
- Documentaries like BBC Earth or Cosmic Kids Yoga Science series
Geography & Culture
- Country studies: flags, foods, music
- Map work and globe exploration
- Traditional tales from around the world
History
- Local tours or historical site visits
- Stories from the past (Usborne Beginners books are fab!)
- Family timelines or ancestral mapping
Creative Arts
- Drawing travel memories
- Dance and music from different cultures
- Photography and nature art
Curriculum Options
- Blossom & Root (great for creative learners)
- Twinkl (downloadable worksheets)
- The Good and the Beautiful (free PDF curriculum)
- Curiosity Approach or Montessori-inspired resources
Best Educational Apps for Worldschoolers Aged 5–7
Literacy-Focused
- Teach Your Monster to Read – phonics and early reading
- Reading Eggs – fun, engaging, and curriculum-aligned
Maths
- Math Seeds – problem-solving with bright animations
- Khan Academy Kids – completely free and brilliant
Audio & Stories
- Yoto Player or app – screen-free storytelling
- Audible – download books for plane or car travel
- Storynory – free audio stories and fairy tales
Tip: Keep one tablet with guided access enabled and preloaded with apps before travel days!
How Much Time Should Kids Learn While Worldschooling?
The golden rule here is: quality over quantity.
Children aged 5–7 typically benefit from:
- 15–30 minutes per subject
- 1–2 focused hours per day
- 4–5 days per week
And that’s more than enough, especially when travel naturally introduces them to geography, languages, social skills, and critical thinking.
Incorporate downtime and buffer days. When you’re travelling across countries or time zones, allow room for rest and recovery too. Emotional regulation and rest are just as important as times tables!
Alternative Learning Opportunities While Travelling
Here’s where worldschooling really shines:
- Cultural Immersion: Try a local cooking class, visit temples, or join a dance performance.
- Nature-Based Learning: Beach combing, jungle hikes, rock pooling.
- Life Skills: Budgeting for a trip, ordering food in another language, learning how transport systems work.
- Volunteering: Animal shelters, beach cleanups, farm visits.
- Worldschooling Meetups: Look out for pop-up groups in Thailand, Bali, Portugal, or Mexico.
Tip: Keep a “learning log” where kids draw or write one thing they discovered each day.
How to Incorporate Learning into Travel Life
Travel Journals & Scrapbooks
Have your kids draw what they saw, glue in museum tickets, write one sentence about their day, or record wildlife they’ve spotted.
Unit Studies by Country
Pick a theme each month:
- Japan = cherry blossoms, sushi, origami
- Italy = art, pasta-making, Roman history
- Thailand = elephants, Buddhism, tropical plants
Use the World as Your Classroom
- Airports: Talk about time zones and countries.
- Buses & Trains: Geography games and counting currencies.
- Beaches: Shell patterns, marine life, tide cycles.
Learning is literally everywhere—if you’re looking for it.
Tips for Staying Sane While Worldschooling
Worldschooling can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s not without its challenges. Whether you’re in a bustling city, remote village, or even your own living room, balancing education with travel adventures requires a bit of flexibility, patience, and a touch of organisation. Here are some tips for staying sane while worldschooling your 5 to 7-year-olds.
Pack a Mini School Kit
One of the best ways to stay prepared and avoid scrambling for supplies while you’re on the go is to pack a mini school kit. This doesn’t need to be a massive backpack of materials—just a simple folder with worksheets, a few pencils, a glue stick, a set of dice, some mini books, and stickers can make all the difference. It’s all about having essential resources at hand when the opportunity for learning arises.
Whether you’re in a café waiting for lunch or lounging at your accommodation, having a few activities ready can help turn any moment into a learning experience. This mini school kit can also come in handy on travel days when you’re moving between destinations and need to keep the kids entertained in transit.
A worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds that incorporates these little tools can help make the transition from fun adventures to focused learning time much smoother. It’s all about staying flexible, but having those materials ready just in case you need to pull out some quick educational moments!
Routine over Schedule
When you’re on the road, the idea of adhering to a strict schedule can sometimes feel impossible. But instead of stressing about sticking to an exact timetable, focus on building a routine. Anchor activities—like reading after breakfast, drawing before dinner, or having quiet time in the afternoon—help ground the day and give a sense of consistency, even when your surroundings and plans might be constantly changing.
Routines also provide natural transition points that signal the next part of the day, helping your 5 to 7-year-old know what to expect. These cues can help with everything from starting a learning activity to winding down at the end of the day. The key is to make sure these routine anchor activities stay in place, regardless of where you are in the world. This approach will keep your worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds gentle but consistent, allowing you to enjoy the freedom of travel while still maintaining a balanced educational rhythm.
Batch Plan
One of the best ways to reduce stress when worldschooling is to batch plan your curriculum and activities in advance. Try doing a month’s worth of prep all at once, so you’re not scrambling every week to figure out what to teach or organise. By setting aside a day (or even a couple of hours) to plan out your lessons, activities, and resources for the month, you’ll save yourself time and mental energy throughout the weeks ahead.
Batch planning doesn’t mean you have to plan everything down to the last detail—it’s about ensuring you have a good variety of materials, themes, and activities ready to go, as well as knowing which resources you’ll need. You can even map out any travel-related learning or cultural experiences you want to include in your worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds, so you’re prepared and don’t miss out on valuable opportunities to incorporate local learning experiences. This proactive planning allows for more flexibility, which is essential for worldschooling families who want to make the most of their time together.
Expect the Chaos
Let’s face it: worldschooling is a chaotic experience. There will be days when everything goes off track—whether it’s because you’re too tired, there’s an unexpected travel delay, or the kids are simply more interested in playing than learning. And guess what? That’s okay! The beauty of worldschooling is that it’s flexible, and there’s no pressure to be perfect every day. Some days, learning might happen in bursts, and other days, it might not happen at all.
Expecting chaos and being flexible with your worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds is key to maintaining your sanity. If you miss a lesson or an activity, don’t stress. The beauty of worldschooling is that learning happens everywhere, and you’ll always have another opportunity to pick things back up. Some of the most memorable educational moments happen unexpectedly—like a quick stop at a local market or watching a traditional dance performance. So let go of the guilt, embrace the chaos, and trust that, over time, you’re still providing your children with a rich, diverse learning experience.
Worldschooling with Siblings or Mixed-Age Groups
Worldschooling with siblings or in mixed-age groups can be a wonderful opportunity for children to learn from one another, fostering collaboration and deeper relationships. When you’re worldschooling, the beauty of mixed-age learning is that it doesn’t follow traditional school grades, meaning younger children can observe older siblings and pick up on things that might seem more advanced. Likewise, older children can reinforce their knowledge by explaining things to younger siblings, which is an incredibly effective way of cementing their own learning.
To make this dynamic work, you can create a flexible worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds that accommodates the needs and attention spans of different age groups. This could involve group activities like nature walks or museum visits where everyone participates, alongside quieter moments where the kids can work on individual projects. It’s about balancing group learning and personal time while encouraging teamwork and leadership within the family.
Use Open-Ended Resources: LEGO, Puzzles, Art Supplies
One of the greatest benefits of worldschooling is the ability to use open-ended resources that inspire creativity and critical thinking. Materials like LEGO, puzzles, and art supplies allow children to explore concepts and build skills in a hands-on way. For example, LEGO isn’t just about following instructions to build a set; it’s an excellent tool for teaching problem-solving, spatial awareness, and even math. Children can experiment with their own designs, building structures that align with the places or cultures they’re learning about.
Similarly, puzzles can introduce them to logic and strategy, while art supplies provide an outlet for expressing their thoughts, experiences, and discoveries. These activities can be easily incorporated into your worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds and are perfect for downtime between outings, helping children process and reflect on what they’ve learned. You can even tie these resources into travel, like making a drawing of a local landmark or building a LEGO model of a traditional house in a country you’re visiting. The possibilities are endless!
Let Older Siblings “Teach” the Younger Ones
One of the most valuable aspects of worldschooling with siblings is the opportunity for older children to teach and mentor younger ones. This isn’t just a fun bonding activity; it’s an incredibly effective way for older children to deepen their understanding of a subject by explaining it in simpler terms. When an older sibling helps the younger one, they consolidate their own knowledge and gain a sense of responsibility. This also builds leadership skills and fosters empathy.
For example, your 7-year-old might explain how to read a map or share what they’ve learned about a local animal species with their 5-year-old sibling. This not only strengthens the younger child’s learning but reinforces the older child’s own education in a practical, meaningful way. A worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds that encourages this kind of peer teaching will create a supportive, collaborative learning environment where everyone can thrive. Plus, it helps build family bonds and makes learning feel like a shared adventure.
Do Read-Alouds That Appeal to All Ages
Reading aloud is one of the most powerful educational tools, especially when you’re worldschooling. While it’s tempting to choose books tailored specifically for each child’s age, reading aloud books that appeal to a range of ages can be an even more enriching experience. Look for stories with themes and lessons that resonate with both your 5-year-old and your 7-year-old, or choose books that introduce different cultures, traditions, and ideas relevant to your travels. This way, you can integrate cultural exploration into your worldschooling schedule.
Classic adventure stories, fables, or picture books with more complex storylines are fantastic choices for mixed-age learning. Not only does this engage the children together, but it also opens up opportunities for discussion and critical thinking. Younger children can ask questions, while older ones can analyze the deeper meanings or offer their thoughts on the storyline. Make reading time a regular part of your worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds, using the books as a way to spark further learning or field trips inspired by what you’ve read.
Offer Individual Quiet Time to Recharge
While group learning and sibling activities are great, don’t forget the importance of individual quiet time. Worldschooling can be full of excitement and new experiences, but children, especially in the 5 to 7 age range, still need time to process everything they’ve learned. Offering quiet time where each child can retreat to a cozy corner with their favorite book, drawing materials, or even a quiet puzzle is essential for maintaining balance.
This quiet time can be built into your worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds as a regular part of the day. It allows children to recharge mentally, reflect on what they’ve seen and done, and continue their learning at their own pace. Quiet time doesn’t always have to be for independent learning—it can also be a time for rest and relaxation, where kids have space to simply “be.” This helps prevent burnout, promotes emotional well-being, and ensures that everyone stays engaged and ready for the next learning adventure.
FAQs: Worldschooling 5–7 Year Olds
Do I need to report to an authority?
Depends on your home country’s laws. The UK, Australia, and US states have different rules. Always check!
Will they fall behind?
If you’re covering literacy and maths consistently, and exposing them to the world, they’ll likely be way ahead in many areas.
What about friends and social time?
Worldschooling communities, local classes, and playgrounds offer plenty of chances to socialise. It’s just not always same-age peer groups.
How do I manage screen time?
Use it intentionally—learning apps, audiobooks, documentaries. Then balance it with play, movement, and people time.
How do I know they’re on track?
Use developmental checklists, portfolio work, or gentle assessments like Twinkl’s or Scholastic’s.
What if I’m not a teacher?
You are your child’s first and best teacher. Resources are out there to support you. You’ve got this!
Worldschooling is a Lifestyle, Not a Subject
At this age, it’s all about sparking curiosity and creating meaningful memories, not sticking to rigid academic goals or hour-by-hour lesson plans. Whether you’re exploring the rice fields of Bali, hiking through the misty highlands of Scotland, or simply discovering bugs in your own back garden, the magic of learning can unfold in the most unexpected places. Children aged 5-7 are naturally curious and absorb information like little sponges, so worldschooling during these early years offers a unique opportunity to feed that wonder with real-life experiences.
A well-thought-out worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds isn’t about replicating classroom routines; it’s about creating a rhythm that blends gentle structure with space to explore, ask questions, and make connections. These years are a perfect time to build confidence, nurture creativity, and develop a genuine love for learning. Whether you’re on a spontaneous adventure or taking a quiet day to explore a local museum, your worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds should be flexible enough to accommodate the ebb and flow of your travels, while still providing a solid foundation for education.
Worldschooling young children is joyful, sometimes chaotic, and incredibly rewarding. Keep it playful, stay flexible, and trust that even the smallest moments—like counting coconuts at a Thai market or learning to say “hello” in a new language—are laying a foundation that’s just as powerful as any textbook. With the right approach to a worldschooling schedule for 5-7 year olds, you’ll find that the journey of learning extends far beyond traditional school walls.
Pin this post or share it with a parent who’s considering taking the leap! Got questions? Pop them in the comments or DM me on Instagram @lifealongsidelauren. I’d love to chat!
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