For families choosing life on the road, every day is a chance to learn, explore, and grow together. In this edition of Caravanning with Kids, we hear from parents who’ve embraced long-term travel and everything that comes with it—from the challenges of roadschooling and budget management to the incredible rewards of connection, confidence, and curiosity. It’s not always easy, but as these stories show, this lifestyle can offer some of the most enriching lessons of all.
Check out Part One and Part Two of our Caravanning with Kids series!
What about school? Will they fall behind? Can we really teach them ourselves? This is one of the most common questions parents have, and the short answer from these families: Yes, and in ways that go far beyond the classroom.
“We follow a flexible unschooling approach with some structured elements. We use curriculum-based resources to teach maths and reading/writing, but we also integrate learning from the places we go and the people we meet. We use online platforms like Mathletics, Kahn Academy and Reading Eggs. Workbooks, printable resources and reading books can be bought online from educational suppliers. We’ve also got a few favourite educational apps, and a growing Kindle library full of books. “
“A big part of our homeschooling journey has been establishing how each of our children learns best, so each of their educational approaches has been different. Nature, Lego and local museums are some of our favourite teachers. “
“We [also] integrate learning into our travel. A walk through a national park is a biology lesson. A museum visit becomes history. We all learned an incredible amount about indigenous culture, history and life by living and working in communities in East Arnhem Land. The amount that can be learned outside of a traditional school setting is limitless.”
Check out this video from Vet in a Van to see how roadschooling works for them!
“We take a really flexible approach because, as parents, we believe that life on the road is a huge learning platform all on its own. [Our son] Cruz is the only one still doing formal schooling … through the Kimberley School of the Air, which has been an absolutely fantastic choice. It’s a flexible yet curriculum-based education that really suited our lifestyle on the road.
Before we hit the road, The Kimberley School of the Air provided us with all the workbooks we needed, [it was] such a huge relief and peace of mind knowing the hard work was already done for us. We also had the option to pick up reading books that could be sent ahead to certain towns along our route if we wanted, which was really convenient.
“Travelling offers so many opportunities for hands-on learning—from exploring history at museums to observing wildlife in national parks or picking up practical skills like navigation and budgeting. Every place we visit becomes a classroom and every experience a lesson.”
Most days schoolwork took a couple of hours maximum, spread over four days a week. This made it easy to fit learning into our schedule without interrupting our travels. This approach gave us the structure we needed to keep Cruz on track, while still allowing the freedom for him to learn around our travels and experiences.
“We have had more of a flexible approach for our kids schooling in consultation with our kids’ primary schools. We can monitor what areas the kids are covering back in their classrooms online … and spend time on these key areas as well as seeking out other practical education opportunities.”
“We’ve treated Australia as one big classroom—local tours, self-guided walks, geography lessons and campground activities. The kids also keep a journal about their travels and read each day. “
“We use a variety of online platforms to assist with some of the formal educational aspects such as Mathseeds, Reading Eggs, … and our kid’s teachers have been fantastic with providing some additional worksheets that we can use. The kids both enjoy learning, so we just make sure it’s fun for them.”
Can we afford to do this? Do we need to quit our jobs? How do we earn on the road? For many families, the cost of van life is lower than you’d think.
“We prioritise free or low-cost experiences and accomodation. We avoid tourist traps and look for authentic, affordable alternatives. Slow travel is the biggest fuel saver.
Tania runs Vet in a Van, providing remote veterinary services, creates educational veterinary content, and picks up some locum vet clinic work. Marcus has a remote full-time corporate position based in Melbourne which he has to fly back to the office for every 6-8 weeks. With a family, it’s a juggle, but we plan around work commitments and make sure to schedule downtime. It’s all about balance—and good internet! “
“We try to balance everything by prioritising what’s important. When it comes to activities, we love finding free or low-cost adventures like hiking, fishing and exploring parks. Fuel’s a big cost so we plan our routes carefully and use fuel apps to find the best prices. It’s really about being smart and flexible— if we splurge in one area, we cut back in another to keep our lifestyle sustainable and fun.
We don’t work while travelling. We save enough money before we set off to allow us to fully focus on enjoying the adventure as a family. That said we do keep a close eye on our budget while we’re on the road to make sure we’re making the most of our savings and spending wisely. Running two businesses back home means life can get pretty hectic so [our time on the road] is truly our relax time and a chance to find the balance our lives need. It’s our opportunity to slow down, reconnect and make lifelong memories with our kids.”
“Our house on wheels came up trumps… We spent less than [we did] with bricks and mortar living. We found that we spent less on the road overall due to not dining out as regularly, paying for sport and extra-curricular activities for the kids, falling prey to retail therapy, buying daily coffee, gym memberships, lunches with friends, the list goes on etc.”
“Van life will be different for everyone, based on ages of kids, budget, expectations, and personalities, but for us it proved much easier than regular brick-and-mortar living, due to the appealing simplicity and freedom that comes with it and less spending. “
“We were fortunate to be able to both work on the road remotely and rent our house out for the six months we were away which made it a financially viable option for us. Meg is a journalist/freelance travel writer for a variety of digital and print publications/ magazines, which means she can do work and file stories on the road, wherever she is. Likewise, Matt is a private tour guide which he does for international guests throughout Australia.”
Some families work remotely; others save up before leaving. Low-cost accommodation, meal planning & prepping, and avoiding tourist traps are the biggest money-savers if you’re caravanning with kids.
What will our kids really gain from life on the road? These parents say the rewards are immeasurable.
“The travel bug we passed to our kids is a blessing… they have greater emotional agility, empathy, and cultural awareness. That saying about ‘home is where the heart is’ could not be truer. Being able to pull up anywhere, put the legs down on the van and set up with ease wherever you want, gave us the freedom to explore and go at our own pace. ”
” The most rewarding part of this journey has been the incredible amount of time we’ve had to truly connect as a family. From the laughs we’ve shared around campfires and the adventures we’ve had together to the simple joys or just being still and listening to nature it’s all been absolutely priceless.
It’s hard to put into words but this journey has given us a deeper appreciation for each other and the world around us and that’s been the most rewarding part of all.”
” Without a doubt, the most rewarding part is the closeness we’ve developed as a family. Shared experiences, problem-solving together, and simply spending time—it’s been priceless. Watching our kids thrive in different environments and grow as adaptable, confident humans has been incredible. ”
Still wondering if you can really do this? Take it from those who already are:
Ready to hit the road? These families prove you don’t need to wait for the stars to align. Whether you’re working on the road, schooling on the go, or just soaking up every sunrise—caravanning with kids is rich, real, and rewarding.
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