learning centres around the world

[Janet]

Some places I'd love to take my kids on "excursions" :lol What are yours? Let me live vicariously through your travel dreams. :eager



Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology St Petersburg, Russia

http://www.kunstkamera.ru/en/


Information

Located on the banks of the Neva in the center of St.Petersburg, the Kunstkammer has been the symbol of the Russian Academy of Sciences since the early 18th century. Founded to Peter the Great’s Decree, the Museum opened to the public in 1714. Its purpose was to collect and examine natural and human curiosities and rarities. Today, collections of Peter the Great’s Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkammer) are among the most complete and interesting in the world. These collections contain over one million artifacts and reflect the diversity of traditional cultures in the Old and New World. The Museum has always been one of the world’s largest centers where human cultural heritage is studied, continuing the traditions of the great Russian cultural and physical anthropologists of the 18 - 20th centuries. We are pleased to welcome you to the pages of our museum where we hope you will find interesting and useful information about the peoples and cultures of the world.



Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health, US

http://www.mum.org/


This museum is "odd, funny and well researched" - The New York Times
This museum collection is "[U]nrivaled. . . . [T]he best material culture collection on menstruation in the world."
- Menstruation: A Cultural History
(Howie, Shail, eds.)



The Bata Shoe Museum Toronto, Canada

http://www.batashoemuseum.ca/

A Unique Museum

Welcome to the Bata Shoe Museum

Discover the treasures of North America's charming and surprising shoe museum. Hundreds of shoes (from a collection numbering over 10,000) are on exhibit in architect Raymond Moriyama's award-winning four-storey structure.

The Museum celebrates the style and function of footwear in four impressive galleries. Footwear on display ranges from Chinese bound foot shoes and ancient Egyptian sandals to chestnut-crushing clogs and glamourous platforms. Over 4,500 years of history and a collection of 20th-century celebrity shoes are reflected in the semi-permanent exhibition, All About Shoes. Three other galleries feature changing exhibitions, so there's always something new to see.

I've been there, it was amazing!

[Hush]

Hmm, interesting thread, not anything I've ever thought of, but now I won't stop thinking about it :)

[Beatrice]

B wants to go to the Louvre to see the Egyptian stuff, and the Pompeii/Herculaneum sites. I reckon we'd have to plan a Grand Tour :lol

[Ayla]

Well have you seen the costs of private/independent schools? An overseas holiday would be cheaper and way more educational :D

[Janet]

I'm very aware of the cost of those schools. The amount of money in them horrifies me. Yep I'd way rather take the kids overseas than inflict that on them!

[Ceres]

After seeing night at the museum 2, I'd love to take DS to the Smithsonian museum in washington. It looks amaaaazing.

[Belinda]

I went to the Royal British Columbia Museum[/URL] in Victoria, Canada, and it was brilliant!

[URL="http://www.joyouslearning.info/forums/www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca"]www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca (http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/)

We spent all day there and could have spent longer, really experiential!

[Aurora]

I'm umming and ahhing about this one but something intrigues me about BODIES: THE EXHIBITION (http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/intro.html)I hope it's still around later on when I have the funds to travel to it, or it happens to come here. It's a travelling exhibition but it doesn't seem to be showing in Aus at the mo.

[Janet]

After seeing night at the museum 2, I'd love to take DS to the Smithsonian museum in washington. It looks amaaaazing.
I'm sure it's not the night part but at the Australian Museum here in Sydney you can stay overnight and do dinosaury stuff. Cool!

[Ceres]

Oooohhhhh that sounds cool! Will add it to my list of things to do.

[zenifa]

Ooh!! I want to revitalise this thread, always looking for more ideas especially for travel!!

As we are planning a trip to USA and Canada in early 2011, will definately check out some of the suggestions so far!!

[Alamea]

I have been to the Kunstkammer. Its amazing. The only trouble is when visiting russia still is, that not everybody speaks english. And at least you should be able to read the language. Otherwise you will be forever lost. Unless of course you take a guide or tour.

One thing that truly inspired me was going to concerts in different operas and musical theaters.
Visiting Cathedrals and Churches. In Paris, London, St Petersborough, Germany. Not so much for the relgion but for understanding power and energy.

One thing that comes to mind too is school exchange. How great would it be to organise homeschooled international exchanges with other families all over the world.
I found the experience of living with other families for a short period of time very educational. Almost more then visiting the sights of where ever those families lived.

[Kris]

The Seattle Science Centre was one of the coolest places I visited as a child. Would love to take my children there. Also the National Museum in London - I saw the Rosetta Stone (among thousands of other wonders) and was shocked. The National Museum of Scotland is brilliant.

I adored the Asia Pacific Triennial in Brisbane at MOMA as well, that was completely superb.

[homebirthmum]

Belinda I also loved the museum in Victoria Canada... Would love to take my kids there one day.

For me, Italy... the language, the food, the churches, cathedrals...the architecture.... WOW! So much to take in. I wanna go nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow. :)
And yep I hear you on the school fees v.s actual learning by SEEING and DOING! Better every time.

[zenifa]

Does anyone know if homeschooling families engage in student exchange programs?

We are thinking of connecting up and visiting some homeschooling families while we are travelling in the US and Canada next year, more of a homestay kind of thing, but just for a short time.

Will definately go that museum in Canada and may even try to go to the seattle science centre.

That is why we are going to US/Canada, instead of paying $8K for prep for DD1 next year!!

[Kris]

There is also a thing the Quakers do. Sorry, fak

There is a register you join and then stay with quaker families - did it in the UK, very useful for a single woman.

[cgull]

... Also the National Museum in London - I saw the Rosetta Stone (among thousands of other wonders)....
I was actually going to not-recommend the British Museum. We went there in the middle of winter (so not tourist season) and even then it was PACKED to the point where we didn't feel like we could atctually pause and enjoy/study any of the exhibits because we would be getting in someone's way. DH is British and a huge history/archaeology buff so we had deliberately chosen a B&B close by to the BM, expecting to make several visits, but in the end we didn't bother going back...
On the upside, I would totally recommend walking tours of historic British towns. We did one in Bath, one in Oxford and a night one in London City. You always get such great stories, and have things pointed out that you'd have otherwise missed.
Oh, and if you're ever in Holland, you must visit http://www.madurodam.nl (http://madurodam.nl/)


One thing that comes to mind too is school exchange. How great would it be to organise homeschooled international exchanges with other families all over the world.
Yeah, that would be very cool

[Kris]

We must have gone on two good days I guess, it was busy but not hard to get into - the walking tours are fantastic btw - we did quite a few including a number in London and yes, walking, you manage to suck up so much extra stuff.

[Janet]

Wooo so much travel envy reading this thread. :lol I really love these glimpses of possibility!

[homebirthmum]

hahah no need to envy here as we aint doing it either yet.... but yeh, one day hey. :)

[Aki Ixchel]

Right now I am just loving this idea... Especially seeing as we were reading about Candlebark school here in Vic, and the yearly fees are around $10K. Woohoo, DH will surely jump into unschooling with both feet when I point out the travel possibilities... :lol *scheming*

[Aki Ixchel]

And yes, the Louvre. My goodness. I spent one afternoon there. ONE afternoon. I felt like I wanted to set up camp for a fortnight. What an amazing collection of resources and wonder!

[Belinda]

Hee hee, timing! I am currently using the school fees argument to justify some trips I really want to do!

[zenifa]

Our trip to Canada and NE US last year was a huge highlight, not just in terms of family time, and travel, but for the girls it opened up so many exciting learning opportunities and experiences!!
We are doing a driving trip this year (Brisbane - Victor Harbour SA) and hope to move house, but am already daydreaming about travel to Europe in 2013........and we already have someone from france interested in a houseswap (teachers who want to teach the kids french via skype and we will help their kids with English).
Ah, homeschooling does open up the world to us and without limits, we can travel when we want and can also do it in a way where it isn't too expensive and out of reach!! A much better use for our $$ than school fees and costs :)

[Lonny]

Our trip to Canada and NE US last year was a huge highlight, not just in terms of family time, and travel, but for the girls it opened up so many exciting learning opportunities and experiences!!
We are doing a driving trip this year (Brisbane - Victor Harbour SA) and hope to move house, but am already daydreaming about travel to Europe in 2013........and we already have someone from france interested in a houseswap (teachers who want to teach the kids french via skype and we will help their kids with English).
Ah, homeschooling does open up the world to us and without limits, we can travel when we want and can also do it in a way where it isn't too expensive and out of reach!! A much better use for our $$ than school fees and costs :)
So inspiring Zenifa. Have you done a houseswap before? I love the idea. A couple of years ago, when we had itchy feet but couldn't afford the cost or time to travel, we decided to host an exchange student from Switzerland. It was an amazing opportunity for us all and the kids learnt alot about her culture and family. And we made a wonderful friend from the experience! The kids still talk about things they did together, and we stay in touch via facebook and exchange parcels throughout the year.

My SIL lives in Victor Harbour too, I've heard it's beautiful!

We have discussed a few travel opportunities this year, DS is really keen to visit Tasmania, or we would all like to head over to Perth sometime as my brother is in Fremantle.

[zenifa]

Lonny, no we haven't done the houseswap thing before, we have done homestays and farmstays before and would be keen in the future to host a foreign student.
The last time I went to Victor Harbour I was around 12 weeks pregnant with DD2 (who is now 4yo), so we are definately due for a trip to see DH's extended family. Plus we will also stop in Adelaide for a week, hopefully stop at Dubbo to see the zoo and visit farm friends in SW Qld on the way home, so lots of learning about Australia on this journey. Would love to go to Tasmania too........I've never been and DH was last there as a toddler, so its definately in our plan for next summer, although I wish I was there now...........what a scorcher today in Brisbane!! :)

[Belinda]

It would be interesting to hear how it goes, Zenifa. I'm torn between thinking it sounds great and thinking it sounds like a lot of work!