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Living in Alaska means homeschooling can be an exciting adventure! During the summer months, the temperature typically ranges from 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, making it ideal for nearly all outdoor activities. Likewise, the Alaskan landscape provides copious opportunities for exploration. Here are 10 ideas for taking Alaska homeschooling outdoors!
Kayaking through the Southeast Alaska Sea!
Kayaking is a fun and easy activity that the whole family can participate in! Take it solo in individual kayaks, or kayak with younger family members on a two-person tandem kayak! Make it a field trip by looking for the marine life, then researching what you see when you get home!
Hike the Mendenhall Glacier!
Travel to Juneau to see the magnificent Mendenhall Glacier. Take a short hike and visit some of the ice caves, or make it a day trip and hike the entire trail to see the beautiful lake at the end of the glacier. Don’t want to make the trek? Several flight companies offer an aerial view of the gorgeous glaciers.
See the Northern Lights!
What a magical and breathtaking sight to see! And you can see them from different areas in Alaska, like Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Brooks Range. Peak northern lights activity occurs between 12:30 and 4:30 a.m. during the summer. If you make this trip, be sure to bundle up, and teach your kids what causes the Northern Lights!
Visit the Goose Creek Tower!
Are your family members fans of Doctor Seuss or unique and interesting architecture? If so, the visiting the Goose Creek Tower would be a fun adventure for you! Not only is the structure unique, it also provides visitors with a view of over 300 miles! If you want to see it up close, take a ride on the Alaskan railroad through Talkeetna!
Check out the Permafrost Tunnel!
Take a summer Alaska homeschooling field trip to the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, or “CRREL,” Tunnel. Inside the tunnel, the ground is frozen over and gives light to frozen plant remains, fossils, bedrock, and more. It’s the perfect teaching tool when learning about fossils!
Visit Kennicott Ghost Town!
Introduce your family to some books about historic ghost towns, like Ghost Towns of the West, by Lambert Florin, and then take an Alaska homeschooling field trip to Kennicott. Kennicott is an old mine town that once made over 100,000 million dollars from its copper.
Explore the Buckner Building!
Do you have a child interested in history or WWII or American history? If so, take a trip to the Buckner Building in Whittier. The Buckner Building was a secret military base that had a hospital, theater, jail, movie theater, rifle range, and library. Now, as it crumbles back into the mountain, it has become a monument to the intelligence and military community.
Visit the Musk Ox Farm!
Nearly every family has at least one member who loves animals! So take a trip to the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer to visit the animals that are known for running with the mammoths. Use it as an Alaska homeschooling class on native animals and settlements! Maybe even end the trip by watching the move, Ice Age!
Take a hike at Glacier Bay National Park!
Glacier Bay National Park is not only beautiful — it is also home to the famed and rare Glacier Bears who are known for their silvery-blue color. They are the rarest bears in the world, so spotting one would be something to remember!
Journal!
Make your summer of Alaska homeschooling something to remember by taking pictures and journaling about all of your adventures! It will be something to look back on in a few years and a way to see how Alaska changes over time. Check out our two-part series about Nature Journaling to learn more!
Don’t hesitate to get started on your summer adventures! Homeschooling in Alaska gives so many opportunities for learning and applying those lessons to your real-life situations. If you are ready to get started in your homeschool year, don’t forget to check out what Bridgeway has to offer Alaska families!
