Roadschooling in Canada: BC To Ontario with Unschoolers

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One reason we love unschooling is the freedom it gives. We can turn road trips into roadschooling. When other children go back to school in September, we love to go on a “not back to school” trip of some kind.

The learning never stops when you are a homeschooler.

It simply switches from homeschooling to roadschooling. Learning while on the road allows for so many unique and exciting experiences that we never would have been able to have without the ability to explore.

Living in Canada, there is so much beautiful country to explore. We have only explored a very small section of it but wanted to share some wonderful places with you. This list is by no means everything to see and do on this journey, it is simply a snippet of what is available and based on the interest of our family.

Perhaps one day we will make it all the way to the east coast and further north. Roadschooling is such a pleasure for us that we will never rule out the possibility! Let us know what places we should see!

**Many of these destinations were visited prior to the Covid pandemic. Experiences may be different now due to new regulations.**

Roadschooling 101

Our goal when roadschooling is to learn more about the world around us.

Like our unschooling adventures at home, we never follow a theme or head out with specific goals in mind. We go with the intention of learning more about this wonderful country we call home. Our learning experiences are dictated by our location, our interests, and what we have available to us at that point in time.

Some of our destinations have more traditional educational experiences and others are about exploration and discovery. We travel because we have a destination to get to (usually involving family members who live where we are going or along the way).

There were days when we saw a sign for something interesting, so we stopped. Sometimes we got to a destination that looked promising online but was disappointing in real life so we left.

This is your trip. Enjoy it.

British Columbia

My little brother used to live in Vancouver. So that is where our west coast adventures will begin. There is so much to do in and around Vancouver – these are just a few of our favourite destinations.

Lynn Canyon Park and Suspension Bridge

Lynn Canyon Park is located East of North Vancouver in Lynn Valley.

Lynn Canyon Park officially opened to the public in 1912 and has been a popular destination among tourists and local residents ever since. Lynn Canyon Park is a great location for a family picnic, a leisurely hike, or a refreshing swim in one of the many popular swimming holes.

https://lynncanyon.ca/information/

There is also a wonderful ecology center at Lynn Canyon which offers information about the site as well as programming for children.

Warning: if you are afraid of heights – the suspension bridge, which 50 metres above Lynn Creek, may not be something you want to try. I held my breath and crossed as quickly as I could. I wanted to take pictures of the view but I just couldn’t – so I handed my camera to my brother instead!

Vancouver Aquarium

I know zoos and aquariums can be hot topics for some people. If you do enjoy these types of outings, I highly recommend the Vancouver Aquarium.

When we went, they had an amazing display about the impact of microplastics in our waterways and oceans. This exhibit started a lot of discussion about how we could improve our own impact on the planet – especially in regards to the clothing we wear.

Bonus points: The Graham Amazon Gallery has a sloth. I love sloths.

Stanley Park

While at the Aquarium, you may also want to take a stroll around Stanley Park.

Explore the 400-hectare natural West Coast rainforest and enjoy scenic views of water, mountains, sky, and majestic trees along Stanley Park’s famous Seawall. Discover kilometres of trails, beautiful beaches, local wildlife, great eats, natural, cultural and historical landmarks, along with many other adventures. The park offers a wide range of unforgettable experiences for all ages and interests, including Canada’s largest aquarium.

https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx

Here is a list of the monuments and statues that are around Stanley Park.

More Attractions To Check Out In and Around Vancouver BC

• Greater Vancouver Zoo (Aldergrove)
• Fort Langley National Historic Site
• Burnaby Village Museum & Carousel
• H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
• The Maritime Museum

From there, we traveled down the Trans Canada Highway (we have also driven the Sea To Sky highway – which is beautiful). Our next destination was Revelstoke.

There are some beautiful places to see in and around Revelstoke BC.

Skunk Cabbage Boardwalk

The skunk cabbage is a perennial flower that emerges in the spring. The skunk cabbage gets its name from the unpleasant odor it emits.

Who wouldn’t want to take a stroll through a wetland filled with them?

Surprisingly, the skunk cabbage boardwalk was a delightful way to spend an afternoon. We were not there when the plants were in full bloom, so we missed out on the namesake smell.

Giant Cedars Boardwalk

One lesson we continuously share with our children is the importance of protecting nature.

The Giant Cedars Boardwalk is like a trip into a different world. From the parking lot, you are suddenly transported into a old growth forest. There is a lovely boardwalk (with stairs), that guides you around the forest along the trail. There are so many different plants to look at and so many birds to see and hear – as well as mosquitoes (so bring your bug spray!)

Revelstoke Railway Museum

Remember earlier when I said sometimes we stopped because we saw something interesting? One of those stops was the Revelstoke Railway Museum.

Our third son has always been fascinated by trains. When we saw the sign for the museum we knew we had to go.

This cute little museum is a wonderful way to occupy an afternoon when in Revelstoke. It showcases the historic construction and operation of the Canadian Pacific Railway in Western Canada’s mountain region. My son could have sat there all day looking at the trains.

Revelstoke Dam Visitor Center

Hydroelectric power is an important part of the lives of so many Canadians. While in Revelstoke, we took the opportunity to visit the Revelstoke Dam Visitor Center.

There are many interactive exhibits and wonderful views throughout the site.

We opted to do a self-guided tour so we could spend time on things that we found interesting, but they also offer guided tours.

Honorable Mentions Near Revelstoke

• Hemlock Grove Boardwalk
• Blanket Creek Provincial Park
• Upper Arrow Lake Ferry

Other Note Worthy Stops In BC

There are so many wonderful great places to explore in BC – it is such a beautiful country. You could stop and look for the Ogopogo in Lake Okanagan or learn about how water moves towards the Pacific Ocean vs the Atlantic Ocean at the continental divide.

Traversing off the TransCanada Highway also gives you so many wonderful places to stop and visit, depending on where you are heading and how much time you have allocated. We could spend entire summers exploring BC and still not see all the wonderful sights to be seen. It is one of our favourite provinces to explore.

Alberta Roadschooling

We spent 8 years living in southern Alberta. We had lots of time to explore and learn about this amazing province – or at least the southern portion. If you live in northern Alberta, please share some of your favourite destinations!

Natural Wonders

There are so many beautiful places to stop and stare at an incomprehensible landscape. Along the highway, as you drive through the mountains and into the badlands, there are wonderful roadside stops and lookouts. If you are just driving through, I would suggest stopping at some of these – especially in the mountains. But if you want to stop, here are some great places to check out!

• Banff National Park
  • Johnston Canyon
  • Lake Minnewanka
  • Cave and Basin Historical Site
  • Moraine Lake
• Jasper National Park
• Canmore
• Forgetmenot Pond
• Horseshoe Canyon

Those are just a few of our favourite places we go when we want to see beautiful sights.

Calgary and Edmonton

Alberta is lucky to have the amenities of these two wonderful cities: Calgary and Edmonton.

Whether you are in Calgary for the stampede or checking out the West Edmonton Mall, there are some amazing places to stop on your roadschooling adventure.

The Calgary Zoo and Telus Spark (the science center in Calgary) are two wonderful learning destinations. We had memberships for both of these places and have spent countless hours learning and exploring. Telus Spark has amazing hands on learning for the kids – I do not know if one day would be enough to truly experience everything they have to offer.

Calgary also has the Glenbow Museum, Bow Habitat Station, Hanger Flight Museum, and Heritage Park – just to name a few.

In Edmonton, you have the Edmonton Vally Zoo, City Arts Center, Muttart Conservatory and many other wonderful places to check out.

Drumheller

Do you have a child who loves dinosaurs? Or, perhaps, you are that child.

**if you are that child, have you listened to The Grown-Up Guide To Dinosaurs on Audible? It is SO good!

If so, take a stop at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller.

This museum is one of the favourite museums we have ever been to. It is beautiful, engaging, and packed full of information.

Bonus tip: If you are a registered homeschooler in Alberta, get a letter from your homeschool board before going because Drumheller admission is free for homeschoolers.

There are also all sorts of dinosaur statues throughout the town – we love trying to spot them all. One that wont be hard to spot is the GIANT T-Rex lookout statue.

But dinosaurs are not the only things to see around Drumheller.

Just outside of Drumheller is the Hoodoos – a natural rock formation that is not found in many other places. Horseshoe Canyon is also close by. There are many suspension bridges in the area – we picked up a map at the Subway in Drumheller which had many of them listed and went on an unexpected bridge tour.

If Minecraft is a big part of your life, Atlas Coal Mine may be a destination for you. We took our Minecraft loving kids there and they had a blast – they even got to ride in an old coal car! At the time that we went, our younger two were not old enough to go on the tour into the mines themselves but that would be quite the experience as well.

World’s Tallest Tepee

The Saamis Tepee in Medicine Hat is a great place to stop.

The main masts of the tepee measure 215 feet and the diameter is 160 feet, with a foundation weight of 800 metric tons. Each of the 10 masts feature a large storyboard depicting aspects of native culture and history.

It is quite an impressive sight.

Honourable Mentions

• Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump
• Bomber Command Museum of Canada
• Fish Creek Park
• Nose Hill Park

Roadschooling in Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Unfortunately, our trip did not involve many stops in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Sometimes you run out of time and just need to keep driving to stay on schedule.

We did stop for a photo opportunity at the centre of Canada in Manitoba.

In the future, we hope to be able to spend more time in these provinces. Here are some attractions we want to stop and see!

Saskatchewan

• Mac The Moose
• Fort Walsh National Historic Site
• Ukrainian Museum of Canada
• Prince Albert National Park
• RCMP Heritage Centre
• Fort Carlton Provincial Park

Manitoba

• Fort Prince of Wales National Historic Site
• Canadian Museum of Human Rights
• Grand Beach
• Riding Mountain National Park
• Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site
• Canadian Fossil Discovery Center

Roadschooling Through Ontario

The Canadian provinces are huge. But up until this point, we were driving across the provinces which was only a very small segment of the province. Our destination would be Niagara falls which meant not only going across Ontario but also south.

We spent over 20 hours driving through Ontario and still missed a big chunk of the province!

For a time perspective – it takes approximately 26 hours to get from Vancouver BC, through Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, to get to Kenora Ontario. It is 20 hours from Kenora to Niagara Falls – all within Ontario!

Terry Fox Monument: Thunder Bay

On the outskirts of Thunder Bay is a nine-foot-tall bronze statue memorializing Terry Fox atop a granite and amethyst base: the Terry Fox Monument. Even if you are just driving through, I highly suggest taking the time to stop at this historical landmark.

While in Thunder Bay, especially if you have a child who loves rocks, you may also want to stop at the amethyst mines and have a chance to discover some really beautiful crystals.

Other things to do in Thunder Bay:

• Thunder Bay Museum
• Fort William Historical Park
• Centennial Botanical Conservatory
• Thunder Bay Art Gallery
• and so many beautiful provincial parks and gorgeous landscapes

Wawa Goose (and other GIANT statues)

Sometimes you just have to stop and look at something silly.

The larger-than-life goose statue is one of those things that you need to stop at just to say that you did.

But did you know that there are a lot of these quirky, large statues in Canada? I mentioned the T-Rex in Drumheller and Mac The Moose in Moose Jaw earlier – there is also a large nickel in Sudbury and many others! I found this article all about some of these oversized attractions.

Group Of Seven Tour

If you have a budding artist with you on your roadschooling adventure, you may want to add to your homeschool art experience by doing a Group of Seven art tour. Northern Ontario Travel has put together an amazing driving tour that covers a large area of Ontario.

I highly recommend the McMichael Art Gallery. Not only is the gallery breathtaking but so are the surrounding grounds. Tom Thompson is my favourite Canadian artist and you can see his work on display at the gallery.

Killbear Provincial Park

Looking for a great place to spend a few nights? Check out Killbear Provincial Park.

In addition to the beautiful beaches, hiking trails, fishing, and just overall beautiful views, there is also a wonderful visitors center that offers a glimpse into to diversity of wildlife within the area. There is even a Massassage Rattlesnake and Eastern Foxsnake for you to see and learn about.

Toronto Area Homeschool Ideas

I lived in downtown Toronto for 2 years. I took advantage of a lot of the experiences that Toronto had to offer but, in all honesty, two years was not enough time to truly explore Toronto.

There is SO much to do that you can really tailor your activities to what your children and your family are interested in.

My top picks:

• Ripley’s Aquarium
• Casaloma
• Art Gallery of Ontario
• Royal Ontario Museum
• CN Tower

But there are so many more! Especially if you add in the greater Toronto area (GTA) to your travel plans.

Toronto Island, St Lawrence Market, Ontario Science Center, The Toronto Zoo, Allan Gardens, Kensington Market, High Park, Canada’s Wonderland, African Lion’s Safari, Legoland, Medieval Times….

and the list goes on.

If you have the opportunity to try roadschooling in the GTA, make sure you give yourself enough time or really narrow your focus on why you are exploring the area.

Roadschooling In Niagara

The last stop on our adventure, before turning around and heading home, was the Niagara Region.

Just a stones throw away from Toronto, the Niagara Region has so much rich history.

• Queenston Heights – Brock’s Monument
• Laura Secord Homestead
• MacFarland House
• Niagara Falls Military Museum
• Old Fort Erie
• St Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3
• The Comfort Maple

Not to mention the natural beauty of the area with the escarpment and Niagara Falls.

You may want to explore Balls Falls, hike the Bruce Trail, go to one of the many beaches around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, or explore Woodend Conservation area.

And of course, don’t forget to take a trip on the Maid of the Mist and take a moment to see the statue of Nicola Tesla by the falls.

Homeschooling or Roadschooling

Whether you choose to learn about these destinations at home or on the road, I hope I have given you some inspiration to try roadschooling or at least some new interests to discover.