Woodland family takes virtual vacations during pandemic

WOODLAND — One Woodland family helped enhance at-home learning by taking virtual vacations around the world using videos, lessons and home-cooked meals featuring different cuisines. Before the statewide school closure, Jeremy and Rachel Stuart’s four children attended Woodland Public Schools’ Lewis River Academy. Karlen, Rogen, Ryker and Tiger used YouTube to take these “trips.” “Each week, we pick different countries we want to visit, learn about those countries, take virtual trips using YouTube, and make dinners representing the food from those countries,” Jeremy Stuart said in a news release. “Afterward we watch a Disney movie that goes along with the country or region we’re ‘visiting’ — it’s been a lot of fun!” The family “visited” places like Venice and Paris. The Stuarts recommend other families try to reinforce and enhance their children’s learning by making lessons fun, creative, and interactive. “Learning at home allows for individual learning and teaching styles,” said Jeremy Stuart. “Value the time you have with your children when they would normally be at school, and take the opportunity to really engage in topics; you’ll be surprised how much they learn and how much they look forward to it.”