The best thing about traveling is the people you will meet along the way.  Everyone has a story and knowledge to share.  The only way to find out about people is by talking to them. 

While I agree that kids should not always be free to roam around and talk to strangers on their own, They should do it with their parents.

I hope I’m not the first to break the news to you, but parents don’t know everything.  You can’t possibly teach your child everything they need to know, or know every topic they may be interested in. This is where strangers come in. 

Maybe the guy behind you in line at the grocery store has a great hobby that he could teach your child. Maybe the old lady that lives next door used to fly helicopters.  How about the parent and child you see at the park doing sign language.  All these people have something your child could learn. 

If you don’t talk to strangers, you’ll never know what you’re missing out on.  Once you know, you may want to learn more.  Maybe the person who sparked your interest is the one who will take you or your child under their wing and teach you.  Or they could lead you in the right direction to learn.   It never hurts to ask.  You may find out about a class, youtube video, or a book. 

Sometimes I talk to someone and learn something interesting and that’s all it is.  Other times it really gets my attention and I want to learn more.  My 7^th grade math teacher was really into running.  He talked about races and how he proposed to his girlfriend while running a race.  It was a great story and I enjoyed listening.  It did not spark an interest in running.  My 2^nd grade teacher, on other the hand, told a story about how the previous summer she had gotten married and went on a hot air balloon ride.  I was hooked; I was determined to go in a hot air balloon.  I have now been to three hot air balloon festivals, have ridden in a balloon, and have crewed for hot air balloons.  It is something I learned that I love, but without my teacher sharing a story, I may have never had a love of hot air balloons.

You already know that the world is your classroom and you don’t need to be in a classroom to learn.  You also don’t need to be your childs only teacher.  There are millions of people out there ready to share their passions.  So get out there and talk to strangers.