With Workaway you can find 19543 local hosts and families for volunteering around the world.
Low cost immersive travel without having to pay expensive agency fees.
Here you will find 371 last minute opportunities for family volunteering from Hosts that have indicated that they require help immediately.
There are 89988 reviews for 11826 Workaway hosts for Family help from Workaway members.
11826 Hosts for Family were rated at least 4.9/5!
Registering as a Host
Registering as a host with workaway.info is completely free of charge.
Workaway.info has been set up to promote and encourage exchange and learning. Hosts on Workaway should be interested in cultural exchange and sharing experiences. They should be able to provide a welcoming friendly environment for visitors as well as offering accommodation and food.
Register to be a hostAre you ready to immerse yourself in a travel experience you’ll never forget? Do you crave the road less travelled instead of the crowded tourist spots? Perhaps you simply want to live like a local? You can do it all with a homestay through Workaway!
As the name describes, a homestay is where you stay in a local’s home instead of typical tourist accommodation such as a hotel or hostel. A homestay allows the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in their culture resulting in a more authentic travel experience. You are welcomed as one of the family with your host sharing meals, travel tips, stories, and their home for you to truly learn about their way of life.
In exchange for the host family inviting you into their home, you volunteer your time and skills. This can include help with cooking, shopping, gardening, maintenance or language practice for example. The cultural exchange of a homestay benefits both parties as your skills help to improve the community, and their hospitality allows you to travel more authentically.
If a homestay sounds appealing, your next step is finding a host family. That’s where Workaway comes in. Safety is imperative to us, as we know staying with strangers can be a daunting prospect. However, we are also aware of how truly life-changing a homestay experience can be, that’s why we champion this style of travel and offer the platform to make it happen.
Here at Workaway we are determined to build a sharing community of global travellers who genuinely want to see the world, whilst giving back to the places they visit. We connect these travellers to welcoming local hosts who need their help and currently offer over 50,000 volunteer opportunities across 170 countries.
Alongside this, there are several benefits to a homestay with Workaway, these include but are not limited to:
A home away from home
Whether it’s your first or fiftieth trip abroad, sometimes we all crave home comforts. That’s why a homestay is ideal.
It offers a home away from home, where you will be welcomed as one of the family.
It’s a great way to ease yourself into solo travel or push yourself out of your comfort zone as you can choose a home setup that’s very similar to your own or entirely different. For example, you can enjoy an authentic farm stay in Catalonia, or live in a yurt in Mongolia. Whether you’ve dreamed of going off grid, hopping aboard with a family at sea or escaping to the city, a homestay with Workaway can be as adventurous or as familiar as you want.
Like minded People
As well as finding your dream accommodation options, a homestay also allows you to find families that align with your
values. Passionate about the planet? Why not save the sea through
sculpture in Norway or
encourage recycling in
the
UK. Animal mad? Stay on a sheep farm in South
Africa or even take your pet along for the adventure too like
Workawayer Kristina.
An experience you’ll never forget
Generally, hosts will expect around 5 hours of your time each day, in exchange for your accommodation and meals. Some
host families provide you with your own room with others it can be shared accommodation.
It may even be a tent, hammock, campervan or somewhere completely unique! These arrangements, your schedule as well as the skills you offer will all be discussed beforehand, so both parties are on the same page; however, prepare for a cultural exchange that will change the way you travel forever.
Generally you will be asked to assist with the common tasks required to keep a home afloat such as cooking, gardening, painting, or housekeeping. Some host families may also appreciate assistance with language practice, dog walking or babysitting.
However, some host families require help with particular activities for example; renovating, permaculture, home schooling, olive farming or rearing livestock. The majority of hosts are happy to welcome those with no experience as long as you bring a positive attitude and an open mind.
If you’re familiar with any of these tasks mentioned, make sure to include photos of them on your profile and don’t forget to keep your profile updated as you learn new skills before your next adventure. This will all prove to potential hosts you’d fit in easily in their home as well as help your profile stand out.
Homestays (like all Workaway experiences) can differ in length. It is worthy to note however, the longer you stay in one area the more you’ll develop an in-depth understanding of the culture and truly feel like a local. On the flip side, you don’t want to become too comfortable as this is when boredom sets in.
Some homestays may take a week or two to find your groove and settle in, especially if you’re finding your feet with a new language or climate. Other’s you’ll feel like part of the family from day one and cancel your flights home before bedtime.
Each host profile will have a calendar that shows their availability of when they can accept Workawayers. Check this first to make sure your plans align before contacting to discuss exact dates. Alternatively, you can also filter using the dates you are travelling as well as your minimum stay criteria by adding them to the “availability” filter before you hit search. You can also tick the option of “last minute host” if you’re searching for a homestay at short notice.
No - it is often a misconception that homestays are only for students. At Workaway this is not the case and we welcome both hosts and volunteers of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels. We truly believe it is never too late for a gap year and that a homestay can benefit any age – not just students.
In fact, we have volunteers who swapped retirement for a lifetime of adventures, another who completed their first Workaway aged 55 and empty nesters whose gap year turned into 8 years of adventures!
Keep an open mind - The culture, language and food may all be different but embrace it. You will learn so much from your homestay if you say yes as much as you can. Don’t hide in your room or sit scrolling on your phone. Try not to judge or criticise, appreciate the differences.
Communicate - If you are uncomfortable or confused with anything, speak up. It’s always best to be honest and open so both parties can gain as much from the experience. Simple misunderstandings can be resolved much quicker if you speak up early on.
Ask questions - Whether you want their family recipe to try at home, you need help with pronunciations, or you’re curious about the culture - ask! Questions are the best way to learn about your homestay and you might never get an opportunity again to ask a local so make the most of it.
Be prepared for culture shock - With some homestays you’ll slot right in as part of the family immediately, with others you can take time to adjust. To prepare for culture shock do a little research before you arrive. What typically will you be eating? What’s acceptable to wear around the home? What does a typical daily routine look like for your host? Having this insight before you arrive will set you up for a successful homestay.
A little thank you goes a long way - There are so many ways you can show your appreciation that cost very little but will mean so much to your host. Ideas include - make a traditional meal from your home country, make a thank you card, write a poem or song about your experience or even bring something small from home that symbolises your culture.
You’ve learned about the benefits, expectations and the reasons why a homestay should be top of your bucket list, so how do you get started?
Once you have found a few hosts, you can add them to your favourites list. We recommend you then personalise your introduction message, don’t be lazy with copy and paste! Share why you’d fit in with their family, not forgetting why you want to visit and what tasks you can help with.
