Things to Do - Little Passports

Lately the kids have asked a ton of questions about places outside of Arlington (possibly because all their friends keep moving, as is the norm in this town) - where we've traveled, where we want to travel, different cultures, etc. As someone who loves to explore new cities, I'm hoping to nurture their interest. With this in mind, we've taken out several library books on different places and cultures, but most of them seem so static and uninspired - lots of statics and people in traditional dress. Thus, when I learned about Little Passports I immediately wanted to try it out. So I emailed the company and they agreed to send me a free month's test package (yes, this is a huge benefit of blogging).

I'm always a little nervous when companies send me free stuff because it becomes so awkward when my kids don't like it (I send the company a preview of my review and ask if they'd like me to post it or not. They always choose "not". So if it seems like I only give good reviews on the blog, that's because the bad reviews never post. Sorry if this seems shady, though in both blogging and in real life I try not to devote much time or energy to things that suck).

Anyways, I'm meandering somewhat. Luckily, when the girls' Little Passports kits arrived - THEY LOVED THEM. These kits kept both girls (ages 8 (as of today - happy birthday, F!) and 7) thoroughly entertained for HOURS.

P ordered the USA kit, which came with a disposable camera (for a photo scavenger hunt of your own hometown), a field note book, a map, and a scratch book. The camera was a HUGE hit especially after I had to explain how the world worked before digital photography. "Wow, so it's an old days' camera! A real old days' camera. Like you'd find in a museum?" Um, well, not exactly museum worthy . . . some days I feel ancient. P spent the rest of the morning working through her scratch pad, somehow learning becomes much more fascinating when you can also "design."

F received the World Edition, which came in a beautiful little blue suitcase. This kit contains: a "passport" (complete with a Q&A section for answering questions about yourself), two stickers, a huge world map, an activity sheet, and access to online games. At first, the lack of a camera disappointed F (if you're trying to decide between the two kits, the USA one was a bigger success). But once F started playing the online games she was sold. She spent the rest of the morning studying the map and asking about various countries and continents.

Based on the success of our first kits, we've now ordered a subscription plan (no more freebies), so let's hope the good times last. I'll let you know how our future imaginary travels play out. If you're interested, you can click here to learn more/order your own kits.