This post is part of our Educational Gifts series that features products that encourage learning and skill development.
I love, love, LOVE products that are fun, educational, AND hold my kid's interest for longer than a week. Magazines or activity books that come once a month or more are high on my list of best gifts to give children during the holidays. And so today's product has been on my list to check out for a while now.
Name: Little Passports: A Global Adventure
Subject(s): geography, reading, critical thinking
Brief Description: Educational kit delivered on a monthly basis.
Price: Subscription, $11.95 - $131.40
Ages: 5 - 12
Little Passports: A Global Adventure is a subscription-based education kit that is delivered to your child once a month in the mail. You have the option of choosing from two different geographic adventures: The USA Edition and the World Edition. I really like the fact that both include hands-on materials and activities to help capture my child's interest, as well as an online component that allows them to explore new countries through virtual tours.
The USA Edition - The first month's Discovery Kit introduces your child to the adventure and comes with a letter from Sam and Sofia (the main characters who act as travel guides), a field guide with pages your child has to fill in using the materials provided, a USA wall map, a USA scratch book, a disposable camera!, and a photo scavenger hunt. After this your child will receive each month, a 2-state travel journal filled with activities, postcards, sticker sheets, 3D pop-out models, and access to more information online.
For example, in New York, Sam and Sofia's adventures take them from Times Square to Niagara Falls. Along the way they learn about everything from famous NY scientists to how to make New York pizza (Yum!). And because they enjoy the taxis so much, Sam and Sofia send your child a 3D paper taxi cab to build.
You can learn more about the USA edition and sample the monthly here.
The World Edition - The first month's Explorer Kit for this series includes (again) a letter from Sam and Sofia introducing their magical scooter which takes them anywhere in the world they want to go, a suitcase for storing all your child's LP "souvenirs," a world wall map, LP passport, suitcase stickers & photo, an activity sheet, and a collectible boarding pass with a secret code to access the games in the online Boarding Zone section of LP's website. So much fun stuff!!
Each month after this, your child will receive a adventure kit featuring a new country. And each one includes access to the Boarding Zone, which is filled with educational activities about that month's country.
Example: The Japan kit includes another letter describing Sam and Sophia's adventures on Mt. Fuji, as well as their experiences at Tsukiji, the largest fish market in the world. Your child will receive souvenirs, including a sushi eraser and origami paper. And they get passport and map stickers, too. Online your child will learn about traditional Japanese Shinto "wish tablets," and Japanese food.
You can learn more and sample the monthly adventures here.
Different packages are available. You can choose a 12 month package, 6 month, 3 month, or even monthly payments.
The best part is that this gift can last ALL YEAR. My kids love getting mail and something like this is like getting a present in the mail every month. :)
I received both kits in the mail to review. Here's what the packages looked like together:
We LOVE the little suitcase!!
So if you are looking for a fun gift that your child can enjoy every single month and introduces him or her to other peoples, cultures, and even languages, Little Passports may be for you.
Enjoy!