This is a shot from our summer trip to the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, WA this summer, but somehow it seems seasonally appropriate now. Do you ever visit the zoo in wintertime?
Related Links
Tacoma with Kids
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
I always hope that the kids will learn a little about the world around us when we travel, but it is also important to me that they learn about other cultures and ways of life when we're at home. Here are a few gifts that we either own or are considering for this year that would help kids learn more about other cultures. It's fun to choose just one, or to choose a single culture to learn about and build a gift set that includes book and toys about that culture.
Traditional Games and Geography Games
Everest has been a little obsessed with this
Travel Mancala
game recently, and traditional games are a great way to feel a connection with another culture. Games can also help teach about Geography, and I'm thinking of buying GeoDice
for my own family this year.
Architectural Building Blocks
There's something a little magical about building blocks that aren't just rectangles and triangles, and I like to believe that they also help kids learn that not all buildings look like ours. My kids love this Middle Eastern Blocks Set
from Haba. The company also makes a Russian House
, Antiquity Architectural Blocks
, Japanese House Building Blocks
and many other architecturally themed building blocks.
Not for Parents Travel Book and by country books
Our copy of the The Not For Parents Travel Book
is dog eared and tired, but it's so jam packed with great pictures and interesting facts that kids still love leafing through it. Their enthusiasm was reignited this fall when Lonely Planet sent us copies of their newest books in this series Not For Parents Extreme Planet
and How to be a World Explorer
There's also a whole series of Not for Parents Destination Guides
for kids that use the same fun, fact and picture packed format to get kids interested in the city or country they're visiting.
Fiction and Traditional Children's Stories
I'm a big fan of using fiction as a way to learn about different parts of the world and different cultures. When it's well done, a good fiction book can be a peek into a secret world, and can do a great job of setting the stage for a future trip. Here's a long list of books (both for kids and adults) that might inspire a gift for your own family.
Music
Listening to music can be transporting. Imagine yourself sitting cross legged on the floor playing Mancala with the kids while an African stew simmers on the stove, now add the beat of an African Drum rhythm. Entirely different, right? The pictured album, French Playground
, happens to be one of my favorites, but there are a slew of kid-friendly world music albums from Putamayo Kids
.
Cookbooks
Learning about the food is a great way to learn about a new culture. The craze for Bento Boxes is a nice place to start, and I adore this sweet cookbook: Yum-Yum Bento Box: Fresh Recipes for Adorable Lunches
You can make your own recipe book by selecting recipes from a grown-up cookbook and repackaging them for kids into a country-specific pamphlet.
Traditional Toys
Wooden Sushi Set
I just love traditional toys from different cultures, and I also love toys that help kids learn about traditional items from other cultures. Everest received this sushi set as a gift when Darya was born, and over the years the pieces got scattered, so we just bought it again for Eilan. He loves it as much as the orignal! The set is simple, but the kids like rearranging the blocks, sticking the sushi rolls together (each piece has velcro) and cutting them apart again. This makes an especially fun toy to bring into a restaurant.
More Gift Lists
14 Travel Friendly Gifts for Kids
My Favorite Travel Toys
Filed Under:
travel-toys
3 comments |
Posted on December 12, 2012 |
Save to del.icio.us
It's snowing like crazy in the mountains this week, so I know our first family ski trip of the year is just around the corner! What about you, have you been skiing yet this year?
Related Links
What to do in Whistler with Kids
First Ski Lessons at Whistler
Late season skiing in Whistler with kids
Books about Snow and Skiing
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
Are you traveling during the holidays this year? Or your traveling just after the holiday, and you know your child will want to take new gifts along with you? Wondering how you'll get your child's gifts to your destination and back again when your bags are already stuffed to the brink of bursting with clothing and kid-gear? Here are my suggestions for portable holiday gifts that travel well.
- Mini Microscope (age 3+) This SE Mini 45X Brass Microscope w/ Illuminator
is small enough to fit in a four-year-old's pocket, and it's the perfect thing to explore any environment in more detail. It's especially great if you'll be spending a lot of time outdoors, in lines, or anywhere that your kid might need an easy activity. Plus it's under $4! These were a favorite of my kids last year.
- Kindle or Kindle Fire (age 8+ for kindle 3+ for Kindle Fire) When we bought my mini-van last year, I opted out of the built-in video system. It would be cheaper, I rationalized, to buy each kid their own movie device and headphones. This year we might make that splurge. The Kindle Paperwhite
is the way to go if you want your kids reading in the car with a minimum of distractions. The Kindle Fire
is great for kids who aren't yet reading independently or if you'd like your kids to have the option of watching a video.
- Kid-Sized Headphones (age 2+)
For air travel, where size is a consideration, and I'm sitting nearby to help out, I find that earbuds work well enough. On a roadtrip, though, my main concern is to minimize hassle and noise. These Kidz Gear Wired Headphones
are a DeliciousBaby reader favorite.
- Klutz Activity Kits (age 3+)
There's a huge collection of Klutz Activity Kits to choose from, one for every interest. Whether your child likes fairies, writing, building, or science you'll find an engaging and age appropriate Klutz activity kit for them.
We have bought so many of these over the years, that it seems like we should have run out of possibilities by now, but everytime I look for something new I find something I haven't seen before. I love that these kits are self contained and packaged in a travel-friendly-sized spiral-bound book.
- Finger Puppets (Age 1-7) Finger puppets are a great toy on an airplane or roadtrip and can easily be tucked away in a diaper bag for restaurant entertainment. These Family Finger Puppets
would be great for a trip to Grandma's house, or for fantasy play, these manhattan toy finger puppets are my favorite.
- Nanoblocks (Age 8+)These Nanoblocks might just have Lego beat when it comes to travel. The micro sized blocks are small enough to squirrel away in a ziplock bag, and I just love the travel themed building sets. It's worth noting that Nanoblocks are not compatible with Lego.
- Haba Mini Tin Games (age 2+)
If you have fallen in love with Haba's high-quality toys and games, you'll just love these cute mini-sized games that are perfect for travel. The (pictured) memory game was a favorite of my kids even as they were learning their first words. They loved holding the little cards and saying the words long before they could play the game.
- 3D Drawing Pad (ages 5+) Here's something out of the ordinary that makes a great airplane toy for older kids. Draw your picture on this 3D Drawing Pad
, and then put on the 3D glasses to see your image hover over the drawing surface.
- Sleeping Queens (age 6+)
It's the rare game that both travels well and keeps all three of my kids entertained. Add to that the fact that this game manages to sneak in some math and strategy skills, and you've got me sold! On the other hand, Sleeping Queens
might actually work a little too well... on our trip to Hawaii, I had trouble dragging my kids away from the game and onto the beach.
- Micro CubeBot
What could be better than a toy that folds into a 1 1/2 inch cube? One that unfolds into a Micro Robot
.
- Faber Castell Glitter DoughArt supplies are always a popular gift in my family, and travel well. I just love this
, Faber-Castell Air Dry Glitter Dough
Note that it needs to go in your checked baggage though - playdough and airport security don't mix!
- Watercolor Set We've been taking watercolor sets with us when we travel lately, and they're a great way to set the kids up for success when we're out and about. They can sketch in a museum or park and then paint when we return to the hotel room.These Watercolor Pencils
are great because your kids can draw with them dry in the car or on a plane, and then paint over them with water in the hotel room. When you see the results your kids get using a quality Watercolor Paper Pad
, I think you'll agree that it's worth the investment. Just encourage them to fill the paper before moving on. Partial to watercolor cakes? I like this 16 Color Prang Watercolor Set
which strikes a good balance between quality and price for young kids. Don't forget to throw in an extra brush!
- Kid-Sized Suitcase
I just ordered this adorable Skip Hop Owl Suitcase
for Eilan. (Other animals are available too) It's good quality for the price, folds down somewhat for storage, and has an adult shoulder strap for when Eilan gets tired of pulling it. It remains to be seen whether this will speed or slow down our trip through the airport, but you know I'll share that info here!
- Give Experiences We're making more of an effort to give experiences instead of stuff, and if you know you'll be traveling, consider whether there's a special experience at your destination that would make a great gift!
Related Links
My Favorite Travel Toys
Filed Under:
travel-toys
5 comments |
Posted on December 4, 2012 |
Save to del.icio.us
We're pretty scrappy when it comes to travel toys, but sometimes I'm surprised at what we discover. On our Thanksgiving vacation, dixie cups were the thing of the moment with the kids building towers, castles and pyramids and then laughing hysterically as they knocked them all down.
Related Links
My favorite travel toys
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
Today is the first day of the annual Passports With Purpose fundraiser that I helped found. I stepped away from organizing the effort this summer in order to free up more time for my family, but I still hope you'll consider making a donation to fund this year's project which will build 5 wells in Haiti through a partnership with Water.org
I also want to thank this year's sponsors. Their generosity will help fund this important project.
0 comments |
Posted on November 28, 2012 |
Save to del.icio.us
We're just back from a week in Hawaii followed by a cozy Thanksgiving in Bellingham, WA. It's difficult for me to put into words what it means for a busy family to have so much unstructured playtime together, but it did give me lots of time to think about what I'm grateful for. There's too much for me to share it all here, but I thought I'd share just a smidgen.
For Everest, whose enthusiasm for whatever he is doing is infectious
For Darya who helps me see the magic in our everyday world
For Eilan who reminds me that almost every upset can be soothed with a good, long cuddle.
And for my husband, whose willingness to put up with my wanderlust is surpassed only by the strength needed to make it happen
And to you, dear reader, who gives me this little space on the internet to share my ramblings.
Much love and cheer to you all during this holiday season!
1 comment |
Posted on November 24, 2012 |
Save to del.icio.us
Is it just me, or do you collect pizza places when you travel too?
Related Links
Seattle with Kids
How to find a kid friendly restaurant that YOU will enjoy
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
I must have read 30 books as a kid that featured a pioneer mama washing her clothes with a washboard, but I'd never tried my hand at it until we visited the High Desert Museum in Oregon. This picture was taken about 2 minutes before Eilan removed his own shirt and threw it into the tub. Now that's what I call living history!
Reader Question: What have you gotten a chance to try for the first time on a vacation?
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
We live in the city, so a trip to a pumpkin patch to choose the bestest most roundest pumpkin is an annual adventure requiring (apparently) rain boots and your pinkest polkadot pj bottoms.
Related Links
Seattle with Kids
What is Photo Friday?
- Post a travel photo on your site. It can be about any topic, as long as it is G-rated.
- The focus of the post should be on your photo.
- You don't need to be a professional photographer (I'm not), but do showcase your best work, and make it big enough to see well!
- It's nice to include a few sentences about the photo, but it is not required.
- Link back here so that your readers can see all the other great Photo Friday posts.
