I know recent pandemic developments have many of us home with our kids right now for longer periods of time. Given the rapid spread of this disease, it is best to keep our families safe at home the best we can.
You are probably feeling “stuck” when it comes to travel right now, but you don’t have to lose hope! There are certainly things you can do in the meantime to continue exposing your kids to cultures of the world.
Here are 10 ways you can still explore with your kids when you just can’t get out:
Order a Travel Subscription Box
Little Passports or Little Global Citizens have fun and educational cultural material in their subscription boxes. Little Passports gives your child an overview of a different country each month with activities and sometimes a souvenir. If you don’t want a box every month, Little Global Citizens has bi-monthly boxes available for subscription as well as a few country-specific single purchase options.
I also discovered country-themed subscription boxes of snacks and candy you can’t find locally, like Universal Yums or SnackCrate. I mean, who doesn’t want a box full of international snacks delivered to your door?! There are reviews available on both boxes over at My Subscription Addiction so you can check those out before you pick one to try.
Read Travel-related Book Series with Your Kids
A great series to read is titled The Greetings From Somewhere Collection: Mysteries Around the World. These chapter books follow twins Ethan and Ella as they travel around the world on adventures and solving mysteries.
Many libraries offer access to some of their material online, digital books and magazines you can access for free. Reading travel related material with your kids fosters curiosity and a desire to travel to boot.
Go on virtual tours of galleries and museums around the world
This is a real cool one and shows just how much technology makes our lives easier. Google Arts and Culture partnered with many museums and galleries to offer virtual tours and access to online exhibits from the comfort of your home. Now you can literally tour the British Museum in London, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, or the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam to name a few – for free.
Write to Pen Pals From Other Countries
If you’re into writing letters, whether by email or snail mail, having a pen pal is such an amazing experience. This allows for real connection to others who might have a different cultural background from you and your family.
You can find pen pals on a website like Global Penfriends. They have been around since 1995, are totally family friendly, and really make security and safety a priority.
Listen to World Music Stations Online
Experience new music and work on your dance moves when you check out World Music radio stations on Pandora or iHeartRadio. You will get in some exercise and definitely some laughs, plus music and dance are proven mood lifters!
Recreate Arts or Crafts From Another Country
If your crew is creative, then making a craft from another country is a great way of learning about other cultures. If authentic materials are available to you and you’re up for the challenge, that could be really interesting! KinderArt has tons of multicultural art ideas to keep everyone busy and entertained for a while. And then there’s always Pinterest!
Cook a new recipe from a foreign country
If you enjoy food as much as I do, this is a fun one! Pick a country and search Pinterest for a new recipe to try for dinner with your family. There are literally thousands of them to choose from, so don’t get swamped! Maybe pick one of the most common dishes from the country you choose with ingredients you can easily access. This also gives your family the opportunity to cook together which is such a great bonding experience.
Watch travel-related movies, tv, and videos
One of my favorite travel-related movies of all time is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and it is a must-see movie for those of us filled with wanderlust but let life get in the way. I love that it’s family-friendly and funny, yet gets across the point that we shouldn’t spend our whole lives waiting to travel. Last I saw this was free to watch on Netflix!
If you’re into documentary style entertainment, you can always watch family travel vlogs on YouTube. A few good examples are The Bucket List Family, Knorpp and South, and Travel with Kids TV.
For something mostly for the kids, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego is an world adventure cartoon from back in the day. I know there was a reboot of this show on Netflix in 2019, but I think the original is better! Annnddd…now that I’ve shown my age…let’s move right along.
Learn a new language
Learning a new language is very beneficial as it allows you to the opportunity to interact with native speakers effectively, especially once you are able to travel internationally. Babbel and Rosetta Stone are two very popular language learning platforms that many people have great success with. Currently, Babbel has made its service free to all US students this Spring in light of the current pandemic. Just imagine your family being fluent in the language of your choice as you step off the plane to one of your future destinations! Che meraviglia!
Talk to family or friends with a different cultural background
Have a multicultural family or diverse pool of friends? As you connect with and check on them during this time, use this time to respectfully ask questions about their culture. Maybe an elder would tell you more about a family tradition they wish to pass on. A friend could share more about their cultural holidays that you might not have realized.
I know it’s hard given current events in the world to think about the next time we’ll be able to travel safely again. But I encourage you to not let this dimish your love for exploring or planning your next family adventure. Now you have some ideas to keep exploration an important part of your family’s life even if you’re stuck at home!
Have any other great ideas for “traveling” at home? We’d love to hear them! Leave a comment below!