Lonely Planet Kids Activity Books
Kids are naturally drawn to bright and colorful books. Often it’s not the subject so much as the cover that lures them into cracking open a book. Fun illustrations and images and bold banners and print make learning visually interesting and an enjoyable experience. The library is a favorite hangout for lots of little bookworms and it can expose them to new subjects, fields and worlds and have a big impact on their learning abilities. One company that has a positive influence on youths is Lonely Planet Kids.
Lonely Planet Kids books allow kids to explore and learn through the use of puzzles, quizzes, mazes, stickers, quirky facts and inspiring stories from around the world. Their books are fun and fuel kid’s desire to travel and learn along the way. Check out their newest activity books. Each of them is related to travel in one form or another.
Around the World in 50 Ways
Lonely Planet Around the World in 50 Ways is a fantastic book that teaches kids how to travel to and around various major cities around the globe – many of which they may not have heard of. The reader is the main character and they are guided on how to travel from London, England, around the world and then returning safely back again to London choosing from an abundance of options. Kids can choose different forms of transportation and even which route to take.
Kids will have a blast as they take a horse-drawn carriage ride in Lahore, Pakistan or a black and yellow auto rickshaw in Mumbai, India or a riverboat ride in Paris, France or take a slow boat down the Mekong River in Northern Thailand or a camel ride in Marrakech. As they travel from one location to the next they get to discover the area and savor the moment.
Each page will introduce kids to a new city with a little bit of factual history and some interesting facts that they will appreciate. Did you know that about 40% of all the gold ever found comes from the area around Johannesburg? Another interesting fact I learned is that camels have two rows of thick eyelashes that help protect their eyes from desert sand. Kids will be enthralled as they enjoy their adventurous ride back to London.
First Words French
Hello! Bonjour! (bon-jhoor) First Words French will teach kids 100 basic words from the French language. Young kids are learning sponges and they quickly absorb the new words easily. Each word is shown in English and French along with a pronunciation guide and a colorful illustration so kids get the gist. Whether they are traveling with their parents to a French-speaking country or learning the language in school, this book will help them along the way.
Sticker World – Museum
I don’t know one child who does not love stickers. In the Sticker World – Museum, kids will not only enjoy playing with stickers, they will be creating their very own museum. The center of the book has several pages of stickers that kids can peel off and place on the appropriate pages. Kids can complete a dinosaur skeleton, bring extinct and prehistoric creatures back to life, finish an ancient Egyptian cat statue, add striking images and color to a Viking sail, paint their very own masterpiece, complete the solar system in their planetarium and so much more. Each page is punctuated with interesting facts about the subject. This book offers kids a hands-on learning experience.
City Maze
City Maze features a maze of 30 real cities from around the world and a fact page. Each maze has a start point, endpoint and a legend. There are numbers on the map that correlate with the places mentioned in the legend. Now it’s up to the reader’s job to navigate their way through the main thoroughfares, backstreets and waterways in each city. Along the way, kids will learn fascinating facts about each city that make it unique and a great travel destination. Plus they will be introduced to famous landmarks, touristy hotspots, and quirky local hideouts.
Cities featured include Paris – Budapest – Berlin – Sydney – New York – Amsterdam – Rio de Janeiro – Vienna – San Francisco – London – Krakow – Beijing – St Petersburg – Seoul – Hong Kong – Dublin – Rome – Stockholm – Lisbon – Kyoto – Buenos Aires – Copenhagen – Vancouver – Cape Town – Marrakesh – Athens – Barcelona – Prague – Delhi and Dubai.
While in London swing by the London Eye or the Wigmore Hall or the Whitechapel Gallery. While in Beijing visit famous landmarks like the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven or the Ming Tombs. Each map shows where the landmarks are located in the city and offers a reference on how close they are to each other. City Maze is a great book and kids will have hours of fun. If they were not able to find a way from start to finish, the back pages offer the solutions.
Disclaimer: These products were provided to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.