What’s In the Handbag, Nelly Bly? 6 Items For Your Trip Around the World

I ran out of time in last week’s post to include my travel tips for your Summer Reading adventure.  So, taking inspiration from the humorous scene of Nelly Bly packing her suitcase in Matt Phelan’s book, here are a few things you might want to pack for your journey:

1.  Music: My kids and I have so enjoyed listening to languages and music from other cultures over the years.  We have two CDs of Putamayo Kids music (like this one, World Playground), and I’d love to have more.  They aren’t all to my taste, but many of them are very good musically and lyrically, and unlike most CDs for kids, they don’t usually sound like something a teenager put together on his basement synthesizer.  If you prefer the Wee Sing CDs, they also have a similar mix of music and languages from around the world.

2.  Prayer Atlas:  Each year, Voice of the Martyrs puts together a world map marking hotspots of Christian persecution.  These can be ordered through their organization, and would be a great way to enhance your child’s knowledge of geography AND their sense of brotherhood with the persecuted church around the world.  You can find an email at the link above or call 800-747-0085 to request your map.  (Here is a prayer app review by Tim Challies if you’re looking for a digital way to organize your family prayer time.)

3.  Globe:  Here’s a cheap Inflatable Globe and here’s a Really Fancy One!

4.  National Geography App:  Here’s an app that can help your kids think globally and prep for the National Geography Bee at the same time.  I found a few bugs in it, but overall it looked beneficial for kids 8 and up.

5. Sponsor a Child:  What better way to learn about other cultures than to sponsor a child?  Some programs offer the opportunity for your child to connect with a pen-pal from a foreign country.

6.  Eat Your Way Around the World:  Handfulofjoy.com is a website full of international recipes, including a section about kids’ books and corresponding meals to taste something of that culture.

Have you guys found any cool resources to complement your reading yet?  We are actually having an International Puppet Festival here in Nashville, so I hope my kids and I can make use of that!  Anything going on in your area or church that others could take advantage of?

And if you missed this week’s posts, here’s our 100 Great Adventure Books List for kids, our Summer Reading Challenge intro, and our Week One book review.   It’s not too late to join us if you haven’t already!