My husband travels quite a bit for work, making several international trips a year. While we're used to him being away, these trips can still be tough for all of us. We work really hard to make sure that our boys still feel connected to him while he's away, and what started as a fun idea to help him feel like a part of the boys was traveling with him has now grown into one of our favorite family projects, and an awesome way for me to teach my preschoolers about the countries of the world.
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When my husband was leaving for one of his trips a while ago, the boys each gave him one of their little toys so he wouldn't be lonely (the sweet minds of then two year olds). He decided to surprise them with photos of their toys at his destination. They loved it so much that he started taking the same toys on each trip, and taking photos at famous landmarks at each stop. The Traveling Toys were born.
They've been to the Great Wall of China, and seen the Mona Lisa in Paris.
They don't just travel internationally though. Here's one taking in the glorious landscape of Alaska.
The Traveling Toys have really helped my boys and my husband to feel connected while he's away - they love getting pictures of their toys' adventures during his trips, and we now have a wonderful collection of photos to document where he's been, with a special touch that makes it feel like we are there too.
Of course, the boys want to know all about where Daddy (and the toys) are, so I've turned this project into a fun learning activity as well. I picked up a copy of the classic book Richard Scarry's Busy Busy World, which has recently been updated with a 50th Anniversary edition.
Busy Busy World is nearly 100 pages of stories set in countries around the world, with fun illustrations and characters that only Richard Scarry can create. My boys are entralled by this book, and when my husband is away we are sure to read the story about the country he has traveled to. The book really helps them to understand about different places in the world, and they are even more thrilled when they then see a picture of their toys there too.
Pairing our Traveling Toys with Richard Scarry's Busy Busy World has been a wonderful learning activity for my boys, and a great way for us to remain connected as a family despite a busy travel schedule. I can't wait to see where the toys go next!
Where in the world are you reading this from? Take a picture and message me on Facebook to let me know!
This post is part of January's Poppins Book Nook - a virtual book club for kids! Find more great Countries of the World activities from our cohosts here: