It all started simply enough: I needed to get my children passports so we could  visit their aunt in Germany. As we went through the process of applying for our passports, I thought it might be fun to give my children their own version of a passport that they could use, as it is safe to say I wouldn’t hand my 4-year-old his official passport for the day.

That simple idea started my family on a global adventure, one we were able to take without ever leaving the couch!

First, we printed out the passport templates, which I found via Satori Smiles (one of my favorite blogs). To make the passport look more official, you can enter the child’s information and photo on your computer before printing. I then placed the outside logo (I printed in black and white) on a piece of construction paper and had it laminated at a teacher supply store.

I have a feeling we own the only pink passport in the world!

After you’ve assembled the passports, you’re ready to travel! First, I printed out a map of the world online that my children could color. After that, I started picking which countries we would learn about, trying to space them out across the globe so that we weren’t studying Spain one day and then Portugal the next.

And then…we got to the reading! So far, we’ve studied China and France. Up next is Kenya. I found an invaluable resource in Disney’s Small World Library. My mother-in-law was able to find the entire set at a garage sale. They were in perfect condition– I’m not even sure they’ve ever been used! (You can find the sets online and also at library used book sales!)

We start with the Disney books and then move on from there. For China, we read:

• The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
• Boy Dumplings by Ying Chang Compestine
• Miss Frizzle’s Adventures: Imperial China by Joanna Cole.

For the lesson on France, we read:

• Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
• Belinda in Paris by Amy Young
• Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt

After we read the books, we pull out our art notebooks. They’re small art notebooks I bought at an arts and crafts store for about $3 each. We make a page for each country– I tell my children we are making a postcard to give a picture of what the country looks like. For France, my daughter (who is five) drew the Eiffel Tower.

After we’ve finished everything, I pull out the passports once more. I purchased two sets of the Flag-It World Stickers from Rainbow Resource. I taket the corresponding sticker for the country and, with much fanfare (and a silly voice made by Mom), I announce the child a world traveler and thank them for visiting the country.

Of course, I don’t expect them to retain all the information they learn. I do hope, however, that it gives them an introduction to other countires, peoples and cultures and ignites the fire of learning in them.

In fact, I think it is working. Just the other day, at breafast, my 4-year-old son said it was probably nighttime in China. Mission accomplished!