Take Your Child On A Global Adventure with Little Passports [Review & #Giveaway}

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” ~ Saint Augustine

The world is larger than we think and only after you have experienced staying in another country far different than what you are use to, with different languages, food, beliefs... will you truly begin to get a broader understanding of life and human kind.

I still have many untapped corners of this world that I would love to encounter. 

Our last escape was to Paris, France (to which I fell in love with) and instead of staying at a hotel like most tourists do (we like to consider ourselves travelers not tourists), we stayed at a friends pied-a-terre apartment located in the heart of Paris just a few steps away from La Tour Eiffel.

We bought groceries, cooked, did our laundry with a one-shared complicated washer/dryer combo in our building, got to know our neighbours, walked around on foot and took the metro and RER with nothing but a small map, attempted to speak only in French and indulged in delicious French fare.

We learned so much more this way and truly felt like locals. It was such a wonderful experience!

One of the most important things that I wish for my children as they get older is be able to travel the world and experience other cultures and ways of life.

I was so excited to learn about a monthly package subscription called Little Passports that provides monthly goodies and access to online games and activities to inspire children to learn about other countries and cultures in a fun and engaging way.

Your child is taken on a mini-adventure right from home with two new pals, Sam and Sofia, as they travel the world and share their findings with them via monthly package.

It comes in two subscriptions; you may sign up for one or both.
World Edition: Join Sam and Sofia as they travel to a new country every month
USA Edition: Travel with Sam and Sofia as they visit two new states every month

Little Passports offers several different subscription plans depending on what works best for you. Sign-up for the convenience of their month-to-month plan or sign-up for a set number of months upfront. If you decide to sign-up or gift a set number of months upfront, you can also renew your subscription so your child doesn’t miss out on any adventures.

I decided to go with a World Edition for Ava and this is what we received.

My daughter was very excited to see a package delivered to our front door with her name on it!
Upon opening we received an adorable little blue and green suitcase complete with world map, passport, a letter and picture from Sam & Sofia and much more!

The Explorer Kit is the 1st month of the World Edition.  It is a starter Kit and it gets your child ready for the adventures ahead!  The next 11 months of the first year are country specific.

Ava was really excited to get started!

I was excited for her! Such an adorable package -- wonder if they will start making one for adults? 

We got started right away! Ava got to know Sam and Sofia and learn some how to say Hello in different languages also learned a few capital cities of different countries to determine where her buddies are headed to next!

I was actually so impressed with how involved and intrigued Ava was (having a 4 1/2 year old you will remember how easily distracted and bored they can get!). She loved learning where all the countries were on the map including where we were located in Canada.

She asked where her grandparents were from on the map and where her relatives were located all across parts of the world. She really loved it!

And I really loved seeing how much she was learning all while having fun.

She is looking forward to receiving next month's package and goodies from her friends while at their new destination. She talks about Sam and Sofia to her friends and family (as if they are real people - which I find super cute!).

Overall we are really impressed and content with Little Passports and I am so glad I learned of them for my daughter (and my son when he gets older!).

The benefits of this subscription go far beyond the years!

It's a one-time payment of $41.85 for the 3 months or $13.95 per month. For everything included and what this will do for your child, I would say it's truly a great deal!

To learn more about Little Passports, visit them online at: www.littlepassports.com.

Little Passports is giving one of my readers a chance to win a 3-Month Subscription (Your choice of The World Edition or US Edition)

1) Leave a comment below telling me Where in the world you would LOVE to travel to with your child/ren and why.

2) Submit via rafflecopter and get additional entries to win!

Contest ends October 1st. 

*Open to US and Canadian Residents.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

****

Disclosure: As part of this review, I received a complimentary subscription to Little Passports; however as always, all opinions expressed are my very own.

Read More

Mastermind Toys Must-Have: The Janod Graffiti 3-in-1 Adjustable Easel & #Giveaway

It takes a village to raise a child they say.

Before I had children, I was always curious as to why this quote came about.

Sure children can be a lot of work but a village really?

Now I totally get it.

As kids get older and older, your role as a parent is not only to be their provider, comforter, kisser of boo-boos, personal chef, diaper changer (I can go on FORever), but also to do your part in making sure they continue to learn each day.

Molding their wings as I say.

As absorbent as these little sponges can be, they can also get quite bored if play is not part of their day-to-day activities.

So, finding the right type of toy that will keep your child engaged, learning and having fun is key.

When we purchase toys for our children, one of the things that we make sure is that we're purchasing quality products.  They're kids! Something will be bound to break or topple over putting not only them in danger physically, but *cough* putting dad and mom's wallet in danger too.

Do you know how much we spent on toys alone solely because of poor construction? What a waste!

My daughter turned 4 a couple of months ago and instead of putting her into JK, we made the conscious decision to home-school her for this year.

Another contributing factor to this was because our newly born son just happened to grace us with his presence the same week she was to start school.  It was very tough to accommodate both schedules at the time, so this truly was the best choice.

One of the best items we added to our pseudo-classroom in the rec room (aka children's playroom), was the Janod Graffiti 3-in-1 Adjustable Easel with Magnetic Dry Erase and Chalkboard from Mastermind Toys.

Going back to what I was talking about when I mentioned quality items, Mastermind Toys is just about the embodiment of top-notch toys.

They are a specialty toy retailer that provides educational toys, books, games and so much more!

They choose products that awaken creativity, encourage curiosity, enhance motor skills, develop imagination, challenge thinking and offer children hours of fun!

QUAL-I-TY.

So I began to incorporate our new Janod Easel into our daily "class" and it has really helped with engaging our little girl in her learning.

She enjoys writing on the chalkboard (it makes her feel like she's really in-class), doodling and writing on the dry erase board and another thing we love about this easel -- the top of the easel  has a paper roll that comes down so she can paint or draw and you can just cut it off and keep to hang.

There's so much included with the Janod 3-in-1 Easel including: adjustable easel with magnetic dry erase board and blackboard, box of 5 white chalk pieces and 5 coloured chalk pieces, 6 magnets, magnetic paper holder, roll of 18" easel paper, eraser, dry erase marker, 2 no-spill paint pots, removable red tray.

The only thing you have to watch for with smaller kids is the residue from the chalk. The chalk board and dry erase board need to be cleaned with a damp cloth often as it does tend to leave some leftover staining.

You'll have to check out the product on their website! To read more, click here.

The Janod Graffiti 3-in-1 Adjustable Easel with Magnetic Dry Erase and Chalkboard retails for $64.95 CDN but truly worth every penny.  It grows with your child and also a great keepsake.  

I think I'd even use it in the kitchen area after the kids get too big to write down daily menus, quotes, messages, etc. Just add a little of your own paint and there you go!

Cool idea, huh?! 

To learn more about Mastermind Toys, visit them at: www.mastermindtoys.com.

So, if the thought of running out and purchasing one of these babies aren't exciting enough for you, here's something that may help!  

Courtesy of Mastermind Toys, one lucky CAC reader is eligible to win a $50 Gift Card to Mastermind Toys.

To be eligible, simply enter via rafflecopter below.

**OPEN TO CANADIANS only**

Ends February 8th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More