If you read my blog regularly, you’ll know that I have a rather larger than life interest in travel, particularly traveling with my kids. We took our daughter overseas for the first time when she was just half a year old and have been encouraging both of our kids to pursue and love travel as much as we both do. When we travel, my kids keep travel journals and are totally on top of where they want to go and what they want to do. I’ve often wondered, what if they had a travel guide of their own? After all, they can read now. They can take notes. They can help make choices about and take responsibility in the trip-planning department.
And, so along comes a new series called kidsGo! It’s billed as a new travel series for curious kids aged 7-14 and it’s created by “families for families”. So far, they have six city offerings: New York, London, Hong Kong, Sydney, Phuket and Bali. The guides have the basic ingredients that kids seek: brevity, color, maps, illustrations, facts and just enough information for a one-week holiday. The sections have catchy titles like:
- Be a Culture Vulture
- Talking with the Animals
- Food, Glorious Food
- Shop Till You Drop
- Go Walk About
- Museum Mania
- Top Sights an Must-Do’s
The books are meant to speak intelligently to children and to get them engaged in the process of planning itineraries, and I definitely think that they do. They’re also portable, 3×8, and easily slip into one’s pockets or handbag. I really like the lay-out and eye-catching illustrations.
Reading the NY guide was enjoyable for me, particularly since I’m a New Yorker, as I recognized every recommendation. I am sure that for a tourist the suggestions would be more useful than for me, but one of the other city guides would probably serve very useful for my kids and I. I could easily imagine my kids getting to London (where we are actually going on Thursday) and really enjoying the tips and suggestions, particularly where to find sweets and yummy food. There are also tips for parents which would prove useful to me, about how to get cheaper tickets and easier access to attractions.
For tweens reading this book, there is a place in the back of the book for notes and, at the same time, they can go on the book’s web site and rate their favorite places. I can totally envision my daughter, who is 8, doing that, and I am totally going to encourage her on our next trip.
Disclosure: I was sent a copy of kidsGo! New York to facilitate this review, but all opinions expressed are my own.
Speak Your Mind