This time of year, the only thing I’ve been talking about with other moms is summer plans. What are you doing this summer?? Is the common refrain among strangers and friends on the playground or at the park. It’s way past when camp registration is due, and even then, many of them don’t want to take on a toddler for more than a few hours in the summer heat. Most of the moms I know are making fun summer bucket list with ice cream and beach emojis and secretly panicking inside.
Our default afternoon is hanging out on the driveway and watching the light change.
Of course we’d all love to spend these long, lazy days “hanging out” and visualizing the ‘90s summers of yore we used to have—part of that vision is completely unrealistic because none of us remember what we did as toddlers, but also because work has to get done at some point.
So where does that leave you? Since I’m working less this summer, I wanted to give my toddler routine and consistency, which at this age is super important. (Also for me, it’s very important.) I love travel and I can’t wait to show my toddler all of my favorite places in the world. Why not start now?
Which brings me to: Global Studies Camp!
To do this, I put together a week-by-week “itinerary” to prep my toddler for upcoming travel, but also to teach them a little more about the world. Each week has a suggested local outing, a few book recommendations, a game, and an easy activity (Don’t worry! I am not a Pinterest mom, like even a little.)
A week-by-week toddler camp that shows them the world…
I want to start by saying: This guide is not meant for you to do all the things. You do not need a color-coded, fifty-page binder full of activities to do this summer. Summer is a season to slow down, to watch the clouds, to let yourself unravel. This is meant as some fun, themed activities for you to add into your weeks if you’re looking for some inspiration—take what you want, and leave the rest.
Either way, I hope you enjoy doing this as much as I enjoyed putting it together! There are SO many more destinations we could cover, so feel free to swap out with this framework if there are places you want to explore on your own.
Okay, one last note: These introductions to different countries are simplistic by nature. There’s a lot of colonial/imperialist/conflict history that I could discuss but won’t, and I’m not trying to gloss over those realities with these lists. I’m also not representing each country in a deep or nuanced way. However, I do think there’s an age appropriate time to introduce these things; right now, my toddler still doesn’t know the concept of time or even heroes and villains, and so we’ll wait for a more nuanced discussion of these topics.The goal of this is to give my toddler the idea that “people live in different places, where they live differently from us.” That’s it for now!
What you’ll need:
This is totally optional, but I highly recommend buying a globe, map, or floor puzzle to help kids visualize the world a little bit more. We have an old globe from grandparents (it still has the USSR on it!) we use every time we travel to show where we’ll be flying. Each week, you can start by showing your little one where in the world you’ll be “traveling” using those props. If you’ve been to that destination, consider pulling out your photos or souvenirs to make it feel a little more real.
Week 1: England/The United Kingdom
From my first time overseas in 2008.
The U.K. has no shortage of phenomenal classic children’s literature. We’ve been in a big Paddington phase lately, and his antics often make my toddler giggle. This week, you can go in a lot of different directions: Knights, transportation, the ministry of silly walks, groovy ‘60s music…
- Play: Take a big piece of cardboard and make a shield with your coat of arms on it. Think dragons, lions, bears, whatever comes to mind. (Or if you’re feeling very ambitious, make a cardboard castle.)
- Go: Take a hike in the woods and imagine yourself on the moors, waiting for your Jane Austen hero to come striding through the mist.
- Cook: High Tea. You can do this as a pretend tea party, but one of our favorite afternoon snacks is to do a full tea spread, with marmalade sandwiches or strawberry shortcakes a la Paddington. To make the tea toddler-friendly, use herbal tea and a TON of ice.
- Listen: Beatles 1 is a classic for a reason.
- Read: Paddington Bear by Michael Bond
- Watch: Mary Poppins (Disney+)
Week 2: France/Europe
Sunset at Sacre Coeur, on a work trip where I crammed sightseeing into as many odd hours as I could get.
Bonjour! This week we hop to France. I’d encourage you to play around a little bit with French phrases, even just practicing Bonjour! or Merci! I studied abroad in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and omg toddlers speaking French is just the cutest thing.
- Play: Paint! Set up an easel or just some big pieces of paper outside on the driveway and let them have at it with some acrylic paint. You’re following a grand French tradition of painting en plein air!
- Go: This is a great week to try visiting an art museum. Our local library does half-price passes which takes some of the pressure off of seeing everything.
- Bake: The French have a late afternoon snack called “goûter” (literally, to taste) which I highly recommend adopting this week. It’s strawberry season so I’d make bake something easy and delicious together like a strawberry galette.
- Listen: Zou bisou bisou.
- Read: Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
- Watch: Ratatouille (Disney+)
Week 3: USA/North America
Our extended family does a baseball game each year on the 4th.
Since this week coincides with the 4th of July, lean into the patriotic festivities to teach them about the U.S. I know it can be tempting to turn this into a political lesson, but I would wait and focus instead on the holiday. For example, why do we celebrate the 4th of July?
- Play: Baseball! They call it America’s favorite pasttime for a reason. With so much going on this week, keep it simple and enjoy the season.
- Go: Parades, historical re-enactments…whatever celebrations are happening near you!
- Cook: Hot dogs and hamburgers.
- Listen: Elvis #1 Hits…or the Hamilton soundtrack.
- Read: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
- Watch: Fireworks are a little too scary, so we’ll watch the replay afterward.
Week 4: India/Asia
Time to hit our next continent: Asia. There’s such a rich history in India to explore, so I’d definitely dive into your local library to show them sites like the Taj Mahal.
- Play: Make your own mandala! This post has great suggestions using materials around the house.
- Go: Try a yoga class this week. Our local library does one, or you can ask around your local studios to see if they do any kid-friendly classes.
- Cook: Naan is a very kid-friendly baking project. Turn the oven light on to watch them puff up. This is a great week to order from your favorite Indian place!
- Listen: Desi Hits.
- Read: Kadooboo! by Shruthi Rao.
Week 5: Egypt/Africa
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an archaeologist. I had a birthday party at the science museum that was egyptology-themed. (Yes, I was SO cool.) Ancient civilizations still fascinate me and so this is basically a week for me!
- Play: This one is messy, but fun: Make yourself into mummies with some toilet paper. We laugh SO hard when we play like this. You can also use magna tiles or Legos you already have to make some pyramids.
- Go: Head to the sandbox and pretend to be archaeologists! This one is super sturdy or you can find a local playground with a good one for an outing.
- Bake: Make rice krispie treats and turn them into a pyramid! I’ve had my eye on this more sophisticated recipe, though I haven’t tried it yet.
- Listen: The Egyptian Myths Tonie for the Toniebox is one of our favorites.
- Read: 10 Little Mummies by Phillip Yates is so funny.
Week 6: Ecuador/South America
At the New England Aquarium, unfortunately not in Ecuador.
Consider this week ocean-themed! I’ve always wanted to go to Ecuador for the incredible scuba diving and wildlife there…this will have to do for now!
- Play: Water, water, everywhere! I fill our water table with aquarium accessories and seashells after we go to the beach, which usually gives us extra playtime. Sometimes we do a midday bath if we need our pouring fix.
- Go: This is a great week to hit the beach! Or your local aquarium, if you’re begging for some A/C.
- Bake: Empanadas take time but are so delicious.
- Listen: Ecuador by Los Folkloristas.
- Read: Octopants by Suzy Senior is stupid funny.
Week 7: Japan/Asia
When the pandemic shut everything down, we had just finished planning a trip to Japan. I still haven’t been but it’s at the very top of our big-trip bucket list. I’ll have to settle for this week’s fun.
- Play: Set up a DIY karaoke night with some of their favorite songs. You don’t need a special microphone (we don’t have one) but could be fun!
- Go: Find a local botanical garden and take your time with the flowers. Bonus points if it’s a Japanese garden like this one at Boston’s MFA.
- Cook: Sushi is SO fun with little kids! You can use thinly sliced sandwich bread if you don’t think they’ll eat the rice. But making onigiri shapes is its own activity.
- Listen: J-Pop Mix.
- Read: Thank You, Miyuki introduces the concept of meditation.
- Watch: My Neighbor Totoro (Studio Ghibli)
Week 8: Australia/Australia
We’re obsessed with Bluey in this house, which is why Australia made the list.
- Play: Try your hand with a boomerang in the yard, or set up an old-fashioned sack race to hop like kangaroos.
- Go: Aussies love their pool time—take a trip to your local beach/pool for some “surfing.”
- Bake: Fairy bread is a fun kid’s dessert—it’s just bread, butter, and sprinkles.
- Listen: Business as Usual, Men at Work. (“Down Under” is their ‘80s one-hit wonder.)
- Read: Koala Lou by Mem Fox
- Watch: Izzy’s Koala Rescue (Netflix)…or Bluey (Disney+).
Week 9: Kenya/Africa
Let’s go on safari! My little one is super into wild animals, so any chance we can get to study them is a fun one for us. I can’t wait until my little one is old enough for us to go on safari for real—we’ll probably do Kenya or Tanzania.
- Play: Make binoculars by glueing two toilet paper rolls together and go on a “safari” around your house for hidden stuffies.
- Go: This is a great week to go to your local zoo.
- Bake: Monkey bread is another great kid-friendly baking project.
- Listen: African drumming. (Not specific to Kenya, obviously!)
- Read: Stand Back Said the Elephant, I’m Going to Sneeze by Patricia Thomas is laugh-out-loud funny.
Week 10: Choose Your Own Country
Now that you understand the framework, ask your toddler to choose where they want to explore! It was so difficult to narrow down this list to only 10 countries. You can offer a few different places based on upcoming travel plans, your heritage, or have them close their eyes and spin the globe.
If you liked this post, please consider supporting my work. I’m just a mom in the thick of the toddler years trying to create core memories for our whole family while minimizing meltdowns—I sincerely hope this helps you do the same.
This post was originally published on Travel with Toddlers. Subscribe for more real-talk travel advice, toddler-friendly itineraries, and tried-and-true gear recommendations.
