Turn An American Road Trip Into A Cross-Cultural Learning Experience For The Whole Family, With Tips From Global Wonders
Many are Choosing Local Travel this Summer, but That Doesn't Mean They Can't Experience the World
Pasadena, Calif. (PRWEB) June 25, 2009 -- The maps are out, the suitcases are packed, the minivan is washed, the kids are already complaining. Sounds like the makings of a memorable summer road trip. Many families are forgoing international travel and hitting the road this year, but that doesn't mean they can't have an international cultural experience.
Global Wonders Around the World Music CD
A tourism outlook from Visa, as reported in the Wall Street Journal's The Wallet blog, says that Americans are interested in traveling abroad, but 83 percent are changing their travel plans because of the economy -- either deciding to take trips at off-peak times or to stay closer to home. In the same blog post, BudgetTravel.com senior editor Sean O'Neill declares this to be "the summer of the great American road trip."
Global Wonders, producer of award-winning cross-cultural children's entertainment, offers parents some tips on using all that car time to bring the world to their kids:
| | - Bring along an inflatable globe beach ball or world map. Play music that mentions other countries, and have the kids find the countries mentioned in the song or consider where in the world the music style came from. They can throw it back and forth to each other to take turns. It's part geography, part sing-along, part tactic to keep kids occupied and engaged in the car.
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| | - Give each child his or her own guidebook with information about the places you'll be visiting. While on the road, read street names, exit signs and landmark names emphasizing different parts of the word. Try to guess where the word may have come from or which language it originated from. Have them follow along on the maps, or play age-appropriate trivia games using the facts. The activity itself isn't international, but it does teach kids how to learn about other places. Most important, it teaches them to think about the fact that people and places are different, and that differences are enriching.
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| | - Sing and listen to international music together. According to a November 2008 study by Edelman, "building an understanding of other cultures" is now one of the top 5 "causes" that matter most to American consumers. Music allows children to explore culture by experiencing first-hand the rhythms and musical genres from around the world.
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| | - When passing restaurants, play a game to name the kinds of foods that you would find on a menu, e.g. tandoori chicken, yakisoba and chimichangas to name a few. Think about all the different ways a single vegetable or food item has been served.
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"Staying local doesn't mean you can't 'experience' the world with your family along the way," said Rashmi Turner, mother of two cross-cultural daughters and founder and CEO of Global Wonders, producer of award-winning cross-cultural children's entertainment. "There are ways to bring the world to your kids. A road trip offers families what no other type of travel can - many hours together in the car. Parents can embrace that opportunity and use that time to learn about different cultures as a family."
Global Wonders: Around the World Music features authentic cultural styles, original compositions and fun sing-a-long songs to help parents nurture cultural awareness in their children by exploring new rhythms and musical genres from around the world.
The album includes 19 songs covering cultures and musical styles from India, Italy, Greece, Mexico, Argentina, Japan, Ireland, Cuba and the United States (New Orleans Jazz and Hawaiian Tiki). It is available via iTunes and Amazon.com; suggested retail price is $9.99. Global Wonders: Around the World DVD is available at Toys R Us, select Barnes and Noble stores, Amazon.com, and other leading online retailers for $15.99.
The music CD is produced and composed by Emmy Award winner Jim Latham, whose work includes original songs, themes and scores for a variety of children's programming (JoJo's Circus, Dragon Tales, and Disney Princess: A Christmas of Enchantment).
About Global Wonders
Global Wonders, Inc. is a new award-winning cross-cultural entertainment and education brand that introduces children to the vibrant and varied cultures of their family, friends, neighbors and the world. Created by proven leaders in the world of children's entertainment and education, the first series of products consists of four award-winning DVDs (iParenting Media Award for "Best Product 2008" and the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval) covering customs, music, language and lifestyles from various cultures from around the world. The company is based in Pasadena, Calif., with products available nationally at Toys R Us, and leading online retailers including Target.com, Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. The brand is also available at Barnes and Noble's top 50 stores across the country. For more information, please visit http://www.globalwonders.com.
©2009 Global Wonders Inc. Global Wonders™, is a trademark of Global Wonders, Inc. All rights reserved.
For more information, contact:
Jennifer Spoerri, 415/577-0171, jennifer.spoerri(at)gmail.com
Shari Nakakura, 509/366-7778, nakakuras(at)aol.com
Inspiring Minds Communications
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