Book Review: Around the World in 80 Ways

Rating:

For someone as passionate about travel and, in particular, travelling with children, as I, this book is a joy to hold in my hands. It not only promotes travelling with kids, it helps to make it more accessible to those who are either convinced it can’t be done, or just a little nervous about it.

There are so many excuses around, ranging from ‘It’s too hard’ to ‘The kids will be bored’ and ‘You still have to do all the day-to-day stuff so why not just stay home?’ (I have a toddler and so I hear this last question more often than I’d care to count.)

Why not stay at home? Well, as Ariel Feet (see Itchee Feet’s website to find out about Ariel) says, “Toddlers are a handful anywhere. If my kid is going to be difficult, then it might as well be when I’m on my way to Paris.”

So true.

The biggest concern parents tend to have about travel is keeping their children occupied and entertained, especially whilst travelling. Once at your destination, there are always things to do, but on the way there? On that long flight or drive with a noisy child or two? Most parents would agree, that can be hard work. Let me tell you, even those of us who love to take our children on travelling adventures find it hard. (Author Jane Tara says there have been flights “where I felt like beating my head with a wooden spoon”. Those times were the inspiration for this book.)

Around the World in 80 Ways is the solution. Take away some of the difficulty with fun and age-appropriate games, and the flight will be over before you know it.

Practical in size (small and lightweight so it won’t weigh your baggage down) and layout (with lots of dot points and pictures to make it easy to read), this will become your newest must-have travel companion in no time.

The book covers a range of ideas to keep your children entertained – none of which require any props, so you don’t have to worry about having forgotten the crayons or playing cards. Broken down into categories of activity (for example, ‘Travel Chitchat’, ‘The Art of Travel’ and ‘Get Moving!’), the book leaves it up to you – and your kids – to decide which games are appropriate for the ages of your children. Except toddlers, that is. They deserve their own dedicated section, so that they shall have.

Ideas include how to keep your child’s patience at a maximum for as long as possible, ways to help them understand how much longer until you reach your destination, games to play, cool facts to talk about, and more. The kids will find these activities fun, you’ll be happy because they’re educational (and anything but monotonous), and you’ll all love that it helps to not only pass the time but make that time part of the swag of wonderful memories you’ll be left with long after that plane lands.

I’m inspired and ready to go. Are you?

Title: Around the World in 80 Ways
Author: Jane Tara
Category: Non-fiction
Publisher: Itchee Feet
ISBN: 9780980843705
RRP: $14.95
Publication Date: December 2010