It’s holiday season, and in many homes that means gift shopping! I’m excited to share some great books and toys that teach children about the world – and that your kids will LOVE! All of these products are kid-tested and kid-approved by my four kids (aged 8, 6, 5, and 2) as well as many of our friends.
Note: this post contains affiliate links.
Books that Teach Global Awareness
Usborne Books is one of my favorite sources of books that teach kids about the world, particularly for early elementary school aged children! Here are a few that my five-year-old and six-year-old particularly like:
- The Children’s Picture Atlas is a fun way for kids to explore the geography and animals of the world.
- I owned and loved the Flags Sticker Book as a child (or something very similar), and I was happy to see that this book is also available in Spanish! My eight-year-old also loves this book!
- Stories From Around the World and Stories from Around the World for Little Children feature stories from around the globe that all children should know.
- Lots of Things to Spot Around the World is a fun hide and find book for kids.
- If your child loves stickers, they are bound to enjoy the Explore the World activity book! My five, six, and eight-year-old all enjoy the activities in this book.
Toys that Teach About the World
What are your favorite books and toys that teach children about the world?
We’re excited to be a part of the Gift Guides for Kids from Kid Blogger Network, this year coordinated by our member Erica of What Do We Do All Day! We are especially looking forward to Multicultural Gifts from Africa to America, Gifts that Celebrate World Cultures from Kid World Citizen, Gifts that Give Back from The Good Long Road, and Mindfulness and Meditation for Kids Gift Ideas from Kids Yoga Stories.
Find all the gift guides on the main page and even more ideas on our group Pinterest board!
Follow Erica • What Do We Do All Day?’s board Gift Guides for Kids on Pinterest.
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My kids and I absolutely love Barefoot books. They are wonderfully illustrated, and use fantastically descriptive language that teaches us about different cultures as well as developing a great vocabulary.
Whether it’s their stories about journies around the world with a mix of story followed by facts at the end (We’re sailing down the Nile, We All Went on Safari, Off We Go To Mexico); anthologies of short stories from other cultures (Buddhist Tales, Arabian Nights, Jewish Tales), or beautiful tales such as The Girl with a Brave Heart (set in Iran), or a Viking trilogy. We can’t get enough of them!
I generally don’t support stereographic projections in childrens’ maps as they have way too much distortion towards the poles(aka greenland(area of arabia) looking as big as Africa. for kids I think true to area atlasses or globes are the best for kids .