Books and toys that teach children about the world

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

Beautiful Rainbow World is a wonderful book featuring stunning photos of children from all over the world. My two-year-old especially loves this book, which I reviewed on my blog last month.

The National Geographic Kids Beginner’s World Atlas is the perfect Atlas for kids who love photos! My eight-year-old loves looking through our copy of this book!

We have the 2014 edition of the National Geographic Kids Almanac, and this is another book that my eight-year-old reads constantly!

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

The LeapFrog LeapReader Interactive World Map is a toy that my kids use a LOT – and they learn about countries in the process! You will need to buy a LeapFrog TAG Reading pen if you do not already own one.

GeoPuzzles are a wonderful way to teach kids about the location and shapes of the world’s countries! They are also a great parent-child learning activity.

Flag Frenzy! is my favorite way to teach kids how to recognize flags from around the world, as well as where these countries are! This game is like Spot It – you need to find the flag on your card that matches one of the flags on the card that is already on the table. We play so that you also have to point to where your matching flag is on the included map of 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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MaryAnne

MaryAnne was raised in the United States, Guatemala, France, Bolivia, and Austria. Her first daughter was born in Scotland, and she now lives with her husband and their four children in Silicon Valley, California. You can find MaryAnne writing about parenting, crafts, and education at Mama Smiles – Joyful Parenting.

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2 thoughts on “Books and Toys that Teach Children About the World”

Jaime
November 14, 2014 at 12:27 pm

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!
morri
November 17, 2014 at 11:28 pm

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 .

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