Shane & I have been focusing on learning through play lately, and one of my favorite ways to do that is to play with open-ended educational toys. The Dolls of the World collection from Barbie features dolls from different cultures and countries, all of which make great teaching tools! The dolls are dressed in outfits from their regions and are a great way to make information more relatable for your child.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Mireya Mayor, a wildlife explorer & World traveler, on how to teach kids about other countries. I asked:
1. Not every parent has the luxury of providing their children with exotic family vacations. What kinds of activities can a family do together in order to better understand the places they cannot physically visit?
2. How can we make our homes a place that will inspire travel and encourage interest in different countries?
3. What are some of the long-term benefits of familiarizing a young child with different cultures in a fun and friendly way?
Watch the video for her answers & some extra great tips!
I absolutely adore the International dinner night idea where you serve something from another country, share a few words of their language & even set the mood with music from that area! Shane enjoys music & while he’s a picky eater, I’m sure I could find desserts from each country that he could sample, and I know that Justin & I would have a lot of fun doing this, too!
I also like the map idea- we don’t travel a lot, so we wouldn’t have that many pins on ours, but we could still learn about other countries much easier if we had a map up somewhere! I have seen a few cute ideas on Pinterest {where else?} for decorating with a map, so that may have to be my next project!
You can learn more about the Dolls of the World collection {and your child can learn more about the countries they represent} by visiting the Barbie Dolls of the World website. You can also learn more about Mireya Mayor & her many travels and wildlife adventures by visiting her personal website.
How do you teach your children about other countries?
Note: I received the Barbies mentioned to facilitate this interview. Opinions are my own.
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6 Days Left 
These are super cool! They’d be a great addition to our curriculum about Exploring Countries and Cultures. And I agree, dinner night where you serve authentic meals from different parts of the world is a great idea!
Full Time Mama recently posted..Will they forget him?
Those are so cute!! I love the idea that it is incorporating different countries. Very cool!!
melissa recently posted..Starting your children on the path for early education and development #HealthyHabits #cgc
I just love these Barbies! (It’s times like this I wish I had girls!)
I, too, love the international dinner night idea! I’d like to think we do that each week, even if I don’t announce it as such. We typically visit Mexico and Italy. I think I’ll have to find some more food ideas for different places!
Thanks!
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That’s an awesome way to teach the kids. I don’t even have a globe to show my kids other countries. I love their outfits
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I collected Barbies when I was a kid and I totally would have loved this! I think kids really can learn a lot through play–and it’s learning they’ll remember because they’re more interested.
What a neat idea. Using something our children already love.
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I have always loved Barbie Dolls. I may just have to pick up one of The Dolls of the World to add to my collection. Great review.
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That red haired doll is beautiful!! I love the idea of dolls around the world and teaching kids about the whole wide world around us.
RJ recently posted..A Thousand Hugs from Ten Thousand Lighting Bugs
these dolls are just gorgeous.
I love these tips as we never travel – like a 2 hour trip to the beach is an event. Nothing like learning and eating delicious foods from around the world .
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