Has anyone done this? Would you describe it as educational or just fun?
When we go in December, our DGD will be missing school and we want to do some educational things so we can provide a list to the principal. DGD is 8 years old and I know we won’t have time to do all of these things but hoping for at least one or two (especially in Epcot and AK)
A few of the things I have so far:
Calculate total mileage and route from home to Orlando for each family
Keep track of the number of steps walked each day and calculate the mean, median and average steps
create a food budget before leaving, compare actual to budgeted
Ride Carousel of Progress and talk about what scene should/will be next
Kidcot Fun Stop
Bring a map of the world and find each country we visit on the map
I would say it is mildly educational. There is some cultural aspects to it, and critical thinking I guess. The clues usually center around finding something in one of the pavilions. If nothing else, it would expose them to parts of the international pavilions that they may not otherwise go to.
I would say purely entertaining. Gives the kids something fun to do independently but in arms reach of you. Gives you and the ohternadult(s) a chance to have some down time and be adults for a few minutes.
I personally would keep Disney what it is - a vacation and a time to have fun making memories. If educational is top priority, travel on break. That’s what we do.
I think 8 is right in the wheelhouse for the KidCot stations. If anything, maybe on the upper side of things. It probably depends on how into craft activities they are.
There is a good Tim Tracker video on You Tube where they play Agent P if you’d like to see more of what it’s all about. We showed it to our kids to see if it might be something they were interested in.
What you could do though is discuss the architecture and cultural aspects etc of some of the nations at an appropriate level. Things like:
Hampton Court Palace in the U.K. (Henry VIII is associated especially).
The Eiffel Tower
Morocco and the prayer room, and the deliberate defacing of tiles etc because only Allah can create perfection.
Japan and the gardens and cultural exhibition; also the Tori gate (it is a replica of a specific one)
Italy and the Doges Palace, Campanile Tower and Trevi Fountain
China and the replica of the Temple of Heaven
Norway showcases 4 different styles (Bergen, Oslo, Alesund and Setesdal) Akershus means fortress and is the name of the fortress in Oslo; the Stave Church is a replica - designed so snow cannot gather on the roof and weigh it down.
Germany features the characters from Snow White, inspired by the Brothers Grimm fairytale.
Canada’s totem poles
Some fun facts like that could be a good wee project perhaps?
Here is a link to a template letter that we are planning to use for the request.
I"m not sure I can bring the “historical” aspect of magic kingdom in the letter like the author does. That’s just too far fetched to me. But I really like the use of real-life lessons as well as the stereotypical “educational” ones: budgeting, map reading, dynamics and physics, etc.
No, I don’t think that’s too young. My kids, 9 and 15, love the kidcot spots and have for years. They talk to the cast member there and get them to write something in their native language.
I don’t think that you need to do anything special besides guide them to the appropriate attractions. American Experience (really all of WS) The Seas, Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth, etc. Innoventions can be amazing. Have her keep track of the times of different events, make her responsible for getting you all somewhere on time, I swear time management is the biggest thing kids need to learn that they aren’t really taught in school!
Oh, and buy books to read on the plane or in the car. There are all kinds of Disney activity books and of course novels that tie into Disney. Depending on her interest, consider a book on the real Pocahontas or Hans Christian Andersen, whose tale The Ice Queen was the basis for Frozen.
Lifelong learning is more of a natural inclination than structuring activities that may seem a little artificial on vacation. My kids (one of whom was homeschooled for a few years), are all young adults now & think a normal vacation consists of museums, science expositions, musical performances and theater.
We’ve homeschooled all five of our kids. But for us, a normal vacation consists of…roller coasters. (That, however, didn’t stop my oldest from graduating from high school at 16 and from college at 19.)
(That, however, didn’t stop my oldest from graduating from high school at 16 and from college at 19.)