This post is from contributor Megan Zechman.
Walt Disney World, the place “Where Dreams Come True.”
A dream vacation for many families and a regular vacation spot for others. Everyone knows all about Disney, right?
Well, did you know that Disney is also a wonderful place to do some hands-on learning?
Personally, we’ve studied geography, photography, science, history, literature and more, all at Walt Disney World.
Now I understand you may not want to spend hours working on a school subject while on vacation, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a way to make your trip educational as well as fun.
If you’re planning on visiting Epcot, one subject that’s easy to build into your trip is geography. The world showcase contains 11 unique countries, representing 5 continents, each built with such high level of detail that it’s easy to believe you’re there.
The countries offer local cuisine and entertainment, plus they’re staffed by cast members local to the country, which gives guests a unique opportunity to learn about other cultures. Trust me, most of these cast members love to talk to interested guests, especially children.
So what’s the easiest way to bring some geography learning to your Epcot vacation?
Start with a World Showcase Passport, found in almost all of Epcot’s gift shops.
Included are stickers to put on the two pages reserved for each location. For extra fun, see if you can find what each photo represents or where it was taken within the park.
Then come up with some questions for your kids to find the answers to, and get moving!
Here are some to get you started:
- What country are you in?
- What continent is it on?
- What language(s) are spoken there?
- What is the currency used there?
Find a cast member and ask them some questions:
- What is your name?
- Where are you from?
- What is your part of the country like?
- What do you like best about where you live?
- Ask them to teach you a few words if they speak a different language than you.
Make it easy and put all of the answers into your passport. It will give you a great keepsake!
Want to continue the learning at home?
Look at what you discovered and do some more research when you get home.
- Can you locate the towns where the cast members you met are from?
- Consider learning more about any languages you heard.
- Do you happen to have any of the currency from the countries you visited?
As you can see, there are lots of ways to use your trip to Epcot as the focal point of some geography and culture studies. What a great way to show kids that geography can be fun!
Have you ever added some learning to a Disney vacation?
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