06 Jan 5 ways to travel the world from your own backyard

Family Literacy Day – an annual initiative that aims to raise awareness of the importance of learning together as a family – is taking place on January 27, 2021. This year’s theme is Travel the World Together.

Award-winning illustrator and author Barbara Reid, who is the Honorary Chair of Family Literacy Day, explains that travelling can be done anywhere.

“You don’t need to get on a plane to go explore something new and exciting. You can learn and discover amazing things in your own backyard!”

Here are Barbara’s top 5 activities on travelling the world from your own backyard.

1. Create a scavenger hunt. Create a list of things to find outdoors or in the neighbourhood. It could be something like a leaf or a pebble. Then, make a collage together out of the items you’ve found.
2. Shop the international aisle. In the supermarket, check out foreign foods. Are they in different languages? Can you figure out what they are? If you’re feeling adventurous, buy a few items and follow a recipe for a popular international dish.
3. Map your neighbourhood. Draw a map of the neighbourhood with pencil crayons, markers or crayons. Be creative with your artwork by using additional supplies to create trees or buildings.
4. Write a story about someone else. When we travel, we see how other people live. Imagine the people of a faraway place and write a story about them. Imagine what it would be like if you were them.
5. Send a postcard. Write a postcard to a family member that you haven’t seen in a while. Describe where you are now and the places you want to go.

Find more fun family activities at FamilyLiteracyDay.ca.