Globe Trotters Box – United Kingdom (Kids’ Activity Box): Review

globe trotters box uk review

Globe Trotters Box is an activity box for children available in India on a subscription basis. It provides interesting learning activities for children aged 4 to 12 years on the theme, ‘countries of the world’. Each box contains starter materials aimed at learning the geography, art and culture of a specific country. Children make use of the box contents to create, solve or learn through an activity such that while working on the activity they also get to learn facts about the country.

Watch our video below for unboxing and demo of the Globe Trotters Box – United Kingdom

The first country our 4-year-old Vihaan and Mommy got to explore from Globe Trotters Box was Italy. The box had both of us hooked on some new DIY activities. If you would like to, read our detailed review and experience of the Globe Trotters Italy Box.

Following our expedition to Italy, we explored the United Kingdom box from Globe Trotters Box. With added pleasure and joy out of the UK box exploration, here’s my experience and review of it.

Check out these Globe Trotters Box on Amazon

We received the UK box from GlobetrotterBox in exchange for an honest review. The images, video, experiences and opinions are mine and do not hold any promotional intention.

globetrottersbox uk box cover

 

What’s in the Globe Trotters UK Box?

Note that the contents differ with the two age groups: Little explorers (ages 4-6) and Young explorers (ages 6-12). The contents and activities reviewed in this post are from the Little explorers box.

uk box contents

The contents of the different country boxes, in general, have a few elements in common – the world map, passport, a welcome note and a post card. Rest of the contents are specific to the particular country. Before I take you to the box contents, let me mention that the cardboard box that comes with it is of good sturdiness that in spite of several play dates with a bunch of little children, the box has remained intact. It is easy to carry and spares you from spying for a safe place to store the play things.

whats in the globetrotters uk box

Find the images of the content (in the picture above) against its respective number below.

  • #1 A Large Illustrated World Map: This colourful world map, made of paper, measures 69cm x 49cm. On the map, each continent appears in one distinct colour. Within the continents, popular monuments and iconic identity of a few places are marked; for instance, Taj Mahal for India and football for Brazil.
  • A World Map Key: This is a card which serves as a key to learn the names of the iconics marked on the map by matching their respective images.

globetrottersbox diy activities

  • #2 UK Big Ben Activity: The pack includes cut-outs of Big Ben tower (made of foam), a sketch pen and a cute instructions booklet.
  • #3 UK Medieval Castle Activity: The pack contains hard boards that make the base of a castle, thick coloured sheets for the walls, cut-outs of doors, windows and other castle elements, glue and a  2-paged booklet with information on UK castles and making instructions.
  • #4 UK Flag Fridge Magnet Activity: The pack has a cardboard frame with a magnet behind, cut felt pieces to make the UK flag, fevicol and a  2-paged booklet with information on UK flag.
  • #5 British Royal Crown Activity: The pack includes materials to make a DIY crown (of foam), a string, a sparkle pen and a booklet.
  • #6 UK Flash Cards: A cardboard box that acts as a souvenir has inside a few cards with pictures and names of prominent landmarks of UK and a keepsake of a British Royal Guard.
  • #7 A Play Passport
  • #8 An Envelope with a post card and stickers of UK flag and UK stamp.
  • #9 A welcome card from Globe Trotters Box

 

The World Map and Key

globe trotters map

Dad and Vihaan have been upto a Sunday activity of learning about a country which Vihaan points out at random on the map. This map has been helpful and interesting for them to have as a guide for their Sunday activity.

This particular map is a great way to introduce continents and countries to little children. It can help them to gain a visual perspective of where monuments belong to and also kick start their topography sense. Unlike the regular map for adults, this colourful map is easy for children to navigate along the continents and countries.

world map key

The world map key has a list of all the images with their names of the icons illustrated on the map. For instance, in the picture above, the map reveals the location of Saint Basil’s Cathedral which can be matched with the same image on the key. The map-key can be utilized in various activities for children like as a memory game, as a learning tool and to develop match-making skill. In the video, you can see Vihaan identifying the Big Ben on the map key.

 

UK Big Ben Activity

diy big ben model

I might sound exaggerating if I put in words the enthusiasm with which Vihaan had constructed the Big Ben. I leave it to you to check in the video, his life-filled making of it. In fact, this was the only part in the video I had left unedited because it brings out the real joy of a child in creating a structure. I had to hurriedly click a picture of it before he would grab it for his play. Yes, that’s why you smell the freshness of the fevicol, don’t you? 😆 Okay, and he wanted to know why there wasn’t a construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa activity in the Italy box. I request the GlobeTrottersBox team to please make a note of his question 😉 And I have promised to make one for him; in rainbow colours, on his demand 🙂 At the hindsight, this is how activities like this one, spur the creativity in children.

 

UK Medieval Castle Activity

diy cardboard castle

As you might have guessed, building and construction activities interests Vihaan much. In spite of the fact that arts and crafts are not his cup of tea, he kept exclaiming throughout how much he liked this castle for the sheer joy of building a structure. To be noted about the castle is that the hardboard that makes the base of the castle is really hard; something that every parent looks for, in play things.

handmade castle

The roofs of the four walls were of different shapes which Vihaan could learn during the activity. The cross insertion of the hardboards was new to him and he gaped at the new ‘technology’ in surprise 😆 Though he wished the doors and windows of the castle could open and close, the castle made an engaging playtime to him, along with the toy characters of king, queen, prince and princess which he had had.

 

UK Flag Fridge Magnet Activity

diy uk flag

While I was still gazing at the flag picture to make out which one goes on top of which, he had already arranged the flag pieces in the perfect order 🙄 It was like a quick puzzle to solve. The very thin pieces weren’t fun to make them stick; nevertheless, it was a meaningful activity to understand the design of the UK flag, with the help of the information detailed in the booklet.

diy british flag

 

British Royal Crown Activity

diy crown

I had assumed that the DIY crown was going to be his least favourite activity of all, but he took me by surprise by pretend playing a king, wearing the crown, up until midnight. Even when he was out from the pretend play, he continued wearing the crown. Some little boyish joys, you see! I was further surprised by the series of questions that the crown had triggered in him.

“Do kings alone wear a crown or do queens too wear?”

“Do they remove the crown while sleeping?”

“Do all kings wear a crown or only kings of UK?”

“Why do kings wear a crown?”

“Do their crowns have the same symbol as on their pendants?” 🙄

In time, he understood how poor mommy is in crownology and decided to leave me in peace, phew!

kid playing with crown on head

 

UK Flash Cards

uk landmarks flash cards

Vihaan is particularly fond of soldiers because he dressed as a knight for a recent fancy dress. So, the British Royal Guard was amusing to him except for the fact that its eyes were hidden behind the helmet 😉  The flash cards are a great memory game tool and help children to get to know popular destinations in UK.

To know about play passport, read my Italy box review.

The box is priced at Rs.899 (subject to vary). You can buy from the following sites:

Globe Trotters Box

Amazon (6+ Yrs)

If you like to subscribe to Globe Trotters Box, please visit their website, Globe Trotters Box, for details on the available country boxes and subscription plans.

 

How do you decide if the box is suitable for your kid(s)?

I know how it feels every time you read a description or review about a toy product. No matter how convinced you feel with the images and description of the product, several questions might hit your head before you can make a decision.

“Will it be helpful and fun for my lo?”

“Is it worth the price?”

“How good will be the quality of the products?”

“Can it make my child engaged for sometime?”

“What would be the learning outcome?”

“How durable are the play things?”

As a mother, here’s my honest guide to help you choose (or not to) GlobeTrottersBox:

I highly recommend GlobeTrottersBox world map addition to your kids’ room. It is designed appropriately for children and is of commendable quality. I have had experience with the ordinary paper map that is too flimsy for kids’ use. However, the GlobeTrotttersBox world map is quite strong and cannot be teared up easily.

The world map key is a great learning tool, provided parents make it to use. Children are not likely to get interested on their own, especially younger children. If you think you and your child will like identifying and locating the geography of popular world monuments, this is one great helpful resource.

The passport is a mini booklet which is intended for stamp collection. Children can doodle on the pages, play an airport and travel game with it, and it can make for any creative play for a child. You will know the best if your child would like a mini book of her own.

The rest of the activities are arts and crafts works. There is no cutting with scissors involved in any of the activities. All it requires is, arranging the pieces according to the instructions and gluing them together with fevicol. All the materials required are provided with the kit. Again, you know the best how your children would like such activities. In my case, contrary to what I had assumed, the level of excitement and interest he had had in doing the activities, surprised me. Remember, children can be highly unpredictable as well.

With respect to the play things, that is, the crown, Big Ben, Royal Guard, the castle and the flag magnet, most children are sure to find them interesting.

With respect to the learning aspect from the box, it is more up to the parents to explain, narrate, describe, educate, animate……in your own style to your children in order for them to learn and NOT study, like in for exams.

Beyond the learning and fun the box can offer, it can create some engaging time for you with your child. I recommend parents to sit with their little ones while making them do, instead of letting them do on their own, or making them by yourself.

Let their be sharing of activities.

Let there be communication of related information.

Let there be narration of old memories.

Let there be questions.

Let there be pretend plays.

Let their hands get sticky with glue.

Let them paste the pieces at inappropriate places.

Let them make the crown untidy with the sparkle.

Let them place the windows of the castle differently from what’s given in the booklet.

It’s all O-K-A-Y!

At the end of the day, what really stands out is the happy times you all had together as a family. The money you had spent on the box and the time you spared to sit with them shall get dissolved in the memories of your bonding. 

Sometimes, it might not be straight forward to predict how well a product is going to be helpful. In this case, I would say, try one at first. You wouldn’t regret.

If you have tried one of the Globe Trotters Boxes, please share your experiences in the comments below. I would love to hear and it can be helpful for a prospective parent buyer.

Happy playing!

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