I should be getting out more instead of plonking away at my laptop, but it is SWELTERING here in Islamabad and I am trying to draw up a homeschooling schedule… so, I guess I am justified? ;)

Anyway, I’ve got something to share! Marz enjoys Geography/Social Studies. We had been reading books about children from different parts of the world in June to acquaint ourselves with other cultures. The library has been a wonderful resource, but what we really wanted was some kind of human connection to enhance the experience.

Alhamdulillah, I came across a wonderful idea! Postcard swaps! There are numerous groups on yahoo – some are for homeschooling families and others, for postcard collectors. I think with parental supervision, they are safe, but for added security, you can get a PO box.

You can put together an album of postcards received, label a huge map, branch off into unit studies and research each country/city’s history… great possibilities!

I’ve joined a couple of groups and am already committed to some 30 exchanges, ma shaa Allah!

Here are some links to get you started…

• Homeschool Exchange
• Homeschool Shoebox Swap
• Postcards Around the Planet
• Postcard Heaven
• Postcard Kids
• Postcard Kids’ Geography Lessons
• Postcard Plus
• Postcrossing
• State and Country Exchange

Update!

Here are books we have enjoyed for Geography/Social Studies:

• Books by Miroslav Sasek a Czech artist and writer. His This Is… series is simply delightful – the illustrations are cheery with a special touch of whimsy. I purchased a few from The Home Library. They were a little pricey, but since I don’t have access to a library in Pakistan, I found them well worth the money!



• Children Just like Me by Dorling Kindersley Publishing, in association with United Nations Children’s Fund – I had a preview of this book when I bought a condensed version from a second-hand bookstore in Islamabad. This book features children in more than 30 countries – we get a chance to visit each of them as we learn about their families, homes and food. It’s one of those books I wish I could have written :)
• A Life like Mine by Dorling Kindersley Publishing – I bought this book a few years ago at a book sale for myself… now it will come in handy for my kids in shaa Allah. It profiles 18 children and is formatted around basic needs for survival. Leaves you counting your blessings…

Two other series we like are Child’s Day and Letters from Around the World:

• Child’s Day: Bongani’s Day by Gisele Wulfsohn
• Child’s Day: In a Vietnamese City by Jim Holmes & Tom Morgan
• Child’s Day: In an Egyptian City by Khaled Eldash & Dalia Khattab
• Child’s Day: Iina Marja’s Day (From Dawn to Dusk) by Jaako Alatalo
• Letters from Around the World: France by Teresa Fisher (author)
• Letters from Around the World: Spain by Cath Senker
• Letters from Around the World: Pakistan by David Cumming
• Letters from Around the World: Costa Rica by Patrick Cunningham & Sue Cunningham
• Letters from Around the World: Greece by David Cumming
• Letters from Around the World: Canada by Andy Orchard & Clare Orchard

I also found a set of books called Maya’s World by Maya Angelou about children from different parts of the world. This is a good introduction to other people and cultures.

(Credit: Postcard photo from Pexels)