No big travel plans to far-away destinations this summer? There are plenty of ways you can explore the world without having to pack your bags and leave your hometown! While the Amazeum can’t put your kids on a plane to another country, we can help them discover ways to explore far-away places and ignite their curiosity about the world. Create your own summer getaway experience at home by utilizing electronics, working with different textiles and interacting with science projects and games. 

A free resource you can use to explore the world at home is Google Arts & Culture. With access to the Internet, this resource puts the treasures, stories and knowledge of over 2,000 cultural institutions from 80 countries at your fingertips. Google Arts & Culture is a non-commercial initiative that seeks to preserve and bring the world’s art and culture online so it’s accessible to anyone. Continue your kid’s discovery with this free tool and others such as Google Earth. Google Earth has virtual tours of well-known landmarks all over the world!

Do you want a simple way to spark the curiosity of travel? A great way to get the

conversation going, is to do a trivia game. Professor Noggin’s Card Game Sets are a series of educational trivia games that encourage kids to learn interesting facts about their favorite subjects. These game cards combine trivia, true or false and multiple choice questions. A special three numbered die is included that is designed to promote interaction and communication between players. Sets such as Countries of the World and Geography of the United States are perfect for learning facts about far-away places. Click here to pick out a set of Professor Noggin’s Card Game Sets at the Curiosity Corner, the Amazeum’s museum store.

In need of an at-home activity this summer? A science kit that combines discovery and exploration with learning could be just the thing you need. The Wild Environmental Science™ Volcanoes of the World Kit allows you to explore 11 famous volcanoes such as St. Helens, Fuji and Vesuvius and learn about volcanology. Your kid can create models of different volcanoes and place them on a Tectonic Map to see how the moving plates cause volcanic activity. They also can observe chemical reactions, create their own volcano eruptions and learn about volcano bombs and mineral pools. Click here to get a Wild Environmental Science™ Volcanoes of the World Kit at Curiosity Corner.

A great way to explore different cultures is through the art of music. Discover

music from around the world by downloading Spotify for free to listen to the Top 50 Hits in any country. While learning about music from around the world, you can create your own instruments to dive deeper into the world of music. The Re Cycle Me Music box teaches your kids how to make musical instruments from waste. With a step-by-step manual, this kit contains various components that you can use to make musical instruments along with guiding you on how to use your own collected waste from your home. This kit is also a great conversation tool for discussing why reusing waste helps the Earth. Click here to get the Re Cycle Me Music box at Curiosity Corner.

Just because you are at home, doesn’t mean you can’t explore the world’s wonders! Using the technology of virtual reality can be a great tool for experiencing the world’s landmarks and points of interest. The Abacus Virtual Reality World Atlas is an activity set that includes VR goggles loaded with hundreds of immersive experiences. Prepare to travel the world and explore countries, continents, cities, food, culture, currency and more in this 108 page interactive world atlas, including a scratch map to track your travels. Click here to get the Abacus Virtual Reality World Atlas at Curiosity Corner.