Travel to a foreign country....

When strapped for funds one year (or many) we decided to take a trip to a foreign country. We gave the kids choice from among 7 or so countries: India, Japan, China, Germany, Italy, Greece, England. Our family voted on China. I told the kids to get ready for our amazing adventure. We made airline tickets and and passports and stamped them with the date of our trip. Our "in flight movie" on our couch was a wonderful video on China from our local library. When we "arrived" we went to a super authentic Chinese restaurant and sampled the good foods. We learned some Chinese words and Chinese art (watercolor) at home and we tried very hard to find a Chinese missionary to help us with slides and mission tales, but we couldn't find one. We liked our foreign travel so well, that we did it again. Consider planning several weeks ahead to get someone who has lived in the country or traveled there for mission or schooling to come and share slides, movies or other tales with the family. Order in to our local library: books and videos on your country of choice. Type up cute passports of learning and airline tickets and serve snacks and drinks on your flight. It's fun and a good way to see some amazing things while on a tight budget. If you cannot find a restaurant serving the authentic cuisine of an area, consider learning some dishes yourselves from sites like cooks.com. Fun!