How to Turn Homeschool Geography into an Exciting Mystery Adventure
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“Solve the Mystery. Explore the World.”
My kids absolutely love escape rooms. The thrill of solving mysteries and puzzles and uncovering hidden clues captivates them every time.
So, when I heard about a monthly mystery geography kit that combines this love for mystery with the chance to explore new cultures…I couldn’t wait to give it a try!
I’m always on the lookout for ways to make learning fun for my kids, and I often have the opportunity to work with companies to try new things (and share them with you guys!).
Last year, we completed an extensive geography curriculum, which we all really enjoyed. When I heard about the Landmark Monthly Subscription Kit, I couldn’t wait to add to what we had learned the previous year, AND see if I might be able to recommend this to you to use as or with your homeschool geography curriculum.
In a nutshell? If you’re looking to supplement your current geography curriculum or simply searching for a fun learning experience for your geography-loving kids, this kit is an excellent resource!
Subscription Boxes for Homeschooling? 📦
Ready-to-go monthly kits are a great option for homeschoolers. They’re convenient, saving valuable time, as everything needed for a complete, engaging lesson arrives at your doorstep each month (yes please!).
The hands-on activities and items included in subscription boxes for kids bring lessons to life, reinforcing concepts and making learning more enjoyable.
And you can find a box for pretty much anything these days—from science and art to geography and history.
I’ve also found that while subscription boxes are fun to do WITH my kids, they can also help encourage independence in learning (or provide an opportunity for siblings to work together), because they typically provide child-friendly, step-by-step guides for their projects and activities.
Landmark Monthly Subscription Kit 🗺️
This subscription box is geared towards kids ages 7-12. It can be hard to engage kids in geography and studying different cultures at these ages, so I think the concept of the kit is brilliant.
Each month, your kids will get a box in the mail from “Mr. Toms”, the CRIME Unit Director, who needs their help solving a mystery in a different country.
The box we tried featured India, but you’ll get a different country each month! Some of the other countries featured are:
You can check out the current box and what’s in line for the next month on their website.
How It Works
Your kids will read a comic to take them through the storyline, which will lead them to puzzles to solve along the way (and hopefully eventually, cracking the case!).
What’s Included in the Kit
- A new country or city to explore and learn about each month
- Comic-style instruction book
- Interesting logic puzzles to solve
- Trading cards for that month’s country
- Recipes to make with your family
- Map of the country
- Special Souvenirs
Each kit has similar items (such as the comic instruction book, map, and trading cards), and then some unique items.
Our India mystery adventure also included a pin with India’s flag on it, paper crafts (a DIY auto rickshaw box and an extra craft!), and a Vegetable Samosas Recipe.
Although this is mainly a screen-free activity, there’s a quick intro video to watch (which you access by scanning a QR code), and then your child simply reads the comic narrative and follows the directions when they get to a puzzle.
Each puzzle will reveal which new city on the map they need to “visit” to get the next clue. They also collect a new trading card at each “stop” with information about that city and an important landmark there.
I appreciated that there were hints in the back of the booklet in case the kids got stuck on any of the puzzles, but overall, they were just right for my 10 year old to figure out!
How Does It Help Kids Learn?
The Landmark Subscription Kit is such a unique way to add cultural awareness to your homeschool lessons.
From cooking traditional recipes to learning about local customs, traditions, and places, this will help your kids gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures around the world.
Overall Thoughts 🕵️
One of the most appealing aspects at first (in my opinion) of The Landmark Kids is its convenience.
As a busy homeschool mom, I can appreciate the option of a ready-to-go monthly kit that requires minimal-to-zero prep.
This can save you countless hours of research and planning, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your homeschooling.
Flexible for Busy Schedules
The time it took to work on this is another plus. We split this box up and did it over two days, but altogether it only took about an hour or so. This was not including making the recipe (we haven’t done that yet at the time of writing this!); this was just the basics of the box.
Like I mentioned above, you can certainly take the learning further/deeper, and they provide some ideas to do so! It’s really going to depend on your schedule, your kids, and their interests.
I think if you move TOO quickly through the box, kids might have trouble soaking in all the information, because there really is a lot included! I’d recommend taking your time with it and really making sure your kids understand the information that goes along with each part of the mystery.
One idea might be to have your child work 1-2 clues each day of the week, and then finish the week with making the meal from that country. Or use this subscription box as a supplement to a larger unit study on a particular country or culture.
The boxes are not that big, so they don’t take up much space. If you would like to even save them to use with other kids in the future, it would be fairly easy to do (just don’t write in the book; make copies, or solve the puzzles on a separate sheet of paper!).
Screen-Free Learning
Another big advantage of The Landmark Kids subscription box is it’s focus on screen-free learning.
Nowadays, digital devices and apps are everywhere, so it’s refreshing to have an option that encourages kids to engage their minds and hands without screens.
This kit helps foster critical thinking, curiosity, and problem-solving skills through puzzles and brain games that challenge young minds.
Hands-on Challenges
My artsy daughter really loved the paper craft that came in this box. I’m sure each box is different, but I loved the variety of activities included (and so did she!).
Great Geography Supplement 📍
While I don’t think this would take the place of a full geography curriculum, I think it would be a fantastic supplement, or a neat gift for kids who love studying countries and cultures.
Last year, we used Exploring Countries and Cultures from My Father’s World, and this would have been a fantastic option to use alongside of that! I’d definitely consider it if that’s a possibility for you. The only caveat is that you can’t “pick” which country you’re going to get each month, so you might not have the exact one on hand when you want it. But if you’re ok with flexibility in the curriculum and can move things around, it could work!
If nothing else, this will provide a great refresher for information learned in the past if you’ve already studied some of these things. Plus, it’s just plain fun!
Special Offer—Go Ahead, Try a Box! 🔎
You can purchase The Landmark Kids monthly, or they offer 3-, 6- or 12-month subscriptions.
And as a special treat for my readers, The Landmark Kids is offering a 15% discount on your first box!
Simply use the coupon code “SARA” at checkout to take advantage of this offer. This is a great opportunity to try out the kit and see how it can enhance your homeschool experience.
Based on our experience, I highly recommend The Landmark Kids monthly mystery geography kit. Whether you’re looking to supplement your current geography curriculum or searching for a standalone educational adventure, this kit is an excellent choice!
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