Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Countries for Kids from Case of Adventure

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 22 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children visit the Wallace Monument and hear stories about the Battle of Stirling Bridge, and the Battle of Bannockburn.

The post #39 Scotland Part 22 – Robert the Bruce and William Wallace appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 21 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children explore Blair Castle, the Royal Yacht Britannia and ride on a boat to see the Falkirk wheel in operation.

The post #38 Scotland Part 21 – Blair Castle and the Falkirk Wheel appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 20 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children find out about the fascinating secret Jacobite symbols at Culloden Battlefield.

The post #37 Scotland Part 20 – Secret Jacobite Symbols at Culloden Battlefield appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 19 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children get to watch massed pipe bands and dancers performing the Scottish sword dance!

The post #36 Scotland Part 19 – Pipe Bands & Scottish Dancers appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 18 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children visit Loch Ness and learn that the Loch Ness Monster “Nessie” could indeed be real!

The post #35 Scotland Part 18 – Loch Ness and its Monster appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 17 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children spend the night on the tiny island of Iona, learning some of its fascinating history.

The post #34 Scotland Part 17 – The Tiny Island of Iona appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 16 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children explore the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond on their way to the Isle of Iona.

The post #33 Scotland Part 16 – Yon Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 15 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children are closer to solving the clues to trace the missing dirk from the honours of Scotland!

The post #32 Scotland Part 15 – The Clues Solved appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 13 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children embark on a tour of Scotland and get to try the famous dish of haggis, neeps and tatties

The post #30 Scotland Part 13 – Haggis on Tour appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 12 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children are thrilled about the special surprise that Iain and Janet have left for them.

The post #29 Scotland Part 12 – A Special Surprise in an Envelope appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 11 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, Iain and Janet get married and the children have fun watching all the unusual Scottish wedding traditions.

The post #28 Scotland Part 11 – Iain and Janet get married at Wemyss Castle appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 10 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the Gray family attend the wedding rehearsal and then the wedding of the soon-to-be Earl of Weymss!

The post #27 Scotland Part 10 – Searching for Clues at the Wedding at Wemyss Castle appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 9 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the Gray family boards a Red Tour Bus to explore the intruiging city of Edinburgh!

The post #26 Scotland Part 9 – Exploring Edinburgh on a Red Tour Bus! appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 8 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children return to Edinburgh Castle to discover what secrets lie deep under the castle, in the ruins of David’s Tower.

The post #25 Scotland Part 8 – Hidden Secrets in David’s Tower appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 7 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children get to explore St. Andrews Castle, including the ominous mine and counter-mine tunnels from a long-ago battle under the castle!

The post #24 Scotland Part 7 – Exploring St. Andrews Castle appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 6 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children meet the elderly, but fiesty, Earl, sir Angus, who shows them the clue in the diary page.

The post #23 Scotland Part 6 – Sir Angus and the Diary Page appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 5 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, Iain Wemyss, the future earl, tells the children about the mysterious disappearance of the dirk from the Honours of Scotland!

The post #22 Scotland Part 5 – The Missing Dirk from the Honours of Scotland appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 4 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they travel to Wemyss Castle in Fife and meet Iain and Janet the bride and groom!

The post #21 Scotland Part 4 – Meeting Iain and Janet at Wemyss Castle appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 3 of the MEGA story, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special ifriends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they meet Uncle Alistair with his booming voice, get to try out his huge antique sword and set off to explore Edinburgh Castle.

The post #20 Scotland Part 3 – Breakfast at the Guest House and Edinburgh Castle appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 2 of the MEGA story, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special ifriends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the Gray children find all kinds of treasures in the Case of Adventure, including Granddad’s sgian dubh!

The post #19 Scotland Part 2 – The Sgian Dubh and travelling to Edinburgh appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 1 of the MEGA story, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special ifriends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the Gray family prepare to fly to Scotland for the wedding of Mom’s friend from college. She is marrying the soon to be Earl of Wemyss.

The post #18 Scotland Part 1 – The Case of Adventure and Exciting Plans appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 13 of the story, “Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland” – part of Switzerland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they get to go on a boat cruise and receive something special from Herr Gutmann.

The post #13 Switzerland Part 13 – Excitement on the Lake! appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 12 of the story, “Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland” – part of Switzerland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they help Frau Helga to discover something amazing inside her fireplace!

The post #12 Switzerland Part 12 – Finding the Treasure! appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 11 of the story, “Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland” – part of Switzerland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they experience more of the delightful culture of Gimmelwald and then travel to Bern, the Capital city of Switzerland to see the Bears frolicking in their enclosure. They discover a new clue on the Bible page!

The post #11 Switzerland Part 11 – Yodelling, the Capital City of Bern and its Bears appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 10 of the story, “Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland” – part of Switzerland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they travel up in a cable car to the tiny town of Gimmelwald, where no actual cars are allowed. They have great fun learning about the people of Gimmelwald, cheesemaking, and the hidden cannons of Switzerland.

The post #10 Switzerland Part 10 – The Quaint Town of Gimmelwald appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 9 of the story, “Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland” – part of Switzerland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they travel from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen and then up the Jungfrau Mountain together. They meet a St. Bernard dog, play in the snow, explore a world made of ice and end up right at the very top of Europe!

The post #9 Switzerland Part 9 – Up the Jungfrau Mountain appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 8 of the story, “Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland” – part of Switzerland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they travel with Herr Gutmann to meet Frau Helga, who owns an identical cuckoo clock to Granddad’s clock – where the children found the Post Tenebras Lux coin.

The post #8 Switzerland Part 8 – Frau Helga and the other Cuckoo Clock appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 7 of the story, “Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland” – part of Switzerland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they meet Herr Gutmann, whose family makes the Gutmann Cuckoo Clocks and Rome acquires a Swiss army knife.

The post #7 Switzerland Part 7 – Meeting Herr Gutmann, the Clockmaker appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 6 of the story, “Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland” – part of Switzerland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they explore Geneva, Switzerland, see the Jet d’eau water fountain, and visit the Refromation museum.

The post #6 Switzerland Part 6 – Post Tenebras Lux and the City of Geneva appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 5 of the story, “Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland” – part of Switzerland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they travel to Zermatt, ride on a horse cart, learn about the Matterhorn and have fun with electronic bugs!

The post #5 Switzerland Part 5 – Snowballs and Bugs in Zermatt appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn, the author of the Case of Adventure books and stories, will be reading part 4 of the story, “Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland” – part of Switzerland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, while in their hotel in the quaint mountain village of Crans Montana, they figure out how to find the Swiss Clockmaker whose name was on the plaque under the Cuckoo Clock.  

The post #4 Switzerland Part 4 – Finding the Clockmaker appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn,  will be reading from Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland – part of the Switzerland Adventure book. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, they fly to the beautiful land of Switzerland! England Adventure will be coming out soon!

The post #3 Switzerland Part 3 – Zurich to Crans Montana appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn, the author of the Case of Adventure books and stories, will be reading from Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland – part of the Switzerland Adventure book. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode they find the phrase “Post Tenebras Lux” on an ancient gold coin, learn its meaning and search for the words on the monument.  

The post #2 Switzerland Part 2 – Post Tenebras Lux appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn, the author of the Case of Adventure books and stories, will be reading from the Cuckoo Clock Secrets in Switzerland Novel. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. Ren Gray is 11 years old, and loves to read. She knows all kinds of interesting facts about unusual things. Her grey cockatiel, Milkshake, likes to sit on her shoulder as she goes about her day. Rome Gray is 9 years old. He loves Italian food, playing cricket and is learning computer coding. Jake Gray is 6 years old. He enjoys soccer, and tumbling. He’d like to be a stunt man someday. Libby Gray is 5 years old. She is very fond of dogs, and learning magic tricks. Tiffany Gray is one and a half years old, is feisty and full of giggles. She loves finger painting, and watching her pet goldfish swim around his bowl. The children’s grandfather owns the CASE OF ADVENTURE! Let’s read about it..  

The post # 1 Switzerland Part 1 – The Case of Adventure and the Cuckoo Clock! appeared first on Case of Adventure.

Ten Fun Geography Facts 1. The study of the Earth, its features its inhabitants and its phenomena… 2. The making of maps.. 3. The only continent situated in all the four hemispheres… 4. Both the westernmost and the easternmost State… 5. Over 31000 lakes and the world’s longest coastline… 6. The entire world’s population could fit into the state of… 7. A heart-shaped coral reef. 8. They are getting half an inch higher every year! … LISTEN TO the Countries for Kids Podcast Episode 006 with your kids!   Countries for Kids from CASE OF ADVENTURE!   COUNTRY-THEMED UNITS FOR HOMESCHOOLERS – ages 7 to 11 Unique and exciting COUNTRY Studies! EACH UNIT CONSISTS OF: A Travel Mystery Novel to read And a Beautiful Adventure Book filled with pages of learning, and tons of activities to work through The Novel and Adventure Book work together to teach your kids about each country.   In the novel, your kids will experience the country through the eyes of the Grey family as they go exploring, see the sights,  sample the cuisine, learn about the culture, and solve a mystery along the way, while completing the Discovery Agent missions at the end of each chapter!   In the Adventure Book your Kids will learn about the landmarks, the flag and national anthem, the capital city, languages, currency and weather of the country. They’ll study maps, learn some local expressions and jokes. They’ll solve clue cards using secret codes and complete many fun activities.   The instructions pages at the back of each Adventure book take you through what to do each day of the Unit. READ THE STORY  –   COMPLETE THE MISSIONS  –   EXPERIENCE THE CULTURE STUDY THE COUNTRY  –  CREATE THE MINIBOOKS  –  DO THE ACTIVITIES  –  SOLVE THE CLUES   Your kids will embark on a thrilling adventure in a foreign land, and have a ton of fun learning about another country in a way they’ll never forget!    

The post Ten Fun Geography Facts appeared first on Case of Adventure.

Welcome to Croatia For Kids with Karyn from CASE OF ADVENTURE! Read or listen to Croatia for Kids, look at the photos, watch the videos and download the Croatia printable pack. Click the play button in the player above (or listen in on iTunes or your favorite podcast app).   Countries for Kids from CASE OF ADVENTURE!   COUNTRY-THEMED UNITS FOR HOMESCHOOLERS – ages 7 to 11 Unique and exciting COUNTRY Studies! EACH UNIT CONSISTS OF: A Travel Mystery Novel to read And a Beautiful Adventure Book filled with pages of learning, and tons of activities to work through The Novel and Adventure Book work together to teach your kids about each country.   In the novel, your kids will experience the country through the eyes of the Grey family as they go exploring, see the sights,  sample the cuisine, learn about the culture, and solve a mystery along the way, while completing the Discovery Agent missions at the end of each chapter!   In the Adventure Book your Kids will learn about the landmarks, the flag and national anthem, the capital city, languages, currency and weather of the country. They’ll study maps, learn some local expressions and jokes. They’ll solve clue cards using secret codes and complete many fun activities.   The instructions pages at the back of each Adventure book take you through what to do each day of the Unit. READ THE STORY  –   COMPLETE THE MISSIONS  –   EXPERIENCE THE CULTURE STUDY THE COUNTRY  –  CREATE THE MINIBOOKS  –  DO THE ACTIVITIES  –  SOLVE THE CLUES   Your kids will embark on a thrilling adventure in a foreign land, and have a ton of fun learning about another country in a way they’ll never forget!       Croatia for Kids Today we are going to be talking about Croatia – the country with stunning beaches and spectacular waterfalls, where the historical beauty of the past is reflected in the modern lives of its present day citizens. Remember to download your Croatia printable pack with some fun activities for you to do.   Croatia is.. located in Central and Southeast Europe, bordering Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the southeast, Montenegro to the southeast, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest and Slovenia to the northwest. About 4 million people live in Croatia and its capital city is Zagreb. Croatia in Croatian is called Hrvatska. Zagreb has a charm all its own and has more museums than any other city in the world, causing it to be named, “The city of museums”. The city is bursting at the seams with fabulous cafes – all of which serve the fabulous Croatian coffee. Croatians take their coffee drinking very seriously indeed! Croatia is hot, the hottest summer months being July and August, its on of Europe’s sunniest spots. There are picturesque pebbled beaches, lapped by crystal clear water and  incredible national parks. Croatia has eight national parks, including the Plitvice (plitveetza) Lakes and Krka, both of which are famous for their stunning lakes and waterfalls. As you stroll along the wooden boardwalks among the  Plitvice lakes and see the many beautiful waterfalls, huge leafy green trees shade you from the sparkling sun, be careful as you can easily step off the boardwalk into the water! Its really cool how some of the mountains are very near beaches! The Biokovo mountain range contains one of the highest peaks in Croatia, but also lies just a few miles from the sea. It’s a stunning area, scattered with wildflowers and butterflies, sweet-smelling pine trees and limestone boulders. And after a slow climb up the mountain, you can head back down for a refreshing dip in the sea and some delicious gelato ice cream.   THE CAPITAL CITY The biggest cities in Croatia are Zagreb, Split, and Rijeka. Zagreb is 900 years old. Before we move on, lets talk some more about the capital city of Zagreb. There lively street markets and lots of green open spaces, blue street trams zooming down the streets and beautiful architecture. The market in the main square sells cheeses, sausages, delicious pastries and just about everything else. Zagreb cathedral is built in gothic style and dominates the city skyline. St Marks Church has the most colorful roof ever. The tiles are designed in the pattern of a medieval coats of arms and the emblem of Zagreb. There are lots of places where you can sample the delicious truffle dishes. Croatia’s largest exporter of Istrian truffles is Zigante Tartufi. In 1999 the company’s owner Giancarlo Zigante, along with his dog Diana, found the world’s largest truffle in Istria, weighing 1.31kg and making it into the Guinness Book of World Records.     You can go up Zagreb 360 for amazing views of the city. You take the elevator to the 16th floor of the really tall building to get amazing views of the old town. Lots of red brown roofs, tall spires, blue sky and sunlight reflecting off the roofs, mountains in the distance – its beautiful. One of the most famous and popular sights in Croatia is in a city called Split. The remains of the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s Palace, is now the buzzing heart of the city. Among the ancient columns, temples, walls and underground cellars that once made up the Roman emperor’s home, you’ll find dozens of hidden bars, restaurants and shops. There is a sphinx in Split. It was brought from Egypt for emperor Diocletian and it is more than 4,000 years old!     The Island of Hvar and its surrounds  – You can take a ferry from Hvar to Split   THE PULA ARENA The Pula Arena is the name of the amphitheatre located in Pula, the port city of Pula is  in Istria Croatia. The Arena is the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have four side towers and with all three Roman architectural orders entirely preserved.     The Croatian capital’s Museum of Contemporary Art is also among the best in the world. Croatia hosts numerous open-air cultural festivals during the summer, the best known being the Dubrovnik Summer Festival   Zadar, in North Dalmatia, which contains a lovely old town and is home to several Romanesque churches, plus the quirky Sea Organ, which produces music powered by the waves; and Varazdin, with its 18th-century Baroque architecture and an annual Baroque music festival. On its surface, the organ looks like large marble steps leading into the Adriatic Sea. … Each set of steps holds five organ pipes each and is tuned to a different musical chord. As waves and wind push air through the channels, a song pours through theorgan pipes and out onto the steps above     THE LANGUAGE The official language of Croatia is Croatian, but Serbian, Italian, and Hungarian are also spoken. Croatian is an official language in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and parts of Austria, Italy, Serbia, and Romania. Counting to ten in Croatian: Jedan (1), dva (2), tri (3), cetiri (4), pet (5), sest (6), sedam (7), osam(8), devet (9), deset (10).   THE CURRENCY AND FLAG The currency of Croatia is the Kuna. One Kuna equals 6.28 dollars. Croatia has been a member of the EU since 2013 but kept its currency, the Kuna. The national anthem of Croatia is Lijepa nasa domovino (Our beautiful homeland). The Croatian flag combines the colors of the flags of the Kingdom of Croatia (red and white), the Kingdom of Slavonia (white and blue) and the Kingdom of Dalmatia (red and blue).     WORLD WAR II  AND THE CROATIAN WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE Croatia used to be part of Yugoslavia. In 1941, in World War II, German forces invaded Yugoslavia. The resistance fighters were led by Josip Broz Tito, a Croatian. Eventually, in 1944, the resistance fighters, helped by the Soviets, broke through the German lines and forced them to retreat across the border of Yugoslavia. Sadly, there are still some undiscovered buried land mines in Croatia from WWII. Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. But the Communist Serbian president, Slobodan Milosevic, wanted Croatia to still be controlled by Serbia. Then, from 1991 to 1995, the devastating Croatian war for independence was fought. Eventually, Croatia won. Today, there is still damage to be seen from the war but the people are rebuilding.     Independence Day in Croatia is the 8th of October. A German Second World War ship can be spotted below the surface of the water in Zavratnica Bay, near the Croatian port of Jablanac.   INTERESTING AND UNUSUAL FACTS The first torpedo was constructed by Ivan Lupis Vukic from Rijeka, Croatia. Football is the most popular sport in Croatia. Croatia has 1246 islands! Two places on the moon are named after Croatians. They were scientists J. R. Boskovic and Mohorovicic. In 1906, a Croatian man named Slavoljub Penkala Invented a mechanical pencil. Today we call them ‘pens’. The columns of the White House in Washington D. C. are made from White stone mined on the Isle of Brac in Croatia. Croatians can vote at the age of sixteen if they are employed. If not, they must wait until they are eighteen. If you spread out a map of the world the town of Ludbreg in Croatia would be right in the centre. The island of Biševo in Croatia has only 13 residents. The biggest necktie in the world was 808 metres long, and was displayed in Croatia in 2003. It took five days to complete and was tied around the Pula Arena. Croatia is home to the world’s smallest town, called “Hum”.   THE ANIMALS Keep your eyes peeled off the west coast of Istria and you might just see a pod of dolphins. Many rare animals can be found in Croatia – for example, the Mediterranean Monk Seal. The national animal of Croatia is the pine marten. The main predators in Croatia are wolves, lynxes, and brown bears. Dalmatians were named after Dalmatia, a region of Croatia.   TRADITIONAL DRESS There isn’t just one traditional dress in croatia: each region has its own. One common one is white dresses for the women, with colorful fringed shawls, long striped socks and flowers in their hair. The dresses have blue embroidered lace on the skirts. For the men,  baggy white pants, long untucked white shirts and black vests and hats

Read or listen to Italy for Kids, and download the Italy printable pack with some fun activities for you to do. Click the play button in the player above to listen now (or listen in on iTunes or your favorite podcast app).     Information about Italy for Kids (goes along with podcast episode) Welcome to Italy for Kids. Today we are going to be talking about the land of pizza and ice cream. When you think of Italy, what do you think of? Pizza? Eating Gelato Ice cream at a small street café? Gondolas on the water in Venice, with the gondoliers singing soulful songs The leaning tower of Pisa Rome and the Colosseum There are so many things that remind us of Italy, aren’t there? The name Italy comes from the word Italia, meaning “calf land” Some say it was because the bull was a symbol of the Southern Italian tribes. If you look on a map, you will see that the country of Italy is shaped like a boot and has two islands – Sicily near the toe of the boot is home to 5 million people and the biggest island in the Mediterranean.  Sardinia is smaller with stunning beaches and mountains. France, Switzerland Austria and Slovenia border on Italy.   CITIES AND LANDMARKS IN ITALY Milan is known for its fashion designers and the second-largest cathedral in the whole world, Duomo di Milano. Also the opera house – La Scala is there. Genoa on the west coast is where Christopher Columbus was born and shipbuilding continues there today. Venice is a city built on a whole lot of islands. There are canals instead of roads, and boats instead of cars. You can see the sights in Venice by floating through its canals on a gondola. Gondoliers, men in striped shirts sing romantic songs as they propel you along with a long rowing oar. In the central part of Italy, olives and grapes are grown to make olive oil and wine, which are some of Italy’s major exports. In Florence, beautiful architecture and works of art are everywhere. The capital of Italy is ROME. Rome, has influenced the whole world. They built roads to and conquered many lands from England to Africa and their ideas about engineering and culture spread to those lands. Vatican city is the smallest country in the world. It’s inside Rome and it’s where the Pope – the leader of the Roman Catholic Church resides. The country is about an eight of the size of Central Pack in New York. It operates as an independent country, generating revenue from tourism, printing its own money, stamps and passports. Read more interesting things about it here http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-vatican The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a third of the height of the Washington Monument. It leans because the soil underneath is very waterlogged, which makes it soft. These days it has been stabilized by the removal of soil from underneath the high side of the base and by the adding of 800 tons of lead weights secured with cables.. Italy is the fifth most populated country in Europe, with about 60 million people who call it home. Italy has a president and a prime minister – The president of Italy is Sergio Mattarella.   THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE Italians like to show on the outside what they are feeling on the inside. They talk with their hands a lot. They use loud, expressive voices and lots of emotion and animated movement to add to their speech. They even have specific hand gestures which mean certain things – like their own sign language! Italians like to take their time doing things. They always have time to stop and talk and are not often in a rush. The passeggiata is a pre dinner evening stroll that most Italians partake of. Neighborhoods are very friendly as families live in one place for many generations. Italians dress smartly for this evening walk, wanting to look their best at all times. They walk or or sit at favorite cafes sampling gelato, or specialty coffees like espresso, latte, or cappuccino. They eat and sip at outdoor cafes along city avenues. Supper is eaten much later around 9 or 10pm The official language in Italy is, of course, Italian! There are so many words that you and I say that are actually Italian. Have a look at the video  this fun video on how to pronounce common Italian words: For example pistakkio, and marscapony and brewsketta     Lets try counting in Italian – Uno, Due, Tre, Quattro, Cinque, Sei, Sette, Otto, Nove, Dieci     Hello is Ciao (chow) Goodbye is Addio (ad-dio’) Buongiorno! (= Good day!) Please= Per favore Thank you = Grazie   THE FLAG AND THE CURRENCY, NATIONAL ANTHEM The Italian national anthem is Il Canto Degli Italiani (The song of the Italians).   Italy is part of the European Union, and they use the Euro as their currency. Right now, in October 2017, with one Euro, you can buy $1.19 US dollars, 90p British cents (that’s just less than one British Pound), and R15 South African Rand. The Italian flag has three vertical stripes, green, white, and red. The green represents the country’s plains and hills, white represents the snow-capped Alps, and red, blood spilt in the Wars of Italian Independence. The colours of the flag also represent, Faith, hope and charity THE UNIFICATION OF ITALY The Kingdom of Sardinia defeated the foreign countries that controlled parts of Italy and unified Italy as one country. In 1848, the Milanese soldiers defeated the Austrians, who controlled much of Northern Italy. Finally, about 150 years ago, in 1870, Rome was captured and the Kingdom of Italy was formed.   WHAT IS THE WEATHER LIKE? In Northern Italy, the summers are very hot and humid and the winters cold. In the South, the winters are mild and the summers hot and dry.   WHAT ARE THE HOMES LIKE? The typical Italian house is two-level, made of bricks or stone. The roof is often tiled and the house usually includes an enclosed yard. Semi-detaches Some families live in apartments in buildings with grocery stores or bookshops facing the streets and the apartments on the inside of the buildings facing a pretty garden courtyards where neighbors sit and visit. INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ITALY There are three active volcanoes in Italy (they are not extinct). That means that they could still erupt, though they haven’t for many years. Mount Vesuvius, Mount Etna and Stromboli. Mount Vesuvius and Mount Etna are very dangerous as they are near big cities. Mount Vesuvius is one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and it’s very near Naples! If you look at your map of Italy, you will see that Naples is on the west coast halfway between the toe of the boot and the city of Rome. The city of Pompeii is where an ancient Roman city was buried by a volcano. After the famous Pompeii volcano erupted all those years ago, it has erupted again a few times. The last time was in 1944, when 26 people were killed, nearby villages were destroyed and US airplanes based at the Pompeii airfield nearby were coated with a thick layer of ash. Imagine living at the foot of a volcano after that! Have you heard of truffles? They are like the diamond of the kitchen. Truffles are very rare and expensive and they taste and smell amazing! You could say that truffles are the fruit of a fungus. The fungus grows around tree roots and the fruity body is formed. They are highly sought after by chefs. Hunting for truffles is a rewarding pastime in Italy. Most of the world’s truffles come from Northern Italy. Dogs are used to go truffle hunting. They sniff around until they find one and then it is dug up and sold for huge amounts of money! In 2007, a dog named Rocco discovered a truffle in Tuscany that weighed 3.3 pounds. It was sold for $333,000, a world record for a truffle. About 3000 euros is thrown into the Trevi fountain in Rome every day by tourists – that’s around 1.5 million each year! Legend has it that if you throw one coin into the fountain you will someday return to Rome and if you throw two then you will find romance there. The fountain fills up so fast with coins that the workers sweep it every day to collect the coins. The collected coins are cleaned, weighed, counted, and delivered to Catholic charity. The organization has used the money for many things, including building a grocery store for the poor and supporting a shelter for AIDS patients. http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-is-thrown-into-romes-trevi-fountain-and-where-it-goes-2017-6 UNUSUAL LAWS In the city of Turin, dog owners must walk their dog at least three times a day or risk being fined! On the beaches of Eraclea on the Venetian Lido, it’s illegal to make sandcastles or any other kind of sand structure. By law gondolas in Venice must be painted black. Pity, they might look nice with a flower design or  hearts? It is also rumored that citizens of Milan are required to smile in public places at all times, except during funerals and hospital visits. I’m not sure if that’s true. A publicized law was passed back in 2012 in the town of Falciano del Massico in Campania. (pronounce) Because the town’s cemetery is full, the mayor, Giulio Fava, passed a law making it illegal for the town’s residents to die. The mayor told the press that his town’s residents were happy with the new law, but unfortunately two elderly citizens had disobeyed it. I’m sure the law forbidding dying is more tongue-in-cheek than strictly administered, I do wonder who in Turin is counting the dog walkers, while the thought of a warden in uniform handing out non-smiling fines in Milan makes me smile.   OTHER FUN FACTS In 2011 an Italian cat inherited over €10 million after its 94-year old owner passed away, making it the third richest animal in the world (there are richer animals than that). The owner Maria Assunta left her “entire estate” to the cat under the care of a trusted nurse (you may not be surprised that Italian law does not allow animals to inherit directly). The city of Venice  – remember the city with the gondoliers – that  is built on water – is made up of 119 islands. Venice is sinking!...

Welcome to Romania for Kids, with Karyn from CASE OF ADVENTURE. Romania for Kids Romania is a country in Europe and is actually halfway between the North Pole and the equator. The name, ‘Romania’ comes from the Latin word, ‘Romanus’, which means “citizen of Rome”. Long ago, Romans conquered and colonized the area which is modern day Romania. There is even a city called Roman in inside Romania. So a person could live in Roman, Romania! It is a very green and beautiful landscape with mountains, hills and plains, forests, waterfalls and rivers. There are many farms and old cities with fancy old-fashioned buildings and stunning architecture. The capital city is called Bucharest. Nearly 2 million people live in Bucharest which is the 7th largest city in the European Union, after Vienna and Paris. Romania is a fascinating country because it was one of the last countries in the world to move away from communism. Communism is when the government controls everything and takes away many of the people’s freedoms and possessions! There are still a few communist countries left in the world, but thankfully not many. In the 1800s, a prince from Germany, became Romania’s first King – King Carol I. He declared Romania an independent and sovereign state. Romania went through many changes in the early 1900s and then after the second world war, It’s 23 million citizens lived under the rule of one of the 20th century’s most controlling dictators. His name was Nicolae Ceauşescu. Learning about Romania is very sad because there has been so much suffering there. But then that is true in so many countries. We should always be grateful to those who have gone before us to fight for freedom from oppression. Things in Romania are much better these days than they used to be and Romanians are working hard to recover from Communism, with the help of other countries in Europe. Besides the large forests which cover a quarter of the country, there are many areas with flat plains for farming and rich soil for crops. There are stunning mountain slopes with ski resorts and in some places, Glaciers have formed beautiful lakes and caves. There are also salt mines, coal mines and iron mines. In Romania you can explore bat-caves with torch lights, go for a swim in a volcano crater lake or drive out into the hills on a horse-drawn cart. You can follow the tracks of wild animals in the winter snow – the bear, the wolf, lynx, the boar or you can help milk cows in the village and even help the blacksmith in his forge! You may find that the blacksmith is also the dentist and doctor for that village! Transylvania is a region the middle of Romania, with Bukovina in the north, Moldavia in the northeast, Dobrogea in the southeast near the Black Sea, Walachia along the southern border, and Banat in the southwest. Transylvania includes the Carpathia Mountains and the Transylvanian Alps. Have you heard of the story of Dracula, which is set in Transylvania? THE LANGUAGE The Romanian language is 1,700 years old. It continues to change and as all languages do, it borrows many words from other languages, especially French. For example, the Romanians, say Mersi (for thank you, just like the French). They just spell it with a S instead of a C. Romanians are also greatly influenced now by American English via the Internet and television. Hello – Bună Good afternoon – Bună ziua Yes – Da (just like in Russian) No – nu Please – Vă rog (formal) Bon appetit or Have a nice meal – Poftă bună! THE FLAG, CURRENCY AND NATIONAL ANTHEM You can listen to the Romanian national anthem here on this video from youtube and see the English words as you listen to it sung in Romanian. The Romanian flag is divided into three equal vertical stripes – dark blue, yellow and red. It is modeled after the flag of France. The colors are those of Walachia (red and yellow) and Moldavia (red and blue), which united to form Romania united in 1862. Romanian money is called the Leu. Even though they are an EU country, they don’t use the Euro at all. The currency symbol for the leu is RON. For 1 US dollar you could buy almost 4 Romanian Leu or 4 RON. An interesting fact is that in 2005, the leu, which is the Romanian currency, dropped four zeros. What used to be 10,000 lei (the old name) was now only 1 leu. So, before 2005, you could get 4000 Romanian Lei for 1 dollar, now it’s only 4 leu! This is because Romania’s economy was so affected by communism and international debt and poverty that their money dropped so much in value. FROM COMMUNISM TO CAPITALISM In the 1960’s. Romania was ruled by the USSR. Romanians did not like their lives under Soviet rule, and they wanted to be independent. One of the leaders fighting for Romania’s own interests was a man named Nicolae Ceaușescu. When he began to rule Romania as head of the communist party, he was admired by many as a leader who they thought wanted what was best for his country. But after a brief period of ruling fairly, Ceaușescu became increasingly brutal and started to oppress the people and take away their freedoms. He controlled what people were allowed to speak of, and publish in newspapers. Anyone who disagreed with him was not tolerated. His secret police, the Securitate, was one of the most brutal secret police forces in the world. If anyone got in the governments way, they would be put in prison or killed. In 1982, Ceaușescu ordered that most of the country’s farm crops as well as goods made in factories should be exported. This meant they were sold to other countries. He did this because he wanted to pay off the debt that Romania owed to other countries but the problem with doing it in this way, meant that there were extreme shortages of food for the Romanian people as well as fuel, medicine and other basic necessities. Living standards were very low and the people were unhappy. But Ceaușescu and his wife Elena lived a lavish lifestyle. They spent lots of the countries money on themselves. This was resented by the Romanians, who did not have enough to live on and were very very poor. Ceaușescu also destroyed many people’s homes and made them move to apartment blocks without running water, or even glass in the windows sometimes. Historic buildings and churches were bulldozed to make way for new government buildings. Then in 1989, the uprising began. Romanians would not follow Ceausescu any longer. The trouble started when a Reformed church pastor refused to leave his church in Timisoara. Crowds grew as more people protested with the pastor against Ceausescu and against communism in Romania. Ceausescu ordered his troops to kill the protesters, which they did. He then warned that any other protesters would be shot. He organized a great rally, to force citizens to show their support for his leadership. But the citizens were angry, and their feelings were caught on television. All over the country, people started demonstrating. Ceausescu and his wife tried to flee from Romania, but they were caught, convicted of crimes against their country, and executed. This was a new beginning for Romania. Today, Romania has a democratic form of government and is trying to make progress in recovering from Ceausescu’s terrible control over them. The communist rulers did not manage Romania’s economy well, and many citizens are still very poor, even today. The largest of Ceaușescu’s government buildings is called the People’s Palace or the Palace of Parliament. It is gigantic! Huge vaulted rooms, marble staircases big enough for giants, and chandeliers the size of small cars. There are a lot of very sad and dark things about Romania’s past. One of the saddest was the state of the orphanages where many of the children had lived during Caucescu’s rule. These orphanages had been kept very secret and even the Romanian people were shocked to discover how awful the conditions were for the children. When the revolution was over, the newspapers published photos of the awful conditions that the children lived in and the world was shocked. The new government ordered that these terrible places were closed. The problem was that many of the children had nowhere to go. Many children who were once part of the awful orphanages of Romania’s past now had nowhere to live except the hot and damp smelly sewer tunnels underneath the streets of Romania. Today, you can find many people living down there. MISSIONARIES IN ROMANIA A man named Pastor Wurmbrand and his wife grew up in Romania and became missionaries there druing the time of the communist government. He was imprisoned for 14 years for his faith and his wife for many years as well. They underwent terrible suffering for Christ After Pastor Wurmbrand was freed, he started an organization called Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) to support missionaries in persecuted countries. I’m going to tell you a story which is written about his son trying to visit his parents while they were in prison. This story is taken from Voice of the Martyrs, Kids of Courage – Bold Believers, in Romania. Voice of the Martyrs has many excellent resources to learn about believers in many countries of the world. Thirteen-year-old Mihai boarded the train in the middle of the night. He was on his way to visit his mother at a Romanian prison. At 6 a.m. after a long, cold, five-hour ride, he and the family members of other prisoners came to a train station. They got off the train and walked for an hour in the snow to the prison. Then they stood in the snow for a very long time. Nothing happened. Finally they saw a long line of prisoners trudge by. A guard yelled, “Go home! No visit today! The prisoners did not obey orders well enough to have visitors.” Sadly Mihai and the others got back on the train and went home. Another time, Mihai visited his father in prison. This time, the guards let him inside the huge wooden doors of the prison. He was taken past more doors to a room with a long table in it. Policemen sat on both sides of the table....

Welcome to Madagascar For Kids with Karyn from CASE OF ADVENTURE! Madagascar for Kids Today we are going to be talking about Madagascar. Madagascar is a BIG island off the coast of Africa – it’s the fourth largest island in the world. It’s even bigger than Great Britain and almost as big as the state of Texas. It’s home to thousands of animal species, such as the well-known lemur. Many species are not found anywhere else in the world like the fossa, the tomato frog, the sifaka (pronounced shifark) and the indri which are also part of the lemur family. In Madagascar you will find lush rainforests, beaches and coral reefs, mountainous areas, irrigated rice fields and extinct volcanoes. The “Avenue of the Baobabs,” is a dirt road lined with massive old, old trees called baobab trees. Some of the trees are 800 years old! It was the famous explorer, Marco Polo who first called the island Madagascar – by accident actually. He thought he had visited the Somali port of Mogadishu and got the name wrong – he wrote Madageiscar in his memoirs – and so the Island became Madagascar. Madagascar has gone by many names. When it became a free country in 1958 it became the Malagasy Republic, then in 1975, its people renamed it the Democratic Republic of Madagascar and then in 1993, it changed its name to the Republic of Madagascar. The busy capital of Madagascar is Antananarivo.  Some people use its French colonial name Tana but Antananarivo is it’s real name. The president of Madagascar has the longest surname of any president anywhere in the world. His name is Hery Rajaonarimampianina, (AIR-ee rah-zhow-nah-ree-mahm-pee-AHN) THE LANGUAGE Madagascar has two official languages, Malagasy and French. The Malagasy Language doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. There are lots of different versions of the language – or what we call dialects so it can be a bit confusing if you are trying to learn the language. hello is  Manao ahoana (manna horna) goodbye is veloma (filorma) yes is eny (yeny) no – tsia My name is Karyn.            No anarako dia (nuw anara ku dia) Karyn. Now you try with your name in there! THE FLAG AND THE CURRENCY The flag of Madagascar has two stripes going across – red on top and green below. Then there is a white stripe which goes down the left of the flag. The flag used to be just red and white. Soon after WWII, Madagascan people fought a war to try to become independent from France but they were defeated. It was only about ten years later that France allowed them to start to become independent and their flag was chosen. The white is said to stand for purity and the red for sovereignty; the green represents the coastal regions and symbolizes hope. Madagascar has its own independence day to celebrate when they officially became independent from France’s rule over them. Their independence day is the 26th June. They celebrate with music and dancing and fireworks! There are no laws against fireworks in Madagascar – so they go wild. It’s a little scary! You can listen to the Madagascan national anthem on Wikipedia here. The currency that the people of Madagascar use is called the ariary (uh-ri-harry). For 1 US dollar you could buy almost 3000 madagascan ariary , for 1 British pound you could get about 4000 ariary and for 1 South African rand about 220 ariary. Now I’m going to tell you about a queen  from long ago in Madagascar. During the 1800s, Queen Ranavalona wanted to preserve Madagascar’s traditional beliefs and she decided to send lots of missionaries who had come to share the gospel, back home to their own countries. Many Christians were persecuted, and some were even put to death. When this queen died, Queen Ranavalona II said that Madagascar would be a Christian country. These days there are catholic church and protestant ones and many missionaries have been able to return to Madagascar to tell people about Jesus because calling it a Christian country doesn’t mean all its people know about Him. There is a link to a video by a missionary to Madagascar below. INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MADAGASCAR There is a beautiful and valuable blue gemstone that I’m sure you’ve hear of that you find a lot of in Madagascar. That is the sapphire. Blue is the most common color, but you actually also get pink, yellow, green, white and a very funny color called padparadscha which is a creamy pink. Wouldn’t you love to dig and find some of those gems in your garden! Now, much of the vanilla used all over the world comes from Madagascar. The Coca-Cola Company was a major buyer of vanilla from Madagascar. In 1985 Coca-Cola introduced the New Coke formula which involved using a synthetic flavor, instead of real vanilla and suddenly Madagascar were selling a lot less of their vanilla and they became even poorer. So it turned out to be a good thing, that many people who liked to drink coca-cola, didn’t like the new flavor and so Coca-Cola switched back to using real vanilla and Madagascar’s started to make more money again and their economy grew again. ANIMALS OF MADAGASCAR There are a huge amount of animals found in Madagascar and most of them you won’t find anywhere else on Earth. There are no poisonous snakes at all in Madagascar – Isn’t that wonderful! I’m sure you’ve heard of the ring-tailed lemur. There are so many different kinds of lemurs in Madagascar. Quite a few of the animals are on the endangered list. The silky Sifaka, a lemur, which is one of the rarest mammals on earth. Its name means angel of the forest” and refers to its white fur. The rare Ploughshare tortoise is also endangered. Then there is the Aye-aye which has the ears of a bat and the teeth of a rat. It also has really long middle fingers which it uses to dig out bugs from underneath the bark of trees – because it like to eat bugs! The flat-tailed gecko looks just like a dried brown leaf and can easily camouflage itself in a tree. There are tenrecs, chameleons and pochards. Fossas can climb down trees backwards. Their main food is lemurs! They are very agile climbers and efficient hunters – they are ambush predators. Download the printable pack including the Madagascar animal cards to learn more about these wonderful creatures. THE MARKETS AND CULTURE In Madagascar there are many open air markets where people sell all the goods they have made. People spread out blankets and then spread all their wares on it. Sometimes wares are displayed up and down winding staircases and in alleyways in every available space! To buy something at one of these markets you need to learn how to bargain! This might feel awkward at first, but it is perfectly normal to act unhappy and disgusted when someone offers you a price for something. This is the signal to the seller that the bargaining can begin. Don’t accept that first deal! When most Malagasy realize you’re a foreigner, they’ll assume you are wealthy and give you a price that is three times what it needs to be. Always negotiate. The Malagasy people sell many handmade things including wallets made from alligator skin and wooden musical instruments. Binding books is also very cheap- they can be bound in alligator skin. Men like to wear the Vongu vongu which is a traditional silver bracelet which is often given to them by their ancestors and passed down from generation to generation. Would you like to try the Malagasy handshake? Hold out your hand to shake, but before you shake, grab your forearm with your other hand and bow slightly while you shake. In rural areas, the people wear traditional dress. For men, this would be a large shirt and shorts or long pants, while women may wear dresses with gathered skirts or wrapped skirts with a top and a rectangular shawl, known as alamba. People of the middle class wear Western clothes like you and me, with blue jeans being a favorite among the young. An unusual thing that they do, is once every few years, they go to their ancestors grave, remove the bones and have a party with them before returning the bones to the grave. the festivities of famadihana are a way to shower love and affection upon their ancestors. WHAT FOOD DO THEY EAT? Rice is their main food. They eat lots of rice, They eat it in giant portions – it’s the base of all almost their dishes. In fact, the word “to eat” in Malagasy is “mihinam-bary”, which means “to eat rice.” So they would start with a BIG bowl of rice and then add a bit of meat like chicken or beans and a bowl of broth. When eating rice, you would use a spoon to lift the rice to your mouth and a fork to help scoop the rice onto your spoon. Some Malagasy claim they don’t sleep properly if they haven’t had rice in the day. Madagascar has one of the highest rates of stunted growth in children. That means that the children don’t grow properly because their meals rely too much on rice and they don’t have enough meat or vegetables, so they don’t have the nutrients they need to grow properly. While poor people eat mostly rice, richer people have a bit more variety In Madagascar, a traditional meal is typically eaten on the floor.  Food items are generally served on a single plate and eaten with a spoon. Meals are served when they are steaming hot.  No drinks accompany the meal, nor do any type of starters or appetizers.  The traditional meal is made up of three of four dishes, followed by a dessert of some kind, usually made from local fruits and vanilla. If you eat out at a Madagascan person’s house, you should make sure to finish your food, but don’t eat too fast. The people have a saying “ Wise will pretend to be full but the foolish will just stuff their faces”. You should eat same speed as host and when they are done, you are done. If you eat too quickly and guzzle your food,  they will bring you more but it might be their food from the next day. Fruits like jackfruit, longan, avocado, custard apple, breadfruit, and baobab all grow in Madagascar. Madagascar has a yummy snack called Koba. This is made of rice, peanut and banana,...

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, you get to hear many Scotland fun facts and funnies from our book, Scotland Adventure. Saundra, a bonnie wee lass from Scotland is your tour guide! “Welcome to my country of Scotland. My name is SAUNDRA and I am Scottish. My Mum and Dad are Scottish as well. Dad plays the bagpipes in a pipe band and they own a smal shop that sells tartan kilts, berets, sashes and covers for bagpipe bags. Mum creates all our merchandise on her sewing machine as she’s a very talented seam-stress. I love Highland dancing and have danced in many local competitions, wearing my kilt while I dance. The tartan on my kilt has a history that goes back many generations in our family. I love listening to my grandmother tell stories about life back then – battles between clans on the rugged moors, brave men and women – and how we won our freedom as a nation. Have you heard of heroes like Robert the Bruce and William Wallace?   A comprehensive study of Scotland presented in the most fun way ever! You’ll feel as if you’ve really been there! A kid’s mystery story in an Adventure Book – filled with tons of activities, learning and fun stuff to do. HEY THERE TRAVELER!! Are you ready for your adventure in Scotland? Aye, we’re gonna have a great time because, as you’ll soon see, this country is filled with mystery! There are the misty moors, the ancient castles,  Scottish Clan Chiefs, Jacobite symbols, and even more exciting, the Loch Ness Monster as well as tales of swords stashed away in secret places. Along the way, you’ll join in the hunt for the missing honours of Scotland! Grab your Passport and let’s roll! Visit Scotland from the comfort of your living room with Scotland Adventure. You will learn all kinds of Scotland fun facts, mark your Scotland map using Scottish map markers, collect passport stamps in your passport, get your Scotland Rail passes, use Google Earth to find landmarks, explore Wemyss Caves and St. Andrews Castle mine tunnels, learn songs about Scotland and cook up some delicious Scottish cuisine. Saundra from Scotland is your tour guide. She will show you her country as you read.

The post #43 Scotland Fun Facts and Funnies! appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn reads the last part of the story, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the Grey family are guests at the amazing Edinburgh Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. Rome has to defend the newly discovered dirk with a sword of his own!

The post #42 Scotland Part 25 – Edinburgh Tattoo and a Villain appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 24 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, Iain becomes Clan Chief and soldiers from Edinburgh Castle come to fetch the prized dirk that was discovered.

The post #41 Scotland Part 24 – Iain Becomes Clan Chief appeared first on Case of Adventure.

On the Countries for Kids Podcast from Case of Adventure, Karyn will be reading part 23 of the novel, “A Clash of Swords in Scotland” – part of Scotland Adventure. Every Monday and Thursday, listen to another installment of this exciting mystery story with Ren, Rome, Jake, Libby and Tiffany Gray. The Gray family loves traveling the world together, exploring, meeting the local people, sampling the food and solving mysteries! They make many special friends and visit places they’ve dreamed of seeing. In this episode, the children search the cellars and Wemyss Castle for the White Rose Jacobite symbol.

The post #40 Scotland Part 23 – Searching for the White Rose Symbol appeared first on Case of Adventure.

Two new story episodes each week on the Countries for Kids PODCAST from CASE OF ADVENTURE! Join Libby as she explores a new landmark in a faraway place. Listen to the short story and discover some fun facts about the place. Today, she’s visiting Pisa, Italy to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Download your Leaning Tower Page for a fun activity to do! Go to CASEOFADVENTURE.COM/ACTIVITIES   Countries for Kids from CASE OF ADVENTURE! COUNTRY-THEMED UNITS FOR HOMESCHOOLERS – ages 7 to 12 Unique and exciting COUNTRY Studies! EACH UNIT CONSISTS OF: A Travel Mystery Novel to read And a Fabulous Adventure Book filled with pages of learning, and tons of activities to work through The Novel and Adventure Book work together to teach your kids about each country.

The post Countries for Kids Short Story #8 – The Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy appeared first on Case of Adventure.

Two new story episodes each week on the Countries for Kids PODCAST from CASE OF ADVENTURE! Join Libby as she explores a new landmark in a faraway place. Listen to the short story and discover some fun facts about the place. Today, she’s visiting Naples, Italy and tasting some authentic Italian pizza – in the place where pizza was invented! Download your Naples Pizza Page for a fun activity to do! Go to CASEOFADVENTURE.COM/ACTIVITIES Countries for Kids from CASE OF ADVENTURE! COUNTRY-THEMED UNITS FOR HOMESCHOOLERS – ages 7 to 12 Unique and exciting COUNTRY Studies! EACH UNIT CONSISTS OF: A Travel Mystery Novel to read And a Fabulous Adventure Book filled with pages of learning, and tons of activities to work through The Novel and Adventure Book work together to teach your kids about each country.

The post Countries for Kids Short Story #7 – Pizza in Naples, Italy appeared first on Case of Adventure.

Two new story episodes each week on the Countries for Kids PODCAST from CASE OF ADVENTURE! Join Libby as she explores a new landmark in a faraway place. Listen to the short story and discover some fun facts about the place. Today, she’s travelling to the fascinating Sea Organ in Zadar, Croatia. Download your sea organ activity page for a fun activity to do! Go to CASEOFADVENTURE.COM/ACTIVITIES     Countries for Kids from CASE OF ADVENTURE! COUNTRY-THEMED UNITS FOR HOMESCHOOLERS – ages 7 to 12 Unique and exciting COUNTRY Studies! EACH UNIT CONSISTS OF: A Travel Mystery Novel to read And a Fabulous Adventure Book filled with pages of learning, and tons of activities to work through The Novel and Adventure Book work together to teach your kids about each country.

The post Countries for Kids Short Story #6 – The Sea Organ in Zadar, Croatia appeared first on Case of Adventure.

Two new story episodes each week on the Countries for Kids PODCAST from CASE OF ADVENTURE! Join Libby as she explores a new landmark in a faraway place. Listen to the short story and discover some fun facts about the place. Today, she’s travelling to the beautiful Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. Download your Plitvice Lakes activity page for a fun activity to do! Go to CASEOFADVENTURE.COM/ACTIVITIES Countries for Kids from CASE OF ADVENTURE! COUNTRY-THEMED UNITS FOR HOMESCHOOLERS – ages 7 to 12 Unique and exciting COUNTRY Studies! EACH UNIT CONSISTS OF: A Travel Mystery Novel to read And a Fabulous Adventure Book filled with pages of learning, and tons of activities to work through The Novel and Adventure Book work together to teach your kids about each country.

The post Countries for Kids Short Story #5 – Plitvice Lakes, Croatia appeared first on Case of Adventure.

Two new story episodes each week on the Countries for Kids PODCAST from CASE OF ADVENTURE! Join Libby as she explores a new landmark in a faraway place. Listen to the short story and discover some fun facts about the place. Today, she’s travelling to the top of the Matterhorn Mountain in Zermatt, Switzerland. Download your Matterhorn activity page. Go to CASEOFADVENTURE.COM/ACTIVITIES Countries for Kids from CASE OF ADVENTURE! COUNTRY-THEMED UNITS FOR HOMESCHOOLERS – ages 7 to 12 Unique and exciting COUNTRY Studies! EACH UNIT CONSISTS OF: A Travel Mystery Novel to read And a Fabulous Adventure Book filled with pages of learning, and tons of activities to work through The Novel and Adventure Book work together to teach your kids about each country.

The post Countries for Kids Short Story #4 – Matterhorn, Switzerland appeared first on Case of Adventure.

Two new story episodes each week on the Countries for Kids PODCAST from CASE OF ADVENTURE! Join Libby as she explores a new landmark in a faraway place. Listen to the short story and discover some fun facts about the place. Today, she’s exploring Zermatt, a tiny town in Switzerland with the Matterhorn mountain. Download your Zermatt activity page. Go to CASEOFADVENTURE.COM/ACTIVITIES Countries for Kids from CASE OF ADVENTURE! COUNTRY-THEMED UNITS FOR HOMESCHOOLERS – ages 7 to 12 Unique and exciting COUNTRY Studies! EACH UNIT CONSISTS OF: A Travel Mystery Novel to read And a Fabulous Adventure Book filled with pages of learning, and tons of activities to work through The Novel and Adventure Book work together to teach your kids about each country.

The post Countries for Kids Short Story #3 – Zermatt, Switzerland appeared first on Case of Adventure.

Two new story episodes each week on the Countries for Kids PODCAST from CASE OF ADVENTURE! Join Libby as she explores a new landmark in a faraway place. Listen to the short story and discover some fun facts about the place. Today – it’s up the Eiffel Tower! Download your Eiffel Tower activity page. Go to CASEOFADVENTURE.COM/ACTIVITIES Countries for Kids from CASE OF ADVENTURE! COUNTRY-THEMED UNITS FOR HOMESCHOOLERS – ages 7 to 12 Unique and exciting COUNTRY Studies! EACH UNIT CONSISTS OF: A Travel Mystery Novel to read And a Fabulous Adventure Book filled with pages of learning, and tons of activities to work through The Novel and Adventure Book work together to teach your kids about each country.

The post Countries for Kids Short Story #2 – Up the Eiffel Tower appeared first on Case of Adventure.