A must-buy for kids undertaking grown up trip!
Every now and then you come across such a unique and useful product you can’t help but scream it from the roof ops and tell everyone they MUST buy it!
This is how I felt when I first got my hands on Leap & Hop Cambodia – a truly stunning kids travel activity book, written by Isabelle Demenge.
This is just one of now 8 titles in her kids’ travel activity book range. I’m delighted to provide you with a guided tour here of these unique and beautifully designed children’s books.
What are Leap & Hop Travel Books?
Put simply, they are Travel Books for Kids on Grown up Trips.
I’m sure one of the top concerns you have when taking on a family adventure which may not be as well geared to kids, is how do you keep the children entertained so you can all enjoy the experience?
This was exactly the dilemma facing family traveller Isabelle when she wanted to visit Cambodia with her 3 kids (and exactly how we felt too – see more of our Cambodian adventures here).
I had planned the whole trip which included Siem Reap and Phnom Penh in Cambodia as well as Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Based on our itinerary I did some research and prepared different activities for each major site. It worked very well, the kids loved the book, the scrapbooking part and the games, of course. After two more family books (Sri Lanka and Rajasthan), I decided to get them illustrated and published.
The Leap & Hop activity books are absolutely packed full of information and activities related to the destination, in a really fun and accessible way. Isabelle has clearly studied children’s behaviour and the things that do spike a child’s interest in coming up with the formula for her books. She tells me that it is really a family project though
“I have three boys, each very different. I try to find games that would work for each of them. They are my toughest critics. After we travel with a draft, we have a big debriefing session with the kids and that generally means a lot of rewriting for me. They want more of this and less of that.”
The effort and passion that has gone into the creation of the books is clear; they contain copious amounts of educational information, but all in a fun, interactive way.
There are not chapters and chapters of reading, the facts have been woven into the activities. Many of the concepts I struggled to explain well to my daughter about the countries past and timeline of events she has summarised in eloquent easy to understand language. In fact, I think grown-ups will find much of the information equally engaging!
Beautifully illustrated by Emilie Sarnel, a French Graphic Designer, there are literally hours upon hours of entertainment in every book bound to keep your curious little globetrotters engaged – before, during and after your travels.
I would even consider using the information contained in these books in place of a “grown-up” guidebook.
Which age group would they suit?
Every child is different; Isabelle explains that her son first started using them at 8 years old when they visited Cambodia which is a good age to start.
They are best suited to independent readers, though children as young as 6 could probably get quite involved too with a little parental guidance. I know my 6-year-old would be keenly interested, particularly in the drawing activities!
What locations are available?
The series started in Cambodia, then came Rajasthan and Sri Lanka. Now added to the series are Hong Kong, Bali, Paris, Myanmar, Singapore and New York.
How can you get your hands on one?
So glad you asked! Leap & Hop Travel Activity Books can be purchased from their own online store, along with leading online retailers with worldwide shipping.
They are also available from selected bookstores in Hong Kong, Cambodia & Paris.
To search the full catalogue of available titles, and to explore more of the Leap & Hop story, click here.
Priced at $170 HK dollars (c$22USD) yes, they are a little more expensive than your usual kid’s activity books. But they are far more than just an activity book, more like a family guidebook and entertainment package all rolled into one and well worth the investment before your next adventurous vacation.
One thing that I have loved about travel blogging is the connections it has given me and the doors it has opened to like-minded individuals who are as passionate about travel as we are.
It was such a pleasure to connect with Isabelle over our shared interest in Cambodia and discover her travel books for kids. Isabelle is herself an avid traveller and mum of three boys. She spent many years working in New York as a Finance Lawyer and is now travelling the world, based in Hong Kong.
You can follow along with Leap & Hop on Instagram too, bringing you some stunning images from the locations all the books were written.
Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of the Cambodia version of Leap & Hop for the purpose of conducting an honest review. There are affiliate links on this page which may earn us a small commission if you make a purchase – thank you.
© Our Globetrotters
I love getting kids interested in understanding the world around them with books like this!
Now our kids are that little bit older its been so wonderful seeing them interact with learning more on the road, grateful to amazing parents like Isabelle for creating these amazing resources
Wow interesting books, need to get one when we are going on vacation in future!
They sound terrific Keri!