The Art of Travel Conversation scores an A+ on packaging design. You can’t help but be inspired by the beautiful art and travel words gracing the cover of this deck of cards. Comprehensive and sophisticated in their approach, Australian authors Keith Lamb and Louise Howland focus on “travel discussion that involves both serious thought and fun.” Clearly, the objective is not only to ignite conversation, but also to increase players’ knowledge and understanding of the world.
Topics include history, politics and geography, environmental awareness, areas of travel interest and creative pursuits. Each card contains three questions or imagination-starters, ranging in difficulty from elementary to advanced levels. The cards come with a 32-page booklet filled with tips for using the cards and an expansive section on word definitions, together with descriptions of places and landmarks, providing a strong educational component. The addition of three blank cards encourages players to generate their own questions based on their travel experiences or interests.
Though the cards are presented as questions that can be used with children as young as five, I find that they are best suited to those with advanced travel vocabulary and more travel experiences under their belt. Even though the first level of questions targets elementary-age children, younger kids will need adults to explain or rephrase many of the statements, quotes and questions.
Many thanks to authors Keith Lamb and Louise Howland for the opportunity to take these cards for a practice run.
Sounds like good fun for a rainy Spring night. What was the most intriguing question you came across?
Hi, Melinda ~
Great question! If I had to choose only one, here’s the one I would choose:
“Which travel experience has contributed most to who you are?”
But here are three others I also found intriguing:
Q: “Yunnan Province in China borders Tibet, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. Which road would you take?” It’s hard enough to choose from between two roads that diverge in a wood. But four?
Q:“Have you driven on the other side of the road?” Uh, you mean intentionally?
Q:“Thirteen buttons on a Japanese toilet including automated surprises and a computerized Japanese voice. Your bathroom tale?” You don’t want to know. Really. Trust me on that one!
What a great concept for a game! I love board games, etc, and I love to travel, so bringing them both together is the best of all worlds. Thanks for sharing! Glad I found you on She Writes. 😉
I’m glad you found me, too, Monica. Thanks for stopping by. It’s lot easier to pack a deck of cards than a board game when traveling, that’s for sure ~