We’ve subscribed to Little Passports for a while, ever since I reviewed the book Max, Mia, and Toby’s Adventures Around the World over the summer. I love travel-themed subscription boxes for kids. I’ve finally collected 6 months worth of items and thought – what a good time to do a Little Passports review. This is my honest review of the product, this isn’t a sponsored post, but I do have affiliate links.
Related: Atlas Crate vs. Little Passports
Little Passports
There are affiliate links below, but all opinions are my own.
What is the Little Passports?
In case you aren’t familiar with Little Passports, here’s a brief overview:
Little Passports is a subscription box service for kids. Their focus is on travel themes, however, their most recent addition (geared towards older kids), is focused on science. So, maybe a better way to describe Little Passports is to say they’re about learning about the world around us. Their subscription boxes are grouped by age range.
What is the Age Range for Little Passports?
Each age range focuses on a different, age-appropriate, concept. Here are the options:
| Subscription | Age Range | Monthly Topics |
| Early Explorers | 3-5 years old | a world theme like music or art |
| World Edition | 6-10 years old | discover a new country |
| USA Edition | 7-12 years old | learn about a new state |
| Science Expedition | 9 years old and up | solve a mystery using science |
My Little Passports Subscription Story
I first learned about Little Passports long before I had kids of my own. By the time I had kids, though, I was living in Germany. They didn’t ship boxes there and the logistics and cost of having my parents send it to me was just too much.
When we found out that we were moving to the U.S., I knew I would be a subscriber. I opted for the World Explorer subscription because of my kids’ ages, personal interests, and this website.
So, I can’t say I’m your typical reviewer. I was sold long before I had any reason to get the box. I’m a strong believer in doing anything we can to make learning about other cultures fun for kids. This is a box I would have wanted to create if one didn’t exist. But, maybe because of my anticipation and build-up to subscribing, my chances for disappointment are higher than other people? This innocent subscription box, well, it had a lot to live up to for me.
Because I knew I was going to review Little Passports, I actually waited until I received a few packages before really examining them. I wanted to check out the quality consistency. I didn’t want to encourage or discourage a subscription-based on one mailing. So, this is what happened when I received the first box.
What comes with the Little Passports box?
The first box I received set up the system.
The very first thing I noticed is the adorable, colorful suitcase. Finally, it was mine! I mean, ours… I mean, the kids… This is what I’ve (they’ve) been waiting for. It is sturdy. I didn’t realize it all the times I looked at the photos, but the little suitcase has the function of being the home for all the things we get in future packages.
The intro package also introduced us to Sam & Sophia and the tools our family will use as we travel the world with Little Passports. Those are:
- An introduction letter from Sam & Sofia, the kids who will be sending us packages as they travel around the world. Each package we receive afterward includes a letter from the kids talking about their adventures.
- A postcard – this time of the scooter they’re using to get around the world, but in the future is a picture of a destination they visited.
- An activity sheet. In this case, the sheet is for worldwide activities. In the future, they’re based on the places Sam & Sofia wrote about in their letter.
- A passport. The blank passport has a few questions to encourage kids to talk to their parents about travel. It also includes places to put stickers we’ll receive from the different destinations the kids go to.
- A map. Chart the destinations on the map with a sticker pin to mark the spot each month.
- A luggage tag. The luggage tag can be added to the suitcase handle, but even better it includes a secret code for more online fun. The first luggage tag you receive requires you to create an account to access the activities. Then the dashboard is updated every time you add a new secret code. The first code offers 3 different world-based activities. Since my kids are in the lower range of the recommended ages, the trivia questions are too complicated for them. But the other activities are fun.
It was, as you can imagine, so cool to finally see these items up close. Although I had a brief idea of what was in the box, I didn’t quite understand the details until I saw them for myself.
My first impressions of the Little Passports introduction box.
My thoughts on the first box? Loved the quality. The suitcase is awesome and sturdy. Looking at the empty box, though, and all I wanted to do was fill it up! I was ready to jump into the adventure and start learning about the places they were going to visit. This was the set-up. The packing or journey, if you will. But, I found myself really wanting to get to the destination. Are we there yet? Or, better, when will we get the first country? Don’t get me wrong – there was plenty to keep us busy. I just wanted it to arrive.
My BIG tip for new subscribers? Combine it with the Max, Mia, and Toby’s Adventures Around the World book or World Coin Collection. Then, along with preparing for future packages, you can start discovering the world with Max, Mia, and Toby or talk about the world while examining different types of coins. I also think the Max, Mia, and Toby book has fun adventures to start with, so they can play while they wait for their next package.
Little Passports World Explorer review:
What can I expect to get in the Little Passports World Explorer subscription box?
Since that first package, I have received 5 more countries and counting. I love them. The letters cover a variety of country-specific details. Yet, they manage to keep it simple and to the point. The activities sheets can be anything from puzzles, recipes, or crafts. I think the variety of the standard inclusions are what help make it all fun.
There are stickers to pin on the map, put in the passport, and place on the suitcase. The postcard usually represents something mentioned in the letter, and the luggage tag is a cute accessory by itself – even better with the secret code to access online games. Each country also includes a souvenir. I love the variety the kids have received so far. Some of them are crafts, some of them mimic real souvenirs a friend might send, and others are little tokens.
I like the combination of having the familiar letter, activity sheet, postcard, and stickers with the surprise souvenir. It keeps the kids guessing.
Overall, I think Little Passports is a fun way to help kids learn more about the world. It’s more than what I hoped for it to be when I longed to subscribe years ago. Plus, kids love to get mail. I love them learning about the world. Bonus points for doing both.
Prior to shipping, Little Passports will email the parent to make sure there’s nothing else they want to add to the package. That makes ordering extras convenient.
Pretty cool stuff, eh?
Is Little Passports worth it?
I think so. Here are some things I like about it.
- A dedicated monthly opportunity to learn about a new country.
- The items are unique to Little Passports subscribers.
- It’s fun for the kids.
- The price is great.
- It is a great way to launch further discussions about the monthly country and culture of the people (see the next note below).
Taking Little Passports beyond the box
- Do further research on the topics discussed in the monthly box, such as:
- Look up the sites, history, animals, or other cultural aspects mentioned by Sam & Sophia.
- Read more books about the destination (use the global bookshelf to find great picks).
- Cook a meal from that country.
- Keep it on your month after the month is over:
- While Little Passports comes with a map, look up the countries you’ve studied anytime you see a map.
- Attend local festivals celebrating an aspect of the cultures (and review the country before you go).
Other things to note when you subscribe to Little Passports
- Make sure you select the age range of activities that correspond with your child’s age and interest.
- I have two kids who are only two years apart. We opted for the World Edition, geared for my eldest because I knew I could make it work for both of them. I didn’t get them each their own subscriptions and it worked fine for us. Know your kids and your budget to decide what’s best for your family.
- Reserve opening the packages for when you have time to dig in. The best way to soak in all the information is to do it together, so make sure you have time to do it.
- With that in mind, don’t feel that you have to complete all the activities in one sitting. Kids will likely want to glance all the material at first and then place all the stickers. You can go back and do the other items later.
- Subscribe for at least 6 months. The subscription option is almost the key to this program’s success. Kids will get comfortable seeing Sam and Sophia’s adventures and opinions on their travels around the world. Give them the opportunity to explore for a while.
When’s the best time to subscribe to Little Passports?
I say subscribe whenever you want. However, don’t start looking through the boxes at the beginning of the school year (unless you homeschool). I felt my kids were a bit overwhelmed at the beginning of the school year. While these boxes are fun, I don’t think introducing them when the kids are being introduced to so many new things at school offers the best chance for success.
I think the best time to introduce Little Passports is as a gift for the holidays, and especially, at the beginning of the summer season. Maybe even purchasing around spring break so you’ll have a stash of packages to look at by the summer.
How can I subscribe to Little Passports?
Read the Little Passports review and ready to show your kids the world in a really fun way? Yay. Click here to see the different options.
Comparing Kiwi Crate to Little Passports
Kiwi Crate came out with a globally-focused subscription box called Atlas Crate. I think Little Passports has a different audience than the Atlas Crate audience. Read my review of Kiwi Crate’s subscription box about the world: Atlas Crate to see how it compares.
Do you want to join other like-minded families who are interested in learning about other cultures via books and travel? Join our Facebook Group. I approve new members daily. It’s still small but growing.
