TAVA, UNIQUE TRAVEL GUIDES FOR LITTLE ONES
By Charlotte Burgoyne.
Kids are curious, fantastically curious. Wait until you take them to a really cool place like Venice, built on water and filled with bridges, or London with its big red buses everywhere. You'll feel like they're interrogating you with all their questions. Sometimes, it can get quite frustrating both for you and your child as you won't necessarily have all the answers they need... And when kids are too young to be interested in learning about a monument, the issue is how do you keep them busy while you're exploring? Kady Lieber, a mom of two who is passionate about traveling, knows all about the challenges of family trips. To make her adventures easier, she had a brilliant idea: creating children-friendly touristic cards and games!
The story behind Tava.
"This idea really came out of necessity. I remember the first time I took my daughter to Paris. I had been there before but I hadn't made it to my favorite art museums, so I wanted to be sure I visited the Louvre and the Musee D'Orsay. As I was planning the trip, I realized that taking a two and a half-year-old to art museums could be tricky. That's when I decided to make a guide for her to "play" with while I saw some of my favorite art pieces. Taylar loved the art scavenger hunt I made for both museums! It also helped her engage a bit more and made our trip more meaningful. Instead of me telling her to be quiet and sit tight in her stroller, she was able to help me find the artwork I wanted to see. It also started a great conversation about art with my little girl that I will never forget," remembers Kady.
After making a few guides for her daughters, she decided to make them for other kids too and TAVA was born. Each time Kady travels somewhere with her girls, she makes them little guides or tries to put together info and games for while she is there. Afterwards, she turns them into real travel guides available for sale on her site.
What is TAVA's guide?
"They are little touristy cards. For each city, we sell a package we call "passport", which includes 10 to 12 major tourist sites. I try to write for kids, using basic words and info; my 8-year-old can read most of the cards. On the back of each card, there is also a game for younger children. Unlike other activity books for kids, my cards are really easy to carry around, which is great for traveling."
Little Voyageurs is a big fan of Tava's collection. These travel guides really make amazing educational tools. They are a great distraction for little ones for when you need to keep them busy, whether you are at a museum, a restaurant or even while using public transport. Not only are they useful, but they are also extremely well designed. We like the refined and colorful layout, which appeals to parents as much as to the kids.
If you are flying anytime soon, planning a road trip across the US, or heading to one of these places, get a TAVA Guide! Your next destination not yet on Kady's website? Inform her or keep checking, as she adds new books regularly. We also have some inside scoop... she is thinking of creating an adult version of her guides!
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