Epcot WS Ideas

[sartello]

When we visit Disney this December we will be making our first trip with the kids to Epcot. Our prior trips we didn't think the kids would enjoy it enough, but my son's Kindergarten class spent a month on Canada and a month on Mexico. He's really excited about seeing the countries this year.

Since we are going during the school year, I thought I would make it a "School Day" and have them do some kind of project to share with their classes (Son - 1st grade, daughter - K) when they get back. I also told him we would have a passport for them to get stamps. I'd planned to purchase one of the Disney passports, but my son really wants to make something.

I'm just curious if anyone else out there has done anything similar to this for kids ages 5-1/2 & 7.

Thanks,
Shelly

 

[iluvtink]

At each country, they do have an activity, like making a mask. I'd put together a booklet of white paper for each child, and let them draw a picture of their favorite part of each country. The 7 year old might want to write a few sentences at the bottom of each page to describe what he/she has drawn, and the 5 yr. old can dictate it to one of you.

Some of my girls favorite possessions are the books they "wrote" at those ages. Looking at the pictures and hearing what they said cause lots of giggles now that they are 15 and 11.

Have a great time!

iluvtink

 

[Lora]

My kids made the masks and got the stamps and cut-outs from each country on our last trip. (They kids make one mask and then a little symbol from each country is added to it.) I told them they had to ask a CM one question about their country. (Most of the CM's who work at the kid stations are from those countries.) I think the personal interaction with someone is special. You could get a photo of the CM and some info. about where they live, etc. The masks and other things really didn't do much for me.

We've never done the Passport for Epcot. I think my girls would probably prefer to make something of their own, too.

We have also been studying lots of countries over the past few months. We have the "geography songs" cd which helps kids learn the states (of US), provinces/territories of Canada along with countries, continents and oceans. It's a really cute cd and book. My kids plan to sing the Canada song to the CM's there.

 

[sartello]

Thanks for the responses for our trip to Epcot. I think the kids would probably really enjoy being able to write their favorite parts at each country.

I will definitely have to get together some kind of little book for them to fill in at each country.

Shelly

 

[kelscross]

The girls loved the masks, especially in China where they stamp their birth symbol on there, like the year of the dragon, etc.

What I liked about the passports is the CM write a greeting in their language inside the book.

 

[Schmeck]

How about getting each one of them a disposable camera, and let them take pictures of WS too? Then, get them developed, mount them on paper, and have the kids write a bit of info about the country under the photo.

 

[kadaten]

--Ask a CM in each country to teach the kids how to say hello, good-bye, and thank you in that country's language. Have them write it down for them.

--Did you know that all of the architecture in each country showcase is authentic reproductions of actual places? The kids could ask the CM's what the showcase is modelled after, why it was chosen, etc.

--Sample a native food from each country and note differences....hot/spicy, mild, sauces or no, general tastes.....write a comparison chart.

--There is a travel & information desk in each country. They could pick up a brochure from each and use it to make a travel-company advertisement, and they could add their own observations of the people, food, customs, & sights they saw in each.

--Have them select a souvenir from each country's store....they don't have to purchase it, but just take a photo or make a drawing. Why did they select it? How does it remind them of the country?

--In Morocco they used to offer a guided tour of the mosaic work inside the buildings. Many people miss it but it's very beautiful! See if this tour is still available....

Here are some general ideas posted at allears.net

Educational Experiences at Walt Disney World

I'm sure others can add to this...

 

[TerriBelle]

We were there in Jan. our boys were in Kindergarten and our daughter was 10. We were there with another family with 3 kids in this range also. All of the kids really enjoyed creating their mask! The stamps & cut-=outs from each country is a nice touch. When we were there it was not very crowded so the kids had plenty of time with the CMs. We did half the countries one day and then finished it up later in the week.

We have also collected pressed pennies from each country. There were a few countries that did not have machines when we went. Have not done the passport. The mask was free so we did that.

 

[BevS97]

how about making a scrapbook of the countrys? You can get a small spiral bound album from Target or Walmart, and take a photo in each country and then write some basic info - maybe how to say a few phrases, what you did, what you ate while you were there, some info you learned about that country.

we did one with my dd when she was 4, just photographs and she decorated each page, and she really enjoyed taking it to her Nursery and showing them where she had been

 

[DJT]

Where do you get the mask to take to each country?

 

[kadaten]

Originally posted by DJT
Where do you get the mask to take to each country?

They're at the KidCot stations located in each country. You make one at the first country and they give you a cut-out representative of that country. Some countries add stamps, too. you just add to it as you walk around WS...

 

[HaleyB]

Make a movie
If you have a video camera have your children ask CM questions on tape.

If not you could do paper interviews. Ask the CM a childhood memory, what thier name means, what they miss the most, and so on. Have your kids come up with the questions. Make sure to take pictures!