Because I am a total bitch

So, little gritlets, don't think it's going to be all fun and play. Sometimes there is an EDUCATION to be had. And here it is. This long lovely list of activities and things to do is in your project book.

And Tiger, if you dump your project book under the wardrobe in the hotel in Singapore like you did with the horse reading book, then I will just come here because now I CAN GET IT ON THE WEB! HA! I WIN!

Our journey takes us through Hong Kong, to Sydney and home to England via Singapore. Can you draw a map to show where you will travel?

How many different types of transport are you using? Compare the advantages and disadvantages of each travel method. Which is your favourite way of travel?

Find the map of Hong Kong. Where are we in this map? Create a tour of the islands you would one day like to do, label your map and highlight the features you would like to see.

Find the Cantonese language page. Can you learn the numbers from 1 to 10?

Can you find out anything about the money you will be using? Make notes about the things you learn about the currencies you use, for example exchange rates, relative costs of products in the UK, origin and meaning of pictures and symbols, types of coins and so on.

Food. Can you keep a food diary?

Weather! You could keep a diary outlining the types of weather you experience. Temperature? Wind? Rain? Humidity?

Notice the different things in your environment. It might be a bird, a tree, the pavements, buses, a shop front. Something might strike you as unusual or very different from your experience at home. Draw what you notice and write a short paragraph explaining what has caught your eye.

Are those grown ups talking again? What are they saying about politics this time?

Set yourself a puzzle and a challenge to find out the answer to a question, like ‘Where does Hong Kong acquire its fresh water supplies from?’ You will start off an interesting discussion.

Music. Did you hear any type of music that you particularly liked? What can you find out about it?

There are plenty of festivals, holidays and cultural events all around the world. Do we interact with any on our travels?

Sometimes what is considered polite in one country is not the same somewhere else. Are you told anything about politeness, manners, or customs that you think are very different from those in the UK?

Pictures, paintings, art history. We study a lot of art from around the world. Can you jot down the type of art that catches your eye? This will help all of us at home in the UK.

You might see many different styles of dress as you move around Asia and Australia. What is the type of clothing you liked best, and why?

Can you find out anything about the religions of the countries you are passing through?

You might hear some new words as you move around. Can you make a note of those new words? They might be new to all of us, and it would be useful to know what they mean!

Sometimes your grown ups are going to get lost and wander about the streets scratching their heads. It would be very useful if you could look at particular features like street names, buildings, eye-catching features and try to remember them so you can help find a way home!

Documents. We need lots of bits of paper when moving between countries. Can you design a visa, a passport or a identification you think would be useful to carry about?

Can we try posting something home to Aunty Dee?

What can you find out about the history of the countries you are visiting? Can we create a time line of major events for each of the countries we pass through? You might find we can all help with Australia!

Your job is to visit a bookshop and buy a book of stories or poems that shows something about the culture of the country you are in. Daddy will pay, so you can choose what you like.

Time zones around the world are so confusing! Can you please draw a map and mark down the time zone we are in and the time back at home in the UK?

Listen to the radio or watch TV. What features are the same and what features are different from the radio and TV in the UK?

Your grown ups can spend hours looking at the newspapers. Can you take home a cutting or two of a story or a picture that catches your eye?

In the UK, we sometimes say that it is not a ‘child friendly society’. What do you think about this idea as you move between countries?

Which country has the most pollution? The most litter? The best toilets? The most cyclists? The best food? The happiest smiles? You could carry out your own survey and we could compare the results when we return home!

Can you find out the flags of Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore and draw each of them?

You’ll see many different flowers, trees, plants, birds and wildlife on our travels. Can you draw pictures of those we cannot recognise to help us identify them when we can find a source book? Try and include as much information as you can, because it will make identification easier!

There will be moments when you are waiting around. Use your book to create wordsearches, puzzles and games, or take your pencil for a walk and see what it draws.

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You don’t have to complete all of these things, but when we get home to the UK, mama will offer a good exchange rate in superior chocolate for the different activities you’ve attempted, and the project book you have built up while we have travelled.