TheBigBookofTrips

Did you go on walking hikesor car tripswith your family when you were a child? What do you recall most vividly from your travels? Was it the interesting people you met along the way, the different tastes and smells, or the spectacular scenery?Perhaps what is most deeply embedded in your memory isthe experience of being together as a family, taking a break from your everyday routine to spend time together in the great outdoors? Whether we embarked on long trips or short excursions close to home, many of us retain deep, warm memories of our childhood travels.

Our little country of Israel is blessed with deep roots and layers of history, and at every age and stage of life we can connect to our collective past and present and get a strong sense of the land. Touring sites close to home can deepen your children’s knowledge and strengthen their love for and attachment to their home region. It doesn’t matter where you live – by the sea or in the desert, in a big city or a small village – if youdo a bit of exploring, you will find exciting treasures and storiesjust waiting to be discovered under your very noses!

This book is an invitation to go on hikes with your children. You might get up early in the morning, or choose a free afternoon, pack a bag for the road, and discover the people and scenes close to home and far away. The book combines suggested itineraries and information about the siteson the way, together with children’s stories and songs associated with these places.

Each itinerary comes with suggestions for family activities you can do before, during, and after the trip. Alongsidethese activities we recommendgiving some thought to how you, as a family, would liketo preserve your memories from these trips. Perhaps you’d like to make picture albums with photos and drawings from your travels, or collect objects and small souvenirs along the way which can then be kept in shoeboxes that you decorate. In this way, even after the trip is over, you can enjoy leafing through the albums together or holding the objects you’ve collected, and recall the places you saw, the people you met, and the stories about each place that you visited.

We hope that this book will be your family’s guide and companion in all seasons for many years to come, and we wish you hours of family enjoyment, both on the road and at home.

Happy travels and family fun!

Age Group: PRESCHOOL