Have you ever read the Flat Stanley books? Written by Jeff Brown, these fictional stories are a fun series of books about Stanley, who used to be a regular boy until he got flattened by a bulletin board that fell on his bed. Since then he’s had amazing adventures because he can fit under doors and through mail slots. See: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/books/flat-stanley-by-jeff-brown/
Two flat boys came with us on the airplane.
My dream is for my grandsons to be able to travel and see the world with us, albeit it not in a flattened state. I hope that one day, they can come along on some of my trips to international schools. I would dearly love to show them Hong Kong, have them meet kids in Cambodia or see what life is like in Dubai. Until we can realize this dream, I decided to take two ‘flat grandchildren’ with me on one of my trip. They would easily fit in my luggage, I wouldn’t have to feed them and I could show them all the marvellous sights and then send photos of them to my real grandchildren.
So my grandsons each coloured a ‘flat Nico’ and a ‘flat Aidan’, giving them the clothes they were wearing that day, as well as an attractive hairdo.
They came with me on the airplane without even having to pay for an extra seat. They never complained about having to stretch their legs or needing a bathroom.
Upon arrival, the two flat boys were tucked neatly in our daypack. They made new friends in a school in Cambodia and visited one of the most amazing sites in the world: the Angkor Wat temple complex.
Flat Aidan and Flat Nico made a trip on a wooden boat on the Mekong river but mostly they loved the white sand beach of Koh Rong in southern Cambodia. Their favourite place was a beach on the Bay of Thailand.
In Hong Kong
The flat boys visited Hong Kong - they saw skyscrapers and a metropolis of apartment buildings and green hill sides. They saw the Star Ferry and bowls of rice with chicken. And of course, we sent photos of their cardboard versions to the real kids back home. Consider doing the same and taking their cardboard versions along on your travels to share with your favourite kids or a nearby class.
Peace is achieved when people make friends, when cultures understand and respect each other. My dream is to help my grandsons make friends around the world. I can’t wait for that to happen, with real kids rather than cardboard. But for now, those flat boys are a great teaching tool.
The beach is best!
You can share your, and see others’, Flat Stanley adventures on the official website. You will find all books and other resources here: https://www.flatstanleybooks.com