History and geography can be a tad boring for the little ones, unless tackled the right way, preferably with a bit of a creative approach. This is exactly what the Exploring Malta series of educational activity books do.
The editors have hit upon a very effective formula that combines facts with games
Take our islands’ heritage and landmark locations, add a dash of games, a sprinkling of information and some cool visuals, and you have what must be one of the most fun approaches to education.
The series includes several books, each focusing on one theme or location. The very first entry in the series, An Activity Book, serves as a general introduction to readers aged five to 10. The book covers several topics that range from the knights to prehistoric Malta, the neolithic temples, Valletta, Mdina and the like.
The series then goes on to delve more deeply into the specific topics that are considered highlights in our history. Topics include World War II, St John’s Co-Cathedral, The Knights of St John, Città Vittoriosa, Valletta, the Great Siege and Gozo.
The Exploring Malta series’s main advantage is that the editors have hit upon a very effective formula that combines facts with games. This formula is followed in each edition and the consistency in style is a definite attraction.
Another attraction is the actual layout of the books, which cleverly avoid presenting huge, unpalatable chunks of text. The information is presented in little factboxes, placed alongside games and funny cartoons.
One factor that stands out is the way that the often-macabre history of our islands, which can be a touch disturbing for impressionable minds, is tackled – the facts are not glossed over ; they are combined with light-hearted anecdotes and there is a definite emphasis on humour.
My favourite editions are Valletta and Città Vittoriosa, which present a diversity of games that include crosswords, mazes, match the drawing exercises and number games among others.
The series is a definitely desirable addition to any young student’s library – equally importantly, they could be used as teaching aides in schools, helping to make the pupils less likely to roll their eyes at the mention of the words ‘history’ and ‘geography’.
With the summer holidays soon on their way, it might also be a good idea for parents to use them as either school preparatory tools or as interim fillers. The look and feel of the books does not scream academia, and children are likely to take to them quite happily.
The Exploring Malta series is published by Miller Publishing and is available from most bookshops.
www.millermalta.com