Little Passports World Edition

Little Passports World Edition takes kids ages 6-10 on a monthly journey to a new country. Each box includes hands-on activities, souvenirs, stickers, and letters from fictional pen pals Sam and Sofia. Children learn geography, culture, and world awareness through engaging screen-free activities.

Little Passports has been introducing children to world geography and cultures since 2009, shipping millions of boxes to curious kids and their families. Founded by two moms in San Francisco, Amy Norman and Stella Ma, the company creates screen-free educational experiences that make learning about the world feel like an adventure rather than homework.

The World Edition subscription takes kids ages 6-10 to a new country each month through hands-on activities, collectible souvenirs, and letters from fictional pen pals Sam and Sofia. The narrative framework, following Sam and Sofia’s travels around the globe, transforms geography education into an ongoing story that keeps children engaged month after month.

With an A+ BBB rating and 17 years in operation, Little Passports has established itself as one of the most recognized educational subscription boxes for children. The company earns consistent praise for educational quality while some reviews note customer service and cancellation challenges that warrant consideration.

About Little Passports

Amy Norman and Stella Ma founded Little Passports after noticing that geography education in schools often lacked engagement. Traditional approaches, memorizing capitals, coloring maps, didn’t capture children’s natural curiosity about different cultures. They envisioned a subscription that would make geography exploration feel like adventure.

The Sam and Sofia narrative was central to their vision. These fictional pen pals “travel” the world, writing letters home about their adventures. Children develop a relationship with these characters over months of subscription, anticipating where Sam and Sofia will explore next. This storytelling framework transforms passive learning into active engagement.

The business has scaled significantly since 2009, now offering multiple subscription lines beyond World Edition: Early Explorers for ages 3-5, USA Edition for learning American geography, Science Expeditions for STEM exploration, and Space Quest for astronomy enthusiasts. This expansion reflects both market demand and the founders’ belief that curiosity-driven learning works across subjects.

Little Passports maintains editorial partnerships with educators and cultural advisors to ensure accuracy and age-appropriateness. Activities are designed to be completed independently by children in the target age range (with guidance for younger subscribers), building confidence alongside knowledge.

Pricing Plans

Plan	Price	Per Month	Savings
Monthly	$24.95/month	$24.95	-
6-Month Prepaid	$134.70	$22.45	Save 10%
12-Month Prepaid	$227.40	$18.95	Save 24%

Free US shipping. Gift subscriptions available.

What’s Included

First Box - Explorer Kit:

• Blue suitcase for storing souvenirs and supplies
• Wall-sized world map for tracking countries explored
• Passport to stamp with each new destination
• Introduction to Sam and Sofia characters
• First country activities and materials

Monthly Boxes:

• Country-specific activities (2-3 projects per box)
• Collectible souvenirs from the featured country
• Letters from Sam and Sofia describing their adventures
• Country stickers for the world map
• Passport stamps and stickers
• Fun facts and cultural information

Countries and Content

Each month features a different country with age-appropriate content:

Activities May Include:

• Craft projects inspired by local traditions
• Games and puzzles about geography
• Cultural activities (recipes, language, customs)
• Science connections to the region
• Stories and history appropriate for ages 6-10

Souvenirs and Collectibles:

• Mini items representing the country
• Stickers for the world map
• Passport stamps
• Trading cards with country facts

How It Works

1. Subscribe: Choose monthly or prepaid plan for World Edition (ages 6-10)
2. Receive Explorer Kit: First box includes suitcase, world map, passport, and first country adventure
3. Monthly Adventures: New country arrives each month with activities and souvenirs
4. Track Progress: Add stickers to the world map and stamps to the passport
5. Learn and Play: Complete activities together as a family or independently

Other Little Passports Subscriptions

Little Passports offers age-specific options:

• Early Explorers (Ages 3-5): Introduction to world themes through play
• USA Edition (Ages 7-12): Explore two US states per month
• Science Expeditions (Ages 9+): STEM experiments and scientific exploration
• Space Quest (Ages 8+): Astronomy and space science activities

The Collection Experience

A key aspect of Little Passports’ appeal is the cumulative collection element:

Building Over Time: The starter kit’s world map becomes a visual record of exploration. Each month’s country stickers show progress. The passport fills with stamps. The blue suitcase accumulates souvenirs. After 6-12 months, children have a tangible representation of their global learning.

Engagement Design: This collection mechanic serves educational purposes beyond motivation. Children reference previous countries when learning new ones. Comparing souvenirs builds cross-cultural awareness. The map provides geographic context that deepens with each addition.

Gift Potential: The collection aspect makes Little Passports particularly effective as a gift subscription. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family friends can give something that arrives monthly, building anticipation and maintaining connection across distance.

Comparison with Competitors

vs. KiwiCo Atlas Crate: Both offer cultural exploration for children. KiwiCo Atlas focuses more on craft projects related to cultures; Little Passports emphasizes geography and the Sam/Sofia narrative. Little Passports suits younger children (6-8); Atlas Crate targets older children with more complex projects.

vs. Universal Yums: Universal Yums provides international snacks rather than activities. For children interested in global cultures, combining both subscriptions could be complementary, learning about a country through Little Passports activities while tasting its snacks through Universal Yums.

vs. Homeschool Geography Curricula: Traditional curricula offer more depth but less engagement for young children. Little Passports works well as a supplement to formal education, providing hands-on reinforcement for geographic concepts.

Subscription Management

User reviews mention cancellation as a friction point. Key considerations:

• Cancellation Method: Requires contacting customer service rather than self-service
• Retention Offers: Expect discount offers during cancellation process
• Prepaid Plans: Avoid cancellation issues by committing to 6-12 month prepaid plans that simply don’t renew
• Skip Options: Limited ability to skip months during subscription

If you anticipate potentially canceling, prepaid plans provide cleaner exits than monthly subscriptions requiring active cancellation.

Who It’s For

Perfect For:

• Children ages 6-8 curious about the world
• Families seeking screen-free educational activities
• Kids who love collecting stickers and souvenirs
• Grandparents giving educational gift subscriptions
• Homeschooling families supplementing geography curriculum
• Children who engage well with narrative-driven learning

Consider Alternatives If:

• Your child prefers building/engineering (try KiwiCo)
• Your child is older than 9 (activities may feel young)
• You need immediate activity, box activities can be completed quickly
• You’re outside the US (no international shipping)
• Easy cancellation is important (prepaid plans recommended)
• Your child doesn’t engage with character-driven narratives

The A+ BBB rating indicates operational reliability, and 17 years in business demonstrates sustainable model. Most families find strong value for curious children in the target age range, particularly when subscribed for 6+ months to accumulate the collection experience that makes Little Passports distinctive.