But not only did Flat Stanley introduce my (then) young daughters to geography when we first started this project (they were 6 & 7 at the time), he also opened up the world of current events when he survived Katrina with his host family and spent some time with the troops in Iraq.
The girls learned about these events through the eyes of their Flat Stanley and his hosts. It gave them a new perspective on these national news items and brought things down to a personal level that they could grasp and understand (for better or worse). My hope with both of these particular "trips" was that my daughter's silly little drawing brought a bit of levity to otherwise serious, scary and unsettling experiences.
Last night my dad forwarded me a news story about the Flat Stanley traveling on the US Airways plane that landed in the Hudson River. I bet that third grade class in Kentucky has had a good long chat about that miraculous story after reading Stanley's first-hand account of it.
If you're unfamiliar with what the heck a Flat Stanley is, learn more on Wikipedia.
Flat Stanley traveling is typically a school project so trading usually requires the blessing of a classroom teacher to get started with the Official Flat Stanley project. But there is a Yahoo Group of Flat Travelers for families interest in starting a traveling Flat Stanley on their own. Or if you have a friend who travels and is willing to take a flat friend along for a few photo ops, that's even better.
If your family has a Flat Stanley, tell us about him. My girls are thinking about getting back to hosting and traveling again and would love to hear about other kids in Maine doing it.
G. at the Portland Public Library a few years ago with the inspiration for the Flat Stanley project.
L., the Almeida Fam's Flat Stanley creator, imitating her drawing at Sebago Lake the year she drew it.
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