"It's Africa!"

I've been keeping a big secret from the kids that I've know about for a year now . . .

This summer, we are going on a family safari with National Geographic to Tanzania.

I've been waiting to tell the kids because, as kids are, they are impatient with time. If I told them too early, they would get frustrated and their excitement would wane.

We are about a month out from the trip and I decided now was the perfect time to reveal the trip. I decided to make them clue cards that would slowly reveal our destination:

I put one clue card in each of their new Osprey packs for the trip, with the hydration backpacks being the first clue.

Then I had them open their packs and reveal the clues, one by one.

Unfortunately, Jafta got the jump on the clues from the very beginning, and he was all over the answer before the other kids caught up. I tried to keep him guessing, reminding him that Africa was not actually a country. But he got there pretty quick!

The kids have been writing penpals from a Massai tribe in Tanzania for the past year, not knowing that they will meet them on this trip. This is a feature available for many of the family expeditions through National Geographic. This has given us a great entry point for the kids to learn about Tanzania before we go.

I think this will be an adventure of a lifetime for our family.