What is the most completely fun game you have ever played, with someone you haven’t met? I can say unequivocally, that it is swapping shoe boxes!
After several chats about differences of the cultural kind with Dandelionmom, of The Flip side of DandelionEnd we decided to exchange things that were exclusive to, originating from, or representative of, our country of residence. What an adventure!
We learned a lot about our own country, Australia. Who knew that Darrell Lea produced 40,000 km of licorice annually? Or that only Australian children make themselves sick on Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs? Or that we don’t have a brand of chewing gum that is “just Australian”?
Receiving our box yesterday was an adventure in discovery! We were introduced for the first time to Stash premium licorice spice herbal tea. We oooohed and aaaaahed over some adorable, hand crafted leather moccasins for baby, poured over a seed catalogue with every page containing fresh delights, laughed at how different the grocery brochure looked, and saw our first ever carton of Quaker Quick Grits! (we’re still working on how to serve those!)
As a family project, this has been a very educational experience. It took loads of discussion, research, and exercise of team work skills, to decide on what went into our sending box! Exploring the things the DandelionEnder’s chose to send to us was indescribably fun, something I am sure my family will never forget.
Obviously, the enjoyment factor maybe influenced by our stumbling across a family who put a lot of time and effort into choosing things for the box. If you find a family with similar interests to you, and decide on a box size limit, (honestly, your sending pile can sneak up to shipping container size if you’re not careful!) I can’t recommend this activity highly enough. For us, this game was certainly a memory maker. Thank you Dandelionmom!
March 18, 2008 at 9:56 pm
This is an excellent idea! Wanna do it again? With a family in Germany? Or if you are not interested, perhaps one of your readers?
March 18, 2008 at 9:58 pm
(Sorry, anyone wishing to contact me must use the topbar of my blog –which is in German– and click the “Kontakt Anitz” button, where if you use the top field to send a message, that will be forwarded to me by e-mail and no one else will see it, if you use the bottom field, that is akin to using the commentary field…)
March 19, 2008 at 1:20 am
SOunds fun, but have you tried letterboxing?
:):)
http://www.atlasquest.com
Tammy
March 19, 2008 at 7:27 am
Anitz, we’d be pleased to swap boxes with you!
March 19, 2008 at 7:31 am
Tammy, thanks for that link – letterboxing looks like heaps of fun! I’d not heard of that before, but I will certainly be having a closer look at the site!
March 20, 2008 at 5:32 am
I am glad you had fun with the box! The e-mail pic of your children dutifully trying to choke down that All-American oddity Kraft Mac-n-Cheese is priceless!
March 20, 2008 at 9:59 am
Ah, Mac-n-Cheese. Maybe you have to grow up on it
What will be interesting, is seeing your treasures try Vegemite for the first time! Now that’s an acquired taste, for sure!
March 20, 2008 at 2:09 pm
[...] and well thought out-with presents in beautiful paper for each member of our family!! (Yes!! Beyond Bluestockings knew AND correctly spelled all names AND selected Australian age-appropriate lovely gifts for each [...]
November 28, 2008 at 10:30 pm
[...] it when the mailman surprises me. Yesterday I received a parcel from far off Minnesota, from our shoebox swap friends at Dandelionend. What [...]