6 Box Calendar Gift Ideas for European Travelers & Homeschoolers
So many aspiring travelers have been stranded at home in 2020, hoping for the day they can hit the road (or the skies) again. What better gift for the holidays than a daily calendar that will help them count down the days in 2021 until they can see the Eiffel Tower, or cruise a Venetian canal again? And as a bonus…the suggestions on this list will even help them prepare for that European trip!
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Daily box calendars (or Page-A-Day calendars) aren’t just fun a fun distraction on your desk for dreaming of travel. They can be educational as well. All of the options listed below have something to teach the user, whether it is about new sights to see, bite-sized historical facts, or even a new language. For homeschooling, changing the calendar can be a great way to start the day. I have been using one with my daughter for all of 2020. While she engages with each day’s new image and text, she learns new geography, new vocabulary, new history, and so much more. It’s a fun little exercise that doesn’t feel like work as we go over that day’s page together!
(If wall calendars are more your style, check out my article 25 Calendar Gifts Under $15 for European Travelers.)
So let’s take a look at some of the great options available!
Paris Page-A-Day
This Paris Page-A-Day calendar is the calendar that I have for this year, and we love it so much that I already bought it again for 2021! The photography (a mix of modern color photos and historic black & white images) is stellar. And the accompanying text is informative and full of evocative quotes from writers about the city. The clear acrylic stand that holds the pages looks nice and is sturdy enough that it has stood up to over nine months of rough handling by my daughter as she changes the pages each day. (To change the pages, you take the front page and move it to the back of the box. Halfway through the year, you turn the stack over.)
Italy Day to Day Box Calendar
The Italy Day to Day Box Calendar from Willow Creek Press (which also makes beautiful wall calendars) features soy-ink printed tear-off pages on a recyclable plastic base. The minimalist page design includes a notation for where the image was taken, and some note lines. There’s also a monthly calendar on each day, with the current day highlighted.
Ireland Day to Day Box Calendar
If it’s pubs, craggy coastlines, and windswept hills that call out to you, this Ireland Day to Day Box Calendar will have you longing for Ireland! The Ireland Day to Day calendar, made by Willow Press, has the same soy ink tear off pages and recyclable plastic base as the Italy calendar. And the minimalist design offers note space (perfect for adding your family’s special occasions) along with a photo caption and a mini monthly calendar.
Rick Steves Europe Page-A-Day Calendar
Want to spend the year enjoying all that Europe has to offer? The Rick Steves Europe Page-A-Day calendar is packed full of more information than any other calendar on this list - a great option for homeschoolers. It offers information on geography, history, and culture for countries all across Europe. In addition to an amazing photo each calendar page includes a mini location map, explanatory text, and of course - the date! The calendar includes European holidays as well. The eco-friendly design of the Rick Steves Page-A-Day calendar uses no plastic, FSC-certified paper pages with graph paper reverse for note taking, and a recyclable cardboard backer.
Art Page-A-Day Calendar
One thing that makes touring Europe and its myriad of museums much more interesting is an understanding of art. The Art Page-A-Day calendar will give you (or your kids) an art history education in small chunks every day throughout the year! Or learn to appreciate and enjoy art by living with it every day. Each page includes a full identification of the art work, including the title, artist, year, art medium, and the collection that holds it. The calendar is housed in a nice looking plastic box stand, and the pages are printed on FSC-certified paper.
Living Language Calendar (French, German, Italian or Spanish)
Would you like to improve your skills in French, German, Italian or Spanish? The simple design of the Living Language calendar series might be what you need! Each day learn (or refresh) a new vocabulary word and use it in a sentence. And since the calendar is bilingual, you’ll learn the months and days of the week, too! The tear-off pages on the Living Language calendars come on a recyclable plastic easel.
After researching this article, I think that I want them all! I’m going to have a calendar in every room of the house before I’m done! Which 2021 calendar are your going to gift someone special - or keep for yourself?
