A former solicitor turned travel expert has created a unique fun and educational service designed to fill children with a desire to explore the world.
Christina Armstrong left the law to work in online marketing for the travel industry and has now turned her love of visiting new places into a business called Geo Journey.
The subscription-based service provides children aged five to 10 with everything they need to find out more about the world. Featuring a cartoon owl called Geo and a puppy named Atlas, it all starts with an adventure kit containing scrapbook, passport, stickers, map, and bag. Children then receive post from Geo & Atlas with activities and souvenirs and learn about a new country every month.
Whitburn-based Christina, who studied at Durham University, was inspired to create Geo Journey by her own children, daughter Willow, five, and two-year-old son, Roman.
She said: “I’ve always loved travel and have been lucky enough to do a lot of it. I worked on a summer camp in America as a teenager and now as a mum, I recognise just how important travel and experiencing different countries and cultures are to children’s education and development.
“Geo Journey started out as a project to get my own children interested in geography in a fun and creative way. I’ve designed the packs to encourage play and make learning fun. Each edition is filled with quality items that children can return to time and time again to learn about the wider world around them.”
Christina, who studied psychology before completing a degree in law, is launching Geo Journey in time for Christmas. The packs will be available to buy via her own website and through online channels such as Amazon. There will also be a Geo Journey Facebook page running competitions and regular updates.
The first editions have been thoroughly tried and tested by Christina’s own children and their friends and the product has the unique distinction of being a gift that lasts a whole year.
Christina said: “I’ve had great feedback from other mums with under-10s and my next step is to introduce Geo Journey to schools. There’s huge scope for activities related to the characters Geo and Atlas.
“Launching a new business is a big step for me, but I’m really enjoying working on a project where I can involve my own children, give them a taste for travel and hopefully inspire children all over the UK to find out about the world.”
Geo Journey subscriptions cost £99 for a year and can also be purchased monthly from £10 per month.