How I Use “Passport to Adventures” to Guide Our Unit Studies
There’s something magical about combining story, hands‑on learning, and intentional planning—and Passport to Adventures (a digital unit‑study curriculum built around the Magic Tree House series) brings it all together beautifully. Here’s how I’ve woven it into our homeschool rhythm and kept everything streamlined, exciting, and month‑by‑month focused.
1. A Ready‑to‑Go, Multi‑Discipline Curriculum
Inside the PDFs you’ll find:
Teachers Manual: A guide with weekly book units (35 total), complete with science, history, geography, art, craft ideas, Pinterest and YouTube links, field trips, games like “Race to the Magic Tree House,” and family movie‑night suggestions
Student Notebook: Includes maps, character comparisons, coloring, tracing, manuscript & cursive copy work, plus writing prompts—designed for all ages to meet them where they are.
Timeline Cards + Games: An engaging way to track history and reinforce learning through play.
This format makes it simple- everything in one place and no last‑minute scrambling.
2. Monthly Focus with Bingo Boards
To stay organized each month, I create a themed bingo board:
Squares: Activities from the Passport units—like timeline map coloring, play the board game, complete a science experiment, write prompts from the notebook, watch a connected YouTube video.
Bingo Rewards: After a completed row, column, or the whole board by month’s end, we do a special field trip, movie night, or themed treat - like an Ancient Egypt Dig Kit!
This helps visualize progress and keeps us motivated to explore multiple subjects weekly.
3. Discovery Decks for Q&A & Curiosity Sparks
I layer on Discovery Decks—each deck is 20 question cards with QR‑code videos covering topics like animals, plants, space, ocean, U.S. presidents, and more.
We use them to decide a weekly focus (e.g., “All About Space” when we’re working on the Midnight on the Moon unit).
I select 1-2 decks per month and post them on our bingo board in squares; “Watch 2 Discovery Deck videos and complete writing assignment.”
The QR codes lead right to short videos—no prep, no hunting, just instant learning.
These help break monotony and let the kids follow their spark without me planning everything.
Why It Works for Us
Multisensory: Crafts, games, writing, maps, books, videos, etc. - So many ways to learn!
Low prep, high impact: Everything is curated for you! You can add more if you want BUT you can simply grab and go too!
Interest‑led flexibility: The bingo‑board and decks allow us to follow kid interests while staying on theme.
Monthly rhythm: One unit per month gives us time to dig deep before starting a new theme.
Tips to Get Started
Pick 12 Passport units for the school year—one per month.
Pair with Discovery Deck themes that complement each unit (e.g., animals + dolphins, space + moon).
Design a bingo board or download one I have made with 25 squares—fill it with themes, activities, and cards.
Celebrate wins with simple rewards when the board’s complete.
In Summary
Passport to Adventures gives structure, content, and a loving framework rooted in story. My monthly bingo boards add clear goals and fun, while the Discovery Decks keep the curiosity flames alive without extra work.
All our materials live in one place, making planning short and enjoyable—and helping me stay focused, organized, and excited about teaching and our homeschooling journey!
