Adventures from Scratch: On-the-Go Challenges, In-Home Adventures, Tear-Out Goodies, and So Much More by LET'S ROAM, RL: All ages

Adventures from Scratch: On-the-Go Challenges, 

In-Home Adventures, Tear-Out Goodies, and So Much More 

Review Copy from LET'S ROAM

Before I tell you how amazing the book Adventures from Scratch is, I need to tell you about the authors and why they are perfectly poised to create a book like this. Brothers Charlie and Mike Harding share passion for travel that, combined with a love of the digital world, inspired them to create what is now the number one app-led scavenger hunt company. What I especially appreciate about the brothers and their approach to scavenger hunts is their goal of connecting people through exploration and collaboration. Their scavenger hunts tours are created by a team of expert writers and on-the-ground adventurers who find, "the must-sees and hidden secrets in cities worldwide. On your scavenger hunt, your team will walk around the city, making discoveries, earning points for every challenge you complete. You’ll learn about the city and each other on a one-of-a-kind adventure." Solving riddles, answering trivia, learning fun facts and conquer challenges are some of the things participants will do on scavenger hunts. I am a huge fan of The Amazing Race because it lets me armchair travel with my family and learn a little bit about the countries and cultures visited on each leg of the race. Of course, watching the teams complete their challenges is fun, too, and Let's Roam is a company that gives everyone the opportunity to bring a little bit of The Amazing Race into their lives!

In addition to curated scavenger hunts, Let's Roam offers Birthday and Bachelorette Party Scavenger Hunts that are specific to the celebrant. They also offer these services virtually! This is especially vital now and Let's Roam is adapting to the demands of the pandemic in exciting ways - Adventures from Scratch being one of them!

The creativity and excitement for adventure bursts off every page of this fantastic book! First of all, the packaging is superb. About the size of a picture book, Adventures from Scratch comes boxed, with a letter to adventurers from Charlie and Michael Harding, founders of Let's Roam, a sticker-patch and a ergonomically designed chip for scratching off the details of each adventure, of which there are more than fifty. There is also a number to text before starting that connects you with Let's Roam and offers advice and support, if needed. Best of all, Adventures from Scratch gives families space to write about their adventures, making this a book you will keep even after you have scratched off the last challenge. The organization of this book is stellar, with a key that lets you know what you are getting into before you scratch. Icons let you know where adventures will happen (In Home, Outdoor, or Away from Home) when you need to plan ahead (scratch off a day or two ahead to make sure you have everything you need) and cost. Not all adventures come with a added costs, but icons let you know when you might incur expenses, all of which cost under $35.00 to complete, with some coming in at under $10.00. Icons also let you know if you need craft supplies as well as favorites of the Let's Roam staff. Finally, and crucially, icons let you know how long an adventure will take, starting with 15 minute mini-adventures, 30 minute mid-sized adventures and finally two-plus hour adventures.

The book is divided into adventures: Explore, Get Silly, Cook, Create, Move, Learn and Spread Joy, ending with THE FINAL CHALLENGE. But, before you get there, there is a special Date Night just for parents and a mysterious Golden Challenge. Within each category, there are eight challenges, each with a hint or two giving you an idea of what to expect before scratching, along with the icons to let you know cost, time, location, etc. 

As if all this weren't enough, THERE'S MORE! The Pay It Forward Adventure Cards let families invite others to adventure with the help of prompts and specially designed, sturdy cards that say things like: "If you are reading this, you must go to the biggest __________________ in the city and find a ___________" and "You've been challenged to an adventure! If you are reading this you must __________" Cards can be given to friends and family or left around town for anyone to encounter. There is also a page for your family to write out your own adventure goals, organized by season. Along with this come scavenger hunt score cards that you can tear out and take with you on Hikes and Walks, Drives and Road Trips, and Anytime Family Fun. There are things to find in each environment, questions to ask each other and things to do that, like ever aspect of this book (and Let's Roam) engage and connect. There are even four punch-out postcards (perfect for sending to grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles) that invite recipients to have adventures like working as a family to make a traditional family recipe that has been passed down through generations, find the nearest "world's largest" oddity and even build a time machine and put on era-appropriate outfits! The creativity and excitement for adventure bursts off every page and you can tell that Let's Roam just can't stop sharing their passion. Even the endpapers on the back cover of the book has encouragements and adventures to keep families exploring!

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