It’s a chance to play Indiana Jones, or Dora the Explorer – whichever fits your family demographic better – but the Peking Man Tour is, in many an expat parent’s opinion, a worthwhile day trip that blends learning with hands-on activities and fun!

Without giving too much of the actual tour away, its itinerary includes a visit to the Peking Man Museum and actual excavation sites in ZhouKouDian under the guidance of Chinese Academy of Sciences paleontologist Dr. Thomas Stidham, who is the scientific half of the entrepreneurial duo behind China Culture Plus. His wife, Ying, has developed the brand as a fully licensed travel company that provides hikes and science activities for families keen on exploring Chinese culture and historic sites. Claire Willats, expat mom of two, said, “The tour was very good and well-put-together. The museum itself is very nice and quite big! The caves are very interesting but you definitely need a guide to really understand what to see there and to comprehend the site’s importance.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. While you could visit the museum and excavation sites on your own, what made the visit truly amazing was the passionate commentary that Dr. Tom, as we so affectionately call him, provided as we wandered through both the museum and fossil sites. China Culture Plus also provided the kids a handy booklet to keep them engaged throughout the tour, challenging them to find answers and sketch items from the museum and caves into the book. Just to let you know how much of a difference the book made on the tour, there were so many other visitors to the museum that stopped my kid to ask where he got the book from!

After the site visits, we took a short walk across the river to a local restaurant for eats. The food was tasty and plentiful and the washroom extremely decent. To round off the tour, the kids got to make fossil imprints using leaves they had collected earlier and painted little plaster dinosaurs as well. Dr. Tom also quizzed the kids at the end and gave them beautiful certificates, signifying their completion of the tour! These extra touches really show the careful consideration that China Culture Plus has put into the tour to ensure the kids learn while having fun.

Other participants felt the same. Jane Li said, “We just debriefed Niuniu and he said he especially enjoyed the cave exploration and afternoon activities. He said Dr. Tom was very hardworking!” Expat dad Alex echoed the sentiment, explaining “It was a very informative and enjoyable trip, plus the kids are so happy to make new friends!” Catrin Friedl was also “impressed by how much her daughter was able to tell her dad after the tour!”

In March, China Culture Plus is organizing another scientific discovery of fun! This time, it’s a “Night With the Dinosaurs” at the Paleozoological Museum of China, where participants get exclusive access to the museum exhibits after hours and sleep in tents right next to the dinosaur bones! Imagine the dreams the kids are going to have…

For more information, scan the QR code above.

KEEP READING: Please Touch! Kid-Friendly Museums in Beijing

Images: Ray Wu, China Culture Plus