7 Wonders

Nowadays, we have Lonely Planet, Frommer’s, and Fodor’s to tell us where to travel and what marvelous sights to see in the world, but 2,000 years ago, there was no travel guide to the wonders of the ancient world – that is, until Antipater of Sidon, a Greek poet, put together a list of “must-see” places in about 140 B.C. For kids curious about his list of the Seven Wonders of the World, this issue is their ticket to a tour of these marvels of Mediterranean construction – none of which exist today, apart from the Great Pyramid.

They’ll start their trip at the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which – with its waterfalls, pools, and overgrown terraces – has to be the favorite of the Seven Wonders of the World, for kids. As they go along on their journey around the region, stopping to learn about each Wonder, a modern-day “wonder work” is compared to each ancient one. Cambodia’s Angkor Wat steps in for the Temple of Artemis, and our own Statue of Liberty takes over for the Colossus of Rhodes, updating the old list of the Seven Wonders of the World. For kids who like to travel, this new list may be just what they need to plan out future adventures.