One of the greatest things about childhood is the sense of wonder kids have for the world around them. Creating make believe kingdoms and lands far, far away is an important part of learning who we are and how we fit on this Earth, but it’s also the best way to watch their imaginations at work and see what they dream up if they were in charge.
Would they build their kingdom inland, nestled in the hills for protection or would they build right along the waterways with a port for shipping? Would the islands around be named something 
exotic, filled with golden beaches and lagoons or would it be foreboding and dark, a place where pirates roam free? And, most importantly, where would they bury their treasure?
These are some of the many questions you and your little one will discuss as they bring their “world” to life with Kidlandia. Kidlandia is just what it sounds like: a land just for kids, made entirely by kids. The Kidlandia site helps your child easily create a map of their kingdom, adding features, images, graphics, "kreechers", Disney characters, text and more and then allowing you to place them, resize them, rotate and move them and finalize your design right on their easy to use website.
In the middle of a big snowstorm this year we got a chance to do just that as we created a treasure map with Kidlandia that is certain to be a well loved keepsake. Really, the hardest part of the process was deciding what we would create our map on – whether it would be a blanket, a scroll, wall hanging, t-shirt, canvas, growth chart, placemat, puzzle, mouse pad, magnet or pillow case. After much debate we finally decided on two pillowcases, which are perfect for folding into a treasure hunter pack as a map {bonus: it doesn’t rip!} and still extremely practical for our world traveler bedroom theme because they are able to grow with the kids.
After we decided what we were making, the next debate was how we would personalize the map. Since we have two kids and didn’t want to leave either child out, we decided to make a family map that they could share. To do this, we just used our last name for the kingdom name and let the Kidlandia program auto-fill in the map for us.
We then changed up many of the auto-filled text and instead used nicknames for both, funny expressions they say, and names and nicknames of many of their friends and family to personalize the map for both of them. After that, we added some nautical accents to the map in the oceans, castles and buildings to the land, and finished our special map. The resulting kingdom map was so cool that the kids simply couldn’t wait to show everyone. Luckily, the pillowcase arrived quickly and we were able to have the finished product to display, decorate, and play with.
Once they arrived, we immediately began to play with them, folding them into squares and putting them in the kids’ treasure hunter packs so they would be all ready to search for riches. The pillow case fabric is fairly thin and can easily be crumpled into a pack, rolled, or even hung on the wall for a cute piece of practical art, which I thought was pretty cool. The only thing I would change about the pillowcases is that I wish the backing fabric was brown or cream instead of white, which would look better with the antique-looking map on the front. Not a deal breaker for sure, but something I would like to see changed at some point.
The kids were so excited to go back over the names of all the places, thrilled that their cousins, friends, and family names were all represented on the map that they had chosen and were excited to show everyone where their names were. I really love that each child has their own island territory in the kingdom that is uniquely theirs and that they share the mainland as the center of the kingdom. I think it’s going to lead to some really fun play scenarios that they can build upon together.
I really love that the Kidlandia products will be a great toy and learning tool, then a great addition to the décor, and finally, will become a keepsake that they can each keep from their childhood – There really aren’t many kid’s products that you can say that about! If your little one would love to make their own kingdom, wall hanging, blanket or more, I would highly recommend Kidlandia as a great gift that they can help you create or you can surprise them with. Just think of how excited a little one would be to open a Kidlandia personalized product just for them!
{note: this picture has been edited to protect family and friends who requested we not use their names – obviously the map does not have those white bars on it!}
If you go to the Kidlandia website, the first thing you will notice is that it doesn't look like an online store, it really is a place for kids. In addition to personalized products that you can buy {like the pirate map pillow cases we reviewed}, there are also a number of interactive features right on the website. From online games, mobile apps, plus toys and even printable, personalized products, there are lots of ways to keep the kids entertained for hours.
A big thank you to Kidlandia for allowing us to review a set of personalized pillowcases. All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.