Chapter 1 · Going Deeper
To complement Max & McKenzie's adventure to Cairo, here is a curated set of free, high-quality resources to dive deeper into the wonders of Egypt — from the bustle of the modern city to the ancient mysteries of the pyramids.
A bright, kid-friendly tour of Cairo that sets the Great Pyramid and the River Nile right next to the busy modern city — a good way to picture where Max & McKenzie posted their letter from.
Watch the Cairo facts film → →A quick, beautifully made introduction to Ancient Egypt from National Geographic Kids — with a whole playlist to wander into if your explorer wants more.
Watch the Nat Geo Kids film → →Fun facts from Professor Propeller covering Egypt then and now, including a look at hieroglyphics and how to count in Arabic.
Watch the Professor Propeller film → →A short, clear film covering the big five: the Pyramids of Giza, mummies, the River Nile, the pharaohs, and Egyptian civilisation itself.
Watch the five-things film → →A fuller, fact-rich film about the pyramids, the Sphinx and Ancient Egypt — made for older or more determined explorers.
Watch the in-depth film → →A treasure trove of free printable Ancient Egypt activities from Imagining History. Family favourites: crafting Tutankhamun's death mask, building a Senet board, a light-hearted twelve-part guide to how a mummy was made, and a look at what Ancient Egyptians ate.
Open the Imagining History activities → →A free, immersive game where your explorer digs for and examines real artefacts in the Valley of the Kings, a workers' village at Giza, and the Temple of Karnak.
Play Excavate! Egypt → →What did children do for fun four thousand years ago? BBC Bitesize explores ancient board games like Senet — proof that play existed long before screens.
Read the BBC Bitesize guide → →A wealth of facts from Ducksters — monuments, geography, culture, history, rulers, inventions and more. Best for older children.
Explore Ducksters: Ancient Egypt → →This month's podcast episode
The Chapter 1 fun-facts deep dive — great for the school run or bedtime.
Watching safely. The films above are on YouTube. We suggest watching together, in fullscreen, and using YouTube Kids where you can — it keeps the focus on the film rather than the recommended-videos rabbit hole beside it.
A tip straight from our own house: once your child has the hieroglyph alphabet from the pack, set them loose leaving secret coded notes around the house for you to crack. Our Heidi did exactly that the day her pack arrived, and did not stop for a whole afternoon.
Folded, cooked or built something from this chapter? Email a photo to Helen — Max & McKenzie love seeing it.
The Mailbox Club · 2 Barncroft, Wallingford
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