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Category: Kids Activities

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Happy Holidays!

Welcome December!!!

There is a magic flare that surrounds our homes and brings joy to many in different parts of the world. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanza, St. Lucia Day, Three Kings Day, Las Posadas or any of your beloved traditions rejoice at spending precious moments with your loved ones and together create new experiences for the whole family that will become cherished memories.

This time of the year is very special for children at schools. As a teacher you may have a multicultural class with families that celebrate more than one of those events. In our classes and right before the Holidays’ break we always had a special celebration.

With children from different parts of the world, I suggest you dedicate a complete theme to their Holidays’ traditions. Some children will spend the Holidays at home but some others will travel to their countries of origin to celebrate and spend time with their relatives and friends.

You may plan for parents to come to the class and speak to the children about their families’ traditions. Parents are always very receptive and will prepare a short talk about their countries with pictures with their families celebrating the Holidays, and typical snack bites they use to prepare for the occasion. (Use Guide included in the Happy Holidays Booklet below).

Children always love to see their parents participating in their classes and will enjoy the different talks and the food! Children will also learn a little bit more about their classmates and the way they celebrate their traditions.

This is a great opportunity to nurture and strengthen the relationship between parents and their children and to promote respect and appreciation for other peoples’ culture and traditions. Cherish your family traditions, and don’t be afraid to create new traditions this Holiday Season.

Here are some ideas to celebrate!

  1. Invite children to help you wrap up presents.Presents can also help us develop lifelong habits in our children. Let’s use this Holiday Season as an opportunity to prioritize giving above receiving and encouraging children to donate toys and clothes to other children in need. Make the preparations fun so children find joy in celebrating with you the act of giving to others.

Child with present by Graciela Castellanos

Regalos illustration  

 

2. Create a special place at school or at home where young children can recreate a nativity scene, light a menorah or kinara candles.

   

3. Encourage children to write a letter to Baby Jesus, the Thre Kings or Santa Claus (Included in the Happy Holidays Booklet below).

This activity can help children improve their language skills and keep them engaged. If children are still not writing paste a white piece of paper on top so they can instead draw and color what they would write.

                          
 

 

4. Play some music, sing and dance together! Here are some of our favorites: L4K Villancicos and Christmas Children’s songs.

Navidad, villancicos y canciones de Latinoamerica en Spotify.

Canciones de Navidad de Little Baby Boom.

Super Simple Songs for the Holidays.

Instrumental holiday songs for kids.  

 

5. Why not let kids learn some useful cooking skills while having fun? Following are some samples of easy and fun recipes for this Season.

Foodbites on Instagram has many fun and easy recipes for kids.

Check out our Pinterest Board on Easy Recipes for kids.  

 

6. Have kids go on a scavenger hunt Hide a bunch of Holiday items and give children a list. Have them find the most items within a time limit. This is a fun way to get them moving and exploring around the house or in your classes.  

 

7. Read books together Holiday-themed books are a great way to learn new things about the holidays while spending some quality time with your kids. Grab your child’s favorite book, even if it’s not a Holiday themed book, and cuddle up with him/her for creating cherished memories.  

 

8. Using household items, basic craft supplies, or kid-friendly playsets, children can create some decorations and hands-on crafts for placing around the house or on a christmas tree.

You can finf lots of creative ideas on our Pinterest Board, Christmas Crafts for Kids or on the internet.  

 

Last but not least here is our Happy Holidays Mini-Booklet in English and Spanish with activities for keeping the little ones  engaged. HAPPY HOLIDAYS BOOKLET 2022

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Songs for kids – Languages4kidz – YouTube channel

Songs for kids in English in our YouTube channel

Check out our YouTube channel with songs for kids in English.

When exposing little ones to an additional language musical activities such as songs, nursery rhymes and finger plays are an excellent resource for introducing a particular theme, develop children’s understanding and continuously build up, practice and reinforce the vocabulary in a way that makes it easy for children to follow along.

Sing songs and carry out the corresponding actions to make it fun and engaging. Even though, children cannot understand everything that is said, they will be learning many words that will form the basis for the target language later in their lives.

I also suggest pairing a song with a picture book theme and singing it after reading aloud to them.

Each of our picture books includes a song at the end that children can learn and sing as they practice the English language.

Music is an excellent way to engage young children because it is a natural and enjoyable part of their everyday lives. It contributes to children’s progress and learning in many different areas and most importantly in the area of language development.

Languages4kidz musical products include familiar songs and melodies, finger plays and nursery rhymes that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Some have been adapted to foster the development of children’s skills in the target language. Others have been created to enlighten vocabulary that are an important part of children’s lives, such as people (family members, teachers, friends), objects (clothing, furniture, cars, bikes), daily rituals (brushing teeth, bedtime), and memorable events (holidays, going on a field trip).

Check out some of the songs in English in our YouTube channel. And if you want to download them to your mobile device in minutes visit our SHOP.

Here is a sample. Enjoy!!!

 

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7 tips for keeping the kids speaking English this summer!!!

Summer will soon be here and with it the end of the school year. For many families, that means their kids’ interaction with the English language slows down. So what can parents do to keep the English learning going this summer?

As an English teacher you may be asking yourself what can parents do to keep the English learning going this summer in ways that are fun and can actually  enhance chidren’s natural language abilities.

With a little English spread throughout the summer, kids will retain what they have learned and go back to their English classes more confident of their abilities.

The key to keeping up English during the summer is finding activities that fit  families’ schedules and are not too complicated.

Here are some tips for you to share with parents on spending the Summer creating precious memories with their little ones while practicing and expanding their English abilities.

These recommendations are for ALL families whether they travel or stay at home:

  1. Enjoy Summer with our Picture Books.

Provide a list of books for summer reading. Languages4kidz Bundles are a great place to start.

Invite parents to:

Cuddle up with their children and read books together under a tree, at the park, at the pool, before bedtime or at any time during the day. Reading is one of the best ways to strengthen children’s language skills. Books allow children to review vocabulary and learn new words and expressions. They can talk about the book and do fun activities related to the theme in the book, such as drawing, puzzles, matching cards, art projects. They can find these and more interactive activities for our books on Languages4kidz website. These activities are FREE.

2. Listen to songs and sing along is another way to add English to their summer. They can listen to songs in the car, on a trip, on their way to their grandparent’s house or while making dinner. Songs are always appealing to young learners and are an excellent way to reinforce what they are learning in their classes. There are plenty of apps and channels in YouTube with kids’ songs in English.

Check out or downloadable songs for kids HERE.

Listen to some samples:

Skinnamarinky

Head and shoulders

Eeency, weensy spider

5 little monkeys

3. Play “I Spy” in the car, at the park, at the supermarket or at home. “I spy with my little eye, something red.”  (A red car.)

4. Open the back door and go camping.

Grab their best camping tent from the garage and pop it open, or get crafty and create a teepee with the kids.

Have kids play some outdoor games while engaging in English:

  • Look at the clouds and find similarities to shapes or objects.  (That cloud looks like a bear. That one looks like a heart.)
  • Engage in a scavenger hunt to keep basic vocabulary fresh
  • Prepare some s’mores together following a recipe in English

5. Watch some movies together.

Kids movies, TV shows and short online videos can be useful to expose kids to the English language.

Disney films have the advantage of being familiar to many kids. They entertain the whole family, are good exposure for younger kids and provide lots of new language.

Short videos for engaging kids in art projects are excellent for vocabulary and for following instructions. With a few simple steps, kids will be on their way to a super fun learning activity.

We recommend the following:

Make a kite by Lets Family Spain and then enjoy flying it with your children

Make play dough with flour, water and salt by Play Doh Kitchen.

Make silly putty by Emmymade extras.

Make a fishing game with magnets, sticks, rings, cotton, floss, wiggly eyes and different colors of felt. When the pieces are ready “Go Fishing” and have fun.

6. Take children on a nature walk and help them collect summer flowers, sticks, rocks and leaves to then use in art and crafts projects. Give them a magnifying glass and encourage them to look for bugs. Review the vocabulary related.


7. Prepare some healthy snacks after reading “Recipes for a healthy snack”.  Pack them in a picnic basket with the Go Fish game you made together and enjoy a fabulous day at the park.


HAVE A GREAT SUMMER VACATION!!!

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Spring is in the air! – Spring Curriculum for kids

We all enjoy very much this time of the year!

Spring brings joy with longer and warmer days, beautiful new foliage on trees and shrubs and colorful flowers in gardens.

We love going for a walk and stroll around the streets and spend time at the parks with other families playing and having fun. Using all our senses during this time of the year is a blessing. To hear the birds singing, to see the flowers bloom, to smell the garden fragrances, to softly touch some baby animals and to taste the typical produce nature brings to us during this time of year is just wonderful! Spring is that special time of the year to get more active and willing to explore nature with our loved ones.

During Spring there are lots of holidays celebrated around the world:

Easter, Passover, April Fool’s Day, Earth Day, Arbor Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Cinco De Mayo.

If you want your child to grow loving the English language or if you are an English teacher, Spring is a great time to build up on children’s vocabulary with new words, Spring related books, songs and arts and crafts projects.

Mi Primer Inglés offers a variety of Picture Books, songs  and Curriculum Kits with thematic units related to Spring that are flexible and can be easily adapted to be used with children of different ages.

Take a look at these two English Curriculum Kits. They include a variety of materials in  digital format and can be used by anyone that teaches or wants to teach English to young children.

 

 

In Mi Primer Inglés 4 Toddlers 3 we talk about the things we do and celebrate during Spring and the changes we perceive in nature.  The first couple of lessons focus on reviewing vocabulary related to greetings and introductions as well as introducing children to weather related vocabulary. Then we continue with easy vocabulary, basic structures, expressions and actions related to the Spring season.   

We invite children to plant their own seeds, take care of them and watch them grow. We introduce them to the fascinating world of birds, bugs and butterflies.

Children have an opportunity to develop and enrich their English language skills through reading original picture books with beautiful illustrations, engaging activities, crafts and art projects, songs, rhymes and online games.  

 

 

In Mi Primer Inglés for Young Children 3 the first lessons focus on plants and how they experience growth and change throughout their lifetime. 

Then we give children an opportunity to explore caterpillars and butterflies, tadpoles and frogs and the changes they go through as they grow.  Activities in these lessons help children  learn about living things and life cycles.

During the remaining lessons in the curriculum children get to understand the basic needs of living organisms,  identify basic life cycles and learn about baby animals, their names and the things they are able to do as they grow.

Mi Primer Inglés 4 Toddlers 3 and Mi Primer Inglés 4 Young Children 3 include:

Teacher’s Guides with detailed lesson plans;

Themed songs, rhymes and finger plays;

3 Picture Books each;

Enrichment Activities Booklets, and

Online interactive activities with puzzle, memory cards, matching, coloring and more.

Follow this link to enjoy the activities online created fo “Spring is here”.

We have also created flashcards that you can download here.

I hope you like our Spring materials and that they inspire you to continue teaching English!

Remember,  ALL our materials are in digital format and can be downloaded to your device in minutes. You can get these materials and many more by entering our Shop.

 

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Celebrate March!!!

March is on its way! Let’s celebrate!

 

Throughout March and all year long:

Music in our schools month -The National Association for Music Education has chosen the month of March to be the time of year to focus on music education in schools all across the United States. Music, poetry, and the spoken word are very powerful tools for helping students learn and retain information. Much like language, the two share the superpower of building connections while uniting and bringing us together. Click for a few samples of songs for little ones.

 

 

National Women’s History Month – is a month-long event and each year a new theme is chosen. This year’s theme is “Women Providing Healing, Promoting Hope” – A tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history.

 

March 01 – Carnival or Mardi Gras – Is an annual festival celebrated mostly in American and European communities with colorful parades, dancing in the street, costumes and masked balls.

 

March 02 – Read Across America – Is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. It was launched in 1998 by the National Education Association (NEA). This year-round program’s theme calls for motivating every child and teen in every community to celebrate reading through different events, partnerships, and providing reading resources that are about everyone, for everyone. Check out our collection of books for Spring and enjoy reading with your little ones in English or Spanish.

 

March 08 – International Women’s Day – A celebration of women’s rights and their contributions to the history, culture and society in the world. I congratulate all my fellow colleagues who continuously preach by example. Those who create a myriad of activities to teach our little ones, ways to contribute and be kind and caring to others. May God bless them all!

Picture by Pixabay

 

March 14th – Albert Einstein’s Birthday – Born on March 14, 1879 and regarded as one of the greatest minds of all time. There is so much to learn about and from him.

 

March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day – Let’s celebrate by wearing green so as not to risk getting pinched! 

Check out our Pinterest Boards.

 

March 18 – Global recycling Day – A day for the world to come together and recognize the importance of recycling, preserving our primary resources and securing the future of our planet. Let’s take care of Mother Earth.

 

March 20th – The Arrival of Spring!!! Hopefully with lots of sun, nice weather and good things for all!!! Check out “La Primavera” a sweet poem in Spanish by Languages4kidz.

 

 

March 21st – World Poetry Day – A UNESCO day to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world. Poems can be magical for children. There is a world of poetry out there to explore. You can choose between a clever, funny, or get inspired and write your own with the children. Here are 2 short poems, one in Spanish and the other in English that you can share with the kids.

Los zapatitos me aprietan,
Las medias me dan calor,
El beso que me dio mi madre,
Lo llevo en el corazón.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet
And so are you!

 

May your March be wonderful!!!!

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Thanksgiving is almost here!

Let’s start celebrating!

There is a magic flare that surrounds our homes and brings joy to many in different parts of the world. Everyone seems focused on family traditions and “fiestas”. In only a week many of us will celebrate “Thanksgiving Day.”

In the International Schools I used to work for, we celebrated Thanksgiving with a fabulous lunch with parents and children together at the table. We all held hands before the meal and each child had the opportunity to give thanks. For this special celebration I prepared a mini unit with Thanksgiving vocabulary, arts and crafts activities, reading and writing exercises and songs. The children made beautiful decorations and dressed up as Indians and pilgrims. Children loved to see their parents sharing with their friends parents and gathering all together at the table. They enjoyed the delicious food contributed by their parents! And they learned a little bit more about this beautiful tradition and the way it is celebrated.

It was a great opportunity to bring families together and be thankful for who we are and the precious things we have. Check out these Thanksgiving songs in English and Spanish that you can sing with your children. And if you want more visit our YouTube Channel.

 

  Here are some activities that you may also use to engage your children.

 

Download here

 

 

Download here

 

 

Download here

 

 

Download here

 

 

Download here

 

 

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Bilingual Books on the Caribu App

A very special App.

Una App muy especial.

@Caribu is an app that lets you virtually read books to your children or grandchildren no matter where you are. It is perfect for moms and dads that travel and are on the go and for grandparents like myself who live far away. Our Collection of Bilingual Books for little ones is available on the App under Languages4kidz . Go check them out and never again miss precious moments reading with your children while having a conversation and having fun together! https://caribu.com/

@Caribu es una aplicación que te permite virtualmente leer libros a tus niños o a tus nietos sin importar donde te encuentres. Es perfecta para mamás y papás que viajan o se encuentran fuera de casa y también para abuelos como yo que vivo lejos de mi nieto. Nuestra Colección de libros bilingües están disponibles en la App bajo la sección de Languages4kidz. Echales un vistazo y no te pierdas nunca mas de bellos momentos leyendo con tus nietos, conversando y riendo juntos! https://caribu.com/

 

También puedes conseguir nuestros libros para niños en nuestra Tienda.

You can also find our books for little ones at our online shop or at Amazon.

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A colors rhyme

Poems and nursery rhymes are a great way to engage children in the repetition of concepts and vocabulary introduced.

Here is a color rhyme to recite with your class. Invite them to follow your actions. Point to the color you recite as you do the movement.

If your clothes have any red,
Put your finger on your head.
If you’re wearing any blue,
Put your finger on your shoe.
If you’re wearing something green,
Wave your hand so that you’re seen.
If you have on something yellow,
Give a smile like a happy fellow.
If your clothes have any brown,
Turn your smile into a frown.
If you’re wearing any black,
Put your hands behind your back.
If your clothes have any white,
Stamp your feet with all your might!

(Author Unknown)

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Times of Multicultural Holiday Celebrations

Let’s celebrate or multicultural traditions… We are almost at the end of November and we can see people everywhere getting ready to celebrate the Holidays. There is a magic flare that surrounds our homes and brings joy to many in different parts of the world. Everyone seems focused on family traditions and “fiestas”. Next week many of us will celebrate “Thanksgiving Day.”

In the International Schools I used to work for, we celebrated Thanksgiving with a fabulous lunch with parents and children together at the table. We all held hands before the meal and each child had the opportunity to give thanks. Then in December we find multicultural celebrations around the world. Some celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa or they may celebrate St. Lucia Day,Three Kings Day or Las Posadas. But you may have a multicultural class with families that celebrate more than one of those events.

In our classes and right before the Holidays’ break we also had a special celebration. Since we had children from different parts of the world we dedicated a complete theme to their Holidays’ traditions. Some of our children would spend the Holidays at home but some others would travel to their countries of origin to celebrate and spend time with their relatives and friends. I use to plan for parents to come to the class and speak to the children about their families’ traditions. Parents were always very receptive and would prepare a short presentation about their countries with pictures with their families celebrating the Holidays, and typical snack bites they used to prepare for the occasion. Children loved to see their parents participating in their classes.

They enjoyed the different presentations and the food! And they were to learn a little bit more about their classmates and the way they celebrated their traditions. It was a great opportunity to nurture and strengthen the relationship between parents and their children and to promote respect and appreciation for other peoples’ culture and traditions. Here is a short guide you may give to your parents: Our family is from/Nuestra familia es de ______________. (Name of child) was born in/nació en ______________________________________________________. This is an opportunity to pull out a map or a globe and point out the country. If possible, use Google Earth to take a virtual trip. We celebrate/Allí celebramos _______________________________________________________. Talk about their traditions and celebrations during this time of the year. Show pictures, video, post cards, etc. We prepare/Preparamos _______________________________________________________. Talk about the food they eat. Share copies of the recipe. If it is easy to prepare do so in front of the children and invite them to participate in the making. Enjoy the food! We celebrate singing _______________ and dancing in this way/Celebramos cantando _____________ y así bailamos. Share some traditional music and dance steps. How does your family celebrate during the Holidays?