Thanksgiving, or Día de Acción de Gracias, marks another beautiful holiday during which we get to spend time with our family and share traditions. To celebrate, Monarca Language put together a fun Thanksgiving-themed bingo game in Spanish that’s perfect for family game night during the holidays!

The best part is that once you print out the pages for this game, you can also use it to play a game of memory or memoria! Two games in one!

 Click here for the full printable version of this game.

For more Spanish educational materials for niños visit Monarca Language and like them on Facebook.

This is one announcement that has us incredibly excited and hopeful that the mission we’ve all embarked in together to teach Spanish to our children is being taken seriously by those companies we rely on for educational and entertainment resources for them.

We’re thrilled to be PBS KIDS Parent Ambassadors and be able to break the news to you that they just announced more than 25 PBS KIDS games are now available in Spanish. Join the Cat in the Hat, Curious George and Sid the Science Kid for fun games and stickers en español. ¡Qué emoción!

Kids can now play games from their favorite shows in Spanish; the games from each series are grouped into collections that are all linked by a common theme and math curriculum. The collections of games now in Spanish include:

Curious George – Busy Day (16 games)

Join George on his very busy day as he learns about numbers and counting and is introduced to addition and subtraction.

Sid the Science Kid – Sid’s Super Fab Lab: Science Fair (9 games)

Check out the science fair displays with Sid and his friends, and play games that involve measuring (temperature, weight, and size), sorting, symmetry, addition, and finding patterns.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! – Cat’s Math Safari(2 games)

Help the Cat in the Hat collect the missing pages of his Animal Safari Book. You’ll have to use shape recognition and spatial skills, counting and measurement.

The games are all enhanced with researched-based improvements to level selection and instructions. ESL students or children learning Spanish will learn math skills that will benefit them not only at home, but also in the classroom. The games are part of the Ready To Learn Initiative, an early learning project of PBS KIDS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), funded by the U.S. Department of Education to support the development of early math and literacy skills in children ages 2-8, especially those from low-income families.

You can check out all of PBS KIDS online games in Spanish HERE. Additional games in Spanish are also available there, including Spanish language-learning games from web-original series Oh Noah! and Maya and Miguel.

We’d love to know if you and your niños check out the games and share with us which one is their (and your) favorite! Let us know with a comment below or tweet us @SpanglishBaby with the hashtag #bilingualkids.

This week we are sharing  five fun hands-on activities for kids to practice Spanish. The activities were created by awesome parent bloggers and resource websites. As the day for kids to go back to school approaches we want to make sure our kids exercise their bilingual minds and they have lots of fun doing it.

Spanish Numbers Ice Cream Cones

Julie of Open Wide the World shared how her daughter will be soon attending a dual language immersion school and how she is preparing her for it. Since her daughter will be attending a Spanish immersion program Julie shared a Spanish number practice activity with her readers. Check out Julie’s story and the activity here.

Learning Spanish through Literature

Kali of For the Love of Spanish shows us how to extend the Spanish reading fun after finishing a book. In this post she decided on a monster theme and shares a book recommendation, monster craft, educational Spanish monster printable and if that’s not enough she also shares a recipe suggestion! Check out all the monster fun in Spanish here.

8 Spanish Games for Kids Using Bean Bags

Spanish Playground shared 8 games with bean bags that prompt kids to practice Spanish. Check out the post for instructions on how to make simple bean bags and a list of games in Spanish to play with your kids.

A Learning to Read Game : The Letter Roads

Actividades Infantil shared this simple way for kids to practice reading and tracing their initials in a fun, hands-on way. Click here to read the post on “Como Enseñar A Leer: El Juego de la Carretera de las Letras” and activity instructions.

Spanish Language Summer Program Day 6: Los Animales (The Animals)

Frances of Discovering the World Through My Sons Eyes has been sharing a Spanish Language Summer Program on her blog. On day 6 she shared wonderful resources for teaching kids all about animals in Spanish. Check out her Spanish Language Summer Program series and Los Animales resource post.

This week we’ve put together a round-up with activities that encourage kids to explore in Spanish. Whether they’ll be traveling or staying home for the summer there are plenty of ways for our kids to explore the world around them through reading, music, and play. The activities below are hands-on and prompt kids to explore beyond their own horizons while practicing Spanish.

Learn Spanish through Play: At The Park // Actions (Verbs)

This fun activity by For The Love of Spanish is all about playing at the park and learning actions and verbs en Español! Click here for a vocabulary list of verbs in Spanish to practice with you kids as you play.

Latin Children’s Song “Los Pollitos Dicen Pío, Pío, Pío“

Frances of Discovering The World Through My Son’s Eyes is providing her readers with a Spanish langauge summer program through a series of posts. The latests addition features a series of fun activities centered around the classic Los Pollitos Dicen children’s song. Click here for the Los Pollitos Dicen activities.

11 Easy Spanish Activities Using Printable Landscapes

This activity by Spanish Playground prompts kids to create a story, play, puppet show, game, and more by using a landscape for inspiration. These are all great way for kids to practice speaking, reading, and even writing in Spanish. Click here for the list of printables and instructions.

Virtual Trip Around The World

Becky of Kid World Citizen shared how using a country unit can serve as a catalyst for taking a virtual trip around the world. What’s great about this activity is that it exposes our kids to other cultures, values, and experiences reinforcing the importance each has. Click here for a list of activity resources and ideas.

Awesome Summer Activity: Explorer Journal

In Culture Parent shared this simple activity for summer: journaling! Since summer is great time to go on adventures, big or small, and practice Spanish why not record it in a journal? Journaling is a fun and simple way for kids express themselves and reflect on their growth in any area of their lives. Click here for a link to a cute explorer journal you can purchase or help your kids craft one for themselves!

Los Pollitos Nursery Rhyme brings back such fond memories of my childhood.  It’s a popular nursery rhyme in Latin America.  I have been sharing it with my boys since they were young to get some Spanish fun into their day.

Los Pollitos (The Little Chickies) nursery rhyme goes like this: (I found this over at Kidssongs.com you can go there for  all of the lyrics; she also translates it in English so you know what you’re singing). You can also watch it on YouTube they have lots of fun videos but this is the one my son likes.

Los pollitos dicen
(Los po-yee-tos dee-sen)
Pio, pio, pio
(Pio, pio, pio)
Cuando tienen hambre
(Kwando tee-n-en ambrey)
Cuando tienen frio
(Kwando tee-n-en free-o)
La gallina busca
(La ga-yen-a boos-ka)
El maiz y el trigo
(El maze e el tree-go)
Les da la comida
(Les da la ko-me-da)
Y les presta abrigo
(E les presta a–breeg-o)
Bajo sus dos alas
(Baho sus dos alas)
Acurrucaditos
(A-ku-rrr-u-ka-dee-tos)
Hasta el otro dia
(Asta el o-tro dee-a)
Duerman los pollitos
(Dwer-men los po-yee-tos)

*The parenthesis will help you with the pronunciation.

Play the song and sing it with your child while you make “pollitos” using our toilet paper roll printing technique.  To make the prints all you need is yellow paint to dip the tp rolls in and then have them press it onto paper.

Once they’ve made all of their circles you can have them glue the orange diamonds for the beak.

Draw the feet and the eyes and  you’re done. My son loved pressing on the beak at the part where the song says “pio, pio, pio.”

The next print we will be making using this technique is Spring flowers!

Looking for a last-minute activity to do with your kids? How about a fun learning game? I created this Spanish conversation hearts memory game for the kids to learn some new Valentine-themed Spanish words. This game can be customized to your child’s needs too.

Here is what you’ll need to create your own:

• Scissors
• 8 card stock squares measuring 4×4
• Heart shape to trace
• Marker

Let’s get started!

• Trace and cut the heart on each square.
• Choose 4 Spanish words to use in your game.

Customizing your game:

Write each one of your words twice – one on each heart (you will have 2 matching hearts). Or write the word in Spanish on one heart and in English on the other heart

We used the following words: amistad, amor, beso, and amigo.

Arrange on a flat surface and let’s get ready to play!

It was the perfect activity to play while we waited for lunch to finish cooking. My kids enjoyed learning the words as we played. We pronounced them in Spanish and explained the meaning in English.

I hope this game encourages bilingual play and that a few new words are learned too.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I have a very curious four-year-old bilingual boy at home who is eager to learn his letters and numbers. He traces them with his fingers, and has learned the letters M, P, and O. “M” for of course, Matías (his name), Mami and… Mono, “P” for Papi and “O” for Oma (what he calls his abuelita).

But here is the real kicker, I only taught these to him two weeks ago when Munchkin, the children’s safety and learning toys brand, sent us their Traveling (portable bilingual) Flash Cards which help children ages 3 and up learn their letters, numbers and shapes with animal pictures. As soon as we opened the box, Matías was immediately drawn to the letters and said “Mira mami, tantas letras. ¡Me gustan!” Every morning he rides to preschool with his cards, which have a carry handle and he goes through each letter and number shouting each one out, then describing the animal in English and Spanish. We even learned a few that I didn’t know, such as  Newt or Tritón.

I am always excited about bilingual learning tools and these little cards have turned out to be a massive help and kickstart to more learning. The real surprise came today when out in the snow, he actually wrote out the letters M and P – I was absolutely floored and overcome with pride. It just goes to show how just a little bit goes a long way. Now every night we sit down with our cards and practice learning a different letter. Tonight we repeated the letters T and D – for Tía Denise (my sister and his madrina)

As for Munchkin, I am a fan of their innovative products and I am happy to see them incorporating bilingual products into their range – they are doing a world of good and so many kids both bilingual and non will be eager to learn and take pride in knowing how to say things in more than one language. The cards are well worth the $5 and the quality is superb. Two hands up from both Matías and Mami.

But the Munchkin goodness doesn’t end there. They have also kindly sent me a White Hot Inflatable Safety Duck Tub  for my little girl (due next week) and their brand new SaraBear PORT Hamper  – which believe me, is like the rockstar of hampers. It folds up nicely when not in use, then it opens up and the handles have magnets which sits like a traditional basket, and it can also be used as a travel bag. Love multi use items!

The Giveaway

One reader will receive not only the Traveling Bilingual Flash Cards, but also the Safety Duck Tub and the SaraBear Hamper. All you have to do is visit the Munchkin website and leave us a comment telling us which is your favorite product. Then, enter the rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

While Lego have never gone away, it seems they’re experiencing a resurgence in popularity. This past Christmas, every boy under the age of 12 that I know, had Lego on their wish list – my own 11 year old included.

Although Lego sets can be expensive, it’s one of those toys I’m willing to spend money on because of the quality. Mixed in with my son’s Lego collection are many of the Lego bricks which I played with as a child, and I believe that some of those once belonged to my father.

My personal preference is for the classic Lego sets and Lego City, but there are all kinds of sets these days including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Cars, Toy Story, Indiana Jones, Thomas the Tank Engine, Lord of the Rings, Batman, Spiderman, and many others.

Loved around the world by both boys and girls, Lego is known for its durability, quality and the fuel those little bricks provide to the imaginations of young and old alike, but did you know that Lego can also be a great tool for parents raising bilingual children?

Fun Fact: “Lego” comes from the Danish phrase “leg godt” – which means “play well.”

How Parents Raising Bilingual Children Can Use Lego

When playing with Legos you can use your child’s target language to talk about the brick colors, their size, and how many you need; and since the objects you can build with Lego bricks are endless, the vocabulary your child can build is equally immeasurable!

Fun Fact: Lego bricks are manufactured in several locations around the world. Molding locations include Billund, Denmark; Nyíregyháza, Hungary; and Monterrey, Mexico.

In addition to the colorful, interlocking construction blocks themselves, Lego has a website in Spanish. The Spanish-language website includes products, news, and a “juegos” (games) area for the kids which is worth checking out. The games include categories such as “acción”, “estragia”, “aventura”, “creatividad”, and “preescolar.”

For younger children (ages 1 ½ to 5 years old), check out the Lego Duplo website in Spanish. Lego Duplo are larger-sized Lego blocks which are easier for little hands, (and don’t pose a choking hazard.) The Lego Duplo site also has a fun “juegos” section, downloadable coloring pages, and videos.

Want to play in a language other than Spanish? The website is available in over a dozen languages. Go to the Lego.com homepage and click in the upper right hand corner where it says “Change region.”

Does your child play with Lego? How do you incorporate language learning into playtime with toys that aren’t necessarily advertised as “bilingual”?

{Photo by  p_a_h }

Un dragón, un par de zapatos rojos, una manzana.  We pulled these words from our story jar the other day and I ended up telling the story del dragón al que le encantaba el color rojo over and over.

Not every story is the hit that el dragón was, but a story jar adds a bit of randomness and fun to storytelling. It is a jar with words on small pieces of paper, folded so you cannot see the word. Someone draws two or three words and the storyteller incorporates those elements into a story. I have lots of colored scrap paper from preschool Spanish projects, so our story jar is pretty bright. The unrelated words you draw give a little inspiration, and challenge, to the storyteller and add an element of anticipation for the listeners.

In our jar, we put in words like these: lluvia, un dentista, un elefante, un gatito, el color azul, una isla, un teléfono, una princesa, nieve, el número 15, monedas de oro, un avión, una ballena, un circo and lots of other characters and objects.

When we pulled out un dragón, un par de zapatos rojos, and una manzana, the story was of a dragon that loved the color red. He only had red clothes, red toys, red food, red crayons and red paint. That is, until he met a neighbor who loved yellow…

 Telling these stories is a creative activity. If you are the storyteller, you can add patterns and sequences. The same characters can reappear in the stories, so that the storytelling jar starts to take on a life of its own. As always, if the little ones like a certain story, be prepared to tell it over and over!

Listening to stories and telling their own, children learn to structure a narrative. They also practice important language skills like describing, sequencing and cause and effect. We have a wonderful time with this simple activity. It is fun to tell the stories, very entertaining to listen to them and an excellent way to build Spanish language skills.

Special thanks to Spanish Playground for providing this activity. Visit their site for more activities to teach Spanish to kids.

On December 7, Clarius will be presenting Dino Time. Dino Time is a family comedy that follows Ernie, his sister Julia, and his best friend Max. One day when they are playing in Max’s father’s lab they trip a time-machine into operation and travel 65 million years into the past! There they meet a T-Rex named Tyra and her son Dodger. The series follows this group  through their prehistoric jungle adventures as they aslo face Tyra’s dinosaur rivals.

We have shared three Dino Time Spanish-language activity sheets with you to enjoy with your dinosaur-loving niños!

For a printable version of these activity sheets click here