El Chavo may very well be one of the most well known Spanish-speaking characters (alongside Mafalda) in Latin America, Spain and the Caribbean.  In the U.S. he is equally as popular among immigrant communities and children of immigrants like myself.

To be honest I haven’t seen the show since I was kid, but receiving these toys in the mail brought back many memories.  My three year old was thrilled to put the little “títeres” (or puppets) on her fingers and pretend the characters of El Chavo, Popis, Don Ramon, Quico, and Ñoño were all talking with one another.

I think what made reviewing this product extra special was that these characters are unique to Mexico, where my parents are from. In other words, many of the books or characters that my daughter is exposed to are literal translations or interpretations of English-speaking (British or U.S.) stories. The characters and stories of El Chavo del 8 come from a community I identify with and one that helps make me (& my family) bicultural.

I think the creators of El Chavo Toys are very aware of their bilingual and bicultural audience in North America. I hope you enjoy interacting with the characters from El Chavo along with passing on their stories with the next generation: our bilingual children.

The Giveaway!

We’re giving away one grand prize pack to one winner (1 plush, 1 hat, 1 figure, 1 finger puppet, 1 talking Chavo) and one smaller prize pack (1 plush & 1 hat) to TWO winners. All you have to do is leave us a comment sharing your fondest memory of El Chavo or share your favorite ‘El Chavo’ saying with us! Then, enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photo credit: yoshimov

I have this extreme obsession with language. It can lead me to analyze almost every utterance that is produced although lately I have been scrutinizing the trilingual toys I have for my baby. I have been staring, analyzing, and pressing the button over and over to listen to the French, Spanish, and English words spoken. I can’t help it! They can sound so silly! For instance, the one in the car says “mo-rah-doh (purple in Spanish),” like the Anglo kids in my high school Spanish class. Seriously? Couldn’t the manufacturer find a native Spanish speaker to say “morado?” It sure makes me wonder if the French version of purple is an authentic accent!

Then I started thinking. Does the authenticity of the accent expressed by a toy really that important? Why does it bother me so much? Why should it matter? What is really at the heart of the matter?

I could start with the fact that the toys are American ones, which can symbolize how little we value multilingualism. If I were in charge of recording foreign language vocabulary for toys, I would make sure the accents were authentic! In other words, the unauthentic accent (one that sounds like Spanish is the speaker’s second language) is a perfect example of how little our society values multilingualism. Now, I know I am reading into this, but still it’s the principle of the matter. How are we supposed to promote multilingualism when the products available are less than satisfactory?

I guess the little voice saying “mo-rah-do” reminds me of how unattainable it can sometimes feel to be able to sufficiently expose my bebita to three languages. It is as if the manufacturer is mocking my intentions. Again, what is really at the heart of the matter? Well, I’ve concluded that learning a second or third language has become somewhat of a commodity. For instance, did you know that children in China have the option of learning English via a program called Disney English (http://disneyenglish.com/EN/about-us/history.html)? Disney has found a way to market their label and their products via language instruction. Parents have found a way to motivate or help their children feel a sense of investment (bribe) to learn another language. In a way, Disney and foreign language instruction have the same appeal, the same attraction to the general population. Well, let’s be honest, at least in China it does. That, in it of itself, says something!

Where does this leave parents and their quest for, not only foreign language exposure, but also authentic and native-like exposure? Good question. I believe this may be the million-dollar question.

As soon as I heard Abuelita Rosa sing, I was transported back to Miami. I felt like I was in a Cuban bakery, sipping a delicious cafecito cubano while munching a pastelito de guava. I know that probably sounds strange, but after spending the majority of my life in Miami, it’s impossible not to recognize the accent I immediately associate with the Caribbean – particularly Cuba. Needless to say, I felt like I was back in the place I called home for almost 21 years.

My three-year-old daughter, Vanessa, never lived in Miami (unless you count the six months she was in my belly before we moved to Colorado) and has only visited once. However, I have sung some of the songs that this plush doll belts out when you press her hand. The ones I haven’t she’s heard many times thanks to her father’s side of the family who hails from Puerto Rico. So she was thrilled when she heard Abuelita Rosa sing and realized she could actually sing-along.

Abuelita Rosa is an adorable grandma-looking doll dressed in a typical pink “bata de casa” created by a company out of Miami, Florida, called Baby Abuelita. The main concept behind Abuelita Rosa, her husband, Abuelito Pancho, and the rest of their products has to do with preserving our cultural heritage. From their website: “Our unique line of plush dolls sings very special nursery rhymes that will warm your heart, recapture the memories of your childhood and teach a new generation the joys of Hispanic musical heritage.”

If you’ve been following us for a while, you know we are big advocates of using music to help your children along in their bilingual journey. But music is for more than just having fun while learning new vocabulary, it also has to do with heritage. For many of us, myself included, it wasn’t until we had children that we realized that although we might have had a vague memory of some of the lullabies, nanas or arrullos sung to us when we were babies, we didn’t really remember all the lyrics. The products created by Baby Abuelita will definitely jog your memory and make it easier for you to share with your little ones the songs that once made you feel loved.

Although my husband and I are both Latinos, we grew up in different countries and thus have different memories of our childhood. Vanessa is lucky in that she has been introduced to both our cultural traditions. One thing I truly liked about Baby Abuelita’s dolls is that they sing the kind of songs that I grew up with, such as “Arroz con Leche” and “Los pollitos dicen,” but also ones from my husband’s childhood, such as “Mi escuelita” and “Naranja dulce.”

Baby Abuelita’s award winning products also include two DVDs: Family Fiesta and Sail Away fun bingual videos which deal with family, traditions, and language issues. Plus they both have the added bonus of including a bunch of bilingual songs. My daughter’s fave episode is the one about traditional costumes and Hispanic Heritage Month.

Baby Abuelita is offering all of you a 20% discount when purchasing the mini-doll/Family Fiesta DVD combo (either Rosa or Pancho). Just enter the promotion code: MINI.

Disclosure: Sample products were provided for review purposes; all opinions are 100% ours. Check out our full Disclosure + Privacy Policy.

¿Qué dice acá? This is my three-year-old’s favorite question lately. She wants to know what the logo on her Papito’s t-shirt, the ingredients on the box of cereal and the headline on my magazine all say. Su tía–my sister– has already taken it upon herself to teach her a few letters. She knows the V (that’s because it’s the first letter of her name), O, M, I, X and J.

I guess it’s time to get a bit more involved in teaching her the alphabet and now I have a great way to do it. Today’s second review ever on SpanglishBabyFinds is another one of the 10 Ingenio toys we’ll be introducing you to during the next two weeks. As you can see in the picture above, it’s basically a combination of blocks and crossword puzzles.

Although Vanessa is way too young for the actual crossword puzzles, we can definitely start using the blocks to begin teaching her the alphabet–as well as the numbers. Each of the 20 blocks has two letters and things that start with those particular letters in both Spanish and English. The blocks are pretty sturdy, the images on them colorful and the letters simple and legible.

The game comes with six bilingual crossword puzzles in the following categories: el transporte, los animales de la granja, las mascotas, las frutas, la casa and el cuerpo all of which you can hopefully use to start teaching your niños how to spell. The blocks can also be used for what they are: to build towers, in this case, word towers. As I said yesterday, one of the best things about Ingenio toys is that they are intended to grow with our children. Ideally, this means we can a get a few years of use out of them.

I think they are just a fun and different way of teaching our kids letters and words through play. In other words, I believe they won’t even know they are actually learning since it really feels more like a game. And, how many times have we suggested that the best way of reinforcing the minority language is by making sure it is FUN, right?

All of Ingenio´s bilingual toys are available via Amazon.  Of course, the best way to get them is via La Tiendita.

The Giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed.  Congratulations to our winner DONNA HUNT!!

As we mentioned yesterday, Ingenio, the first educational bilingual toys and games brand in the U.S., has chosen you to be the first to get a chance to win every single one of their ten toys.  Today you can enter to win Bilingual Blocks + Crossword Puzzles, simply by telling us any fun strategy or game you use to teach your kids the alphabet.

That’s all you have to do to enter this giveaway.  If you want to up your chances at winning, then click here to learn how to get additional entries.

This giveaway ends tonight, Tuesday, August 25, at midnight EST.

Photo by Anthony Cain

Every year toy manufacturers from all over the globe get together to unveil the newest and coolest playthings during  the American International Toy Fair held in New York City. It’s that time of the year, and as I sit here writing this, the fair is well underway. Although it’s not open to the public, SpanglishBaby got a sneak peak at the hottest bilingual toys that will be released this year. First, let me warn you: there’s not that many, but apparently it’s more than in recent years…

Fortunately, though, trends have been changing in the last few years and as Fisher Price told SpanglishBaby–at least on their part–they will continue to design and develop bilingual toys in the future.

“In the last three years, we’ve seen an increase in consumer’s demand for bilingual toys,” said José Antonio Espinoza, Director of Fisher Price Brands Latin America. “Parents have realized that Spanish is here to stay and they want to make sure their kids are prepared for the future. We are aware of this change and will continue to expand this line of toys.”

And, now, for the list…Please keep in mind that we haven’t had a chance to “play” with any of these toys our selves. Basically, we just wanted to let you know about the new bilingual toys to be on the lookout for in the upcoming months.

New Bilingual Toys for 2009

• If you have a daughter, I’m sure you’re familiar with Fisher Price’s “Little Mommy” line of dolls. They’re great for role-playing–little girls pretend to be mommies taking care of their babies. The newest addition to this line is The Baby Ah-choo doll whose eyes close when she makes sneezing sounds. The bilingual version of the doll alternates the phrases it says between English and Spanish. These include: “Mami, ayúdame a sonarme la nariz” and “Estoy congestionada”. My daughter, Vanessa, would probably like her–since she’s incredibly nurturing and it wouldn’t hurt for her to pick up additional vocabulary for when she has a cold herself. The Baby Ah-choo doll will be available in the Summer for a retail prices of $34.99. Recommended age: 2+.
• Mattel has a couple of toys that sound worth checking out. The first one is Dance with Me Dora. The interactive doll–inspired by the upcoming TV movie “Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom” which will be out in the Fall–dances on her own or invites little girls to dance with her to, what I’m told will be, “tropical” rhythms. Dance with me Dora will be available in the Summer for a retail price of $49.99. Recommended age: 3+. The next toy is Diego’s Extreme Launch & Rescue Pack. If you’ve seen the TV show, you know this is where all of Diego’s tools go so he can be ready for his next rescue mission! It comes with binoculars, a walkie-talkie and three rescue flares. The toy features a lot of sound effects and bilingual phrases. The Extreme Launch & Rescue Pack will be available in the Fall for a retail price of $44.99. Recommended age: 3+.
• For the older kids, Mattel has also unveiled a new more grownup Dora. Its official name has not been reveled yet, but they industry is referring to her as the “tweenage” Dora. This new doll promises to be a completely new playing experience for kids. Not only because of its appeal to older children, but because they will actually be able to connect the doll to the computer linking it with an interactive website! I’m dying to see this one, mostly because I’m curious to see what she looks like! The “tweenage” Dora will be available in the Fall for a retail price of $59.99. Recommended age: 5+.
• Putumayo Kids latests CD/DVD is titled Sesame Street Playground and even though it includes only one song in Spanish (and another one is Portuguese), I figured I would list it because as they describe it, the CD/DVD is “A lively musical journey through Sesame Street productions around the world.” And, since we’re trying to promote the importance of our children learning about other cultures, why not? Sesame Street Playground CD/DVD is available now for a retail price of $14.98. Recommended ages: all.
• A company called Handstand Kids has a series of children cookbooks including one of Mexican recipes. According to their website, these “books are the perfect recipe for kids to learn how to cook, while discovering the people, places and languages of a new country.” So this is another opportunity to bring up culture and traditions. I can’t wait until Vanessa is old enough to start cooking with me! The Handstand Cookbook series is available now for a retail price of $28.

I will be on the lookout for these toys when they become available. I just want to see what they’re really all about. In the meantime, I’m heading over to Putumayo Kids website to purchase their CD/DVD–I think Vanessa will love it since she is so into music. If you end up buying any of these toys in the coming months, we’d love to hear your comments!

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