Yesterday was my last day of preschool French. (sniff, sniff) It’s the beginning of the school year, so I’m taking a few weeks off to readjust to my regular high school teaching gig. I have been tickled “rose” by the progress the kids have made this summer. We definitely needed to celebrate. What better reward than a trip to France?
One of my favorite activities is to create a travel simulation. I like to call it an “Imagination Destination.” For many years, I offered French day camps for elementary school children. The last day of camp would always be a pretend trip. Read more about it here: Summer Enrichment French Camp.
This year, my “campers” were only 2-6 year olds. I needed help. Some of my high school students came to the rescue, taking on the roles of flight attendants, customs agents, and waitresses.
We began by gathering the children for circle time. We sang our opening song, did a finger play or two, and greeted one another. Then I announced that we would be traveling to Paris, France. Using nothing more than our imaginations, we packed suitcases and boarded an airplane. When the seat belts were securely fastened and the tray tables returned to their upright and locked position, we took off. Upon reaching a comfortable cruising altitude, we watched a short French cartoon to pass the time.
Of course, nobody can enter a foreign country without a passport. Fortunately, the kids all had one right on the back of their hands . . . they got rubber stamped with an Eiffel Tower while passing through customs. At this point, my high school assistants scooted off into another room to set up our restaurant. Meanwhile, I gave a tour of Paris. We moved through the hallway, looking for pictures of famous monuments that I had taped up onto the walls. Gathering around each postcard, we snapped pictures with pretend cameras and learned fascinating facts about Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre Museum and Mona Lisa, and finally the Eiffel Tower.
After such a long journey, the kids were hungry. We climbed those Eiffel Tower stairs until we reached the restaurant at the top. The little travelers were rewarded with a cooking demonstration, and the opportunity to fill a crepe with strawberries, bananas, powdered sugar, chocolate, jam, and/or whipped cream. Read this post to learn more about crepes in France.
Hope you enjoy an “Imagination Destination” of your own!
Photo Credit: by QJ at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/481018
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