It’s time for my French summer camp!  Tomorrow I set up my room, and then the fun begins on Monday.  This year, I’m offering something new–a Madeline camp for rising K-2.  I’m going to use my tried and true French camp program “Passport to French Fun.”  My campers always have a BLAST preparing for an imaginary trip to Paris on the last day of the session.  Only this time, we’re heading to Paris for Madeline’s birthday party!

Every day of camp, we’ll do a little something to get ready for the trip.  We’ll learn a lot of French expressions, play French games, and sing French songs during daily language circle time.  Also, I’ll read a different Madeline book every day and make a Madeline craft.  Here are the craft ideas I have so far:

One of my favorite web sites, DLTK’s Growing Together, has a cute toilet paper roll Madeline craft.

These coloring pages are from a great site I just found and bookmarked–educationalcoloringpages.com.  I might print some images onto cardstock and create bookmarks for the kids to color.

I am LOVING these adorable Madeline hats made from paper plates and bowls at Familyfun.com!  (I’ll have a boy or two . . . think they’ll mind terribly?)

And here’s my own original contribution:  we’re going to make “An old house in Paris that was covered in vines.”  I’ll have the kids cut out a house shape from brown paper grocery bags.  We’ll glue on white paper windows and fabric scraps for curtains.  Maybe we’ll add several small construction paper blue squares for a shingled roof, too. Since it IS camp, we’ll head outside to look for a little nature to glue on as vines.  Should be cute!

EDITED TO ADD:

Madeline Camp was a great success!  The toilet paper roll Madelines were very cute, but we actually cut the body even shorter, maybe 3 inches or so.  I read somewhere that there is often bacteria on toilet paper rolls, so we cut up a paper towel roll.

The hats were ADORABLE!  We had to attach ribbons on the sides so that they did not slide off.  The boys had an alternate project:  tiger masks!

From Day 1, the kids were asking and asking to make an Eiffel Tower.  We blinged out some craft foam with glitter, sequins, and jewels!

The bookmark came out cute, too.  We attached a string of bleu-blanc-rouge pony beads.

Here’s a photo of some of our projects.  You’ll also see the kids’ passports and envelopes holding their airline tickets and souvenirs.

Kids can make their own French church bell to hold yummy chocolate Easter eggs. This international craft uses inexpensive, easy-to-find materials and makes a great gift.

Click here to learn how to make your own French Easter Bell.

For a complete 17-page download for teaching beginning French learners about this unique custom, follow this link.

You can also print templates for making paper bell containers at Tomlitoo.com

Make a paper Easter bell craft at Jedessine.com

For free coloring pages of Easter bells, go to Fete-enfants.com and scroll to the bottom of the page.  You’ll also find one at Vive-paques.com.  My favorite Easter bell coloring page is from Tfou.fr

Joyeuses Pâques!

Easter is right around the corner.  Use this springtime theme to get your French and Spanish learners hopping . . . and talking!  Here are some materials and ideas to use both at school and at home:

• Spanish Easter Bingo
• Spanish Easter Games & Activities
• Spanish Easter Tic Tac Toe
• French Easter Fun
• French Easter Customs:  Flying Bells

Easter Egg Games: Fill and hide plastic Easter eggs for a variety of fun activities. The eggs can contain candy, vocabulary words/pictures, questions, clues . . . the sky’s the limit! Find matches, play relay games, and go on scavenger hunts. Check out this article for more ideas.

Jelly Bean Math: Count, sort, graph, measure, estimate, add, subtract, multiply, and (of course!) eat some jelly beans.

Make an Easter Bunny Lunch: Turn lunchtime into language time by munching healthy rabbit food with your child. Check out this article and make a salad “anybunny” would love.  Teach your child how to say favorite salad foods in French or Spanish, such as:

lettuce – la laitue – la lechuga
tomato – la tomate – el tomate
radish – le radis – el rabanito
pepper – le poivron – el pimiento
carrot – la carotte – la zanahoria

To mix the salad, instruct your little language learner to put all of the ingredients in a ziplock bag, then then jump like a bunny! Saute! Salta!

Word Searches: Find FREE French and Spanish Printable Easter Word Searches at Kaboose.com

Coloring Pages: Check out these free French and Spanish printable coloring pages:

Free French Coloring Pages from Tete a Modeler

Dora’s Easter Coloring Book from Nickjr.com

Cultural Crafts: Easter is an important holiday in the French and Hispanic world. In France, all of the church bells fly away to Rome on Good Friday. On Easter Sunday, the French bells joyously return, dropping chocolates for children on the way. Make this simple French church bell craft to fill with goodies.  For a fun and festive Mexican Easter craft, why not make your own cascarones, or confetti eggs? Kids will have a blast both making and breaking them!

Finally, here are some French and Spanish Easter children’s book recommendations from Amazon.com

Joyeuses Pâques!

Feliz Pascua!

Photo Credit:  by Robert Gyopos at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1143399

To this day, the French continue to be up to something “fishy” on April 1.  The lighthearted celebration is known as le poisson d’avril, or April Fish Day.  Why fish?  No one really knows.  It could have something to do with the zodiacal sign of Pisces.  It just is what it is:  a day to tape paper fish onto the backs of the unsuspecting.  Juvenile?  Maybe . . . but it’s FUN and harmless (no “kick me!” signs SVP.)

I’ve gathered some online resources to help you celebrate an authentic French April Fool’s Day with your kids:

Here’s my classroom packet of activities, games, worksheets, and printables that you can purchase at TeachersPayTeachers.com.  Le Poisson d’Avril:  April Fool’s Day Activities for Novice-Level French Learners

Print colorful poissons d’avril at Tomlitoo

Make a tricky “pop-open” fish at Bonjour les enfants

Find a variety of poisson d’avril crafts and coloring pages at Tête à Modeler

Learn a poisson d’avril French rhyme at Momes and a song at Chansons Nettes

Send a free French poisson d’avril e-card at CyberCartes

Here’s the fish my kindergartener made for tomorrow.  I suspect I’ll be wearing it

Image Credit: Public Domain from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cartes_postales_poissons_d%27avril.jpg

Bienvenido to Piñata Land!  Now this is what I call some Foreign Language Fun.  This photo is from a Spanish classroom at the high school where I teach.  At home, Spanish II students create original piñatas from paper mache.  The Spanish teachers then display the amazing works of art: Santas, Pokemon characters, chili peppers, giraffes, and more.  On the last day before winter break, the kids fill them with candy and have the fiesta of all fiestas.  My sombrero is off to my Spanish-teaching colleagues.  You rock

On the eve of St. Nicholas Day, children leave their shoes out next to their bed or near the fireplace.  When kids wake on December 6, they find the shoes filled with treats such as chocolates, clementines, gingerbread, or small gifts.

I love exposing my kids and students to Christmas customs from around the world.  We’ve  developed our own St. Nicholas Day customs in our family.  The kids leave their shoes by the fireplace, along with their Christmas lists.  Since Santa did evolve from the historical St. Nick, I just explain that this is Santa’s grandpa, and he’ll be sure to deliver their letters safe and sound.  In the morning, they usually find an ornament to put on the tree and a chocolate Santa.

In the past, I’ve had my students leave their shoes out overnight at school to receive treats.  But sometimes that can cause a problem–forgotten shoes or smelly gym sneakers.  Now, I have my students make and decorate a paper shoe craft.  Small candies fit inside, making it easy to carry home as a St. Nicholas souvenir.

In my French St. Nicholas Day download, I include a cute paper shoe craft that I use with my middle and high school students.   But as I was planning for a visit to my son’s kindergarten class this week, I realized that it might be a little tricky for a large group of 6 year olds.  I came up with a printable template that involves nothing more than folding on lines, a few quick clips of the scissors, and some tape.  Take a look at the finished product by clicking here:  Paper Shoe Craft for Saint Nicholas

To purchase your St. Nicholas Day paper shoe template, follow this link:

St. Nicholas Day Craft:  Paper Shoe Template

Happy St. Nicholas Day from Foreign Language House

Photo Credit: by RAWKUS at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1100468

kin·der·gar·ten   

[Origin: 1850–55; German: lit., children's garden, equiv. to Kinder children (see kind) +Garten garden]

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a German first day of school tradition.  Parents or grandparents prepare a school cone, called a Schultüte, and fill it with candy, treats, and small gifts for a child going off to school for the first time.

My oldest is off to kindergarten tomorrow.  I swear time takes on an unknown speed when you’re a parent.  It’s hard to get my mind around the fact that he’s so big.  

I’m excited for him, but sad that I’m going to miss going to the school with him the first day.  My husband gets to do the honors since I’ll be teaching at the high school.  It’s my first day, too, but it’s not nearly as significant when you’ve been teaching for 17 years.  Still, in this profession, First Day is a Big Deal.  Between my son’s first day jitters and my own, I don’t expect to get much sleep tonight.

I’m going to wake my kindergartener up early tomorrow and give him the Schultüte that I made especially for him.  I’m not especially crafty.  I just folded a piece of poster board in half, rolled it into a cone shape, stapled it, and evened up the top edges.  It’s decorated with characters from his favorite show, Dinosaur King.  Inside are treats for his lunchbox (including the sugary cereal I usually outlaw), pens, flashcards, stickers, and a cool clip for his backpack.  I think he’s going to like it!

Help support this free site. Visit the Foreign Language Fun Amazon Store for a wide selection of recommended language learning materials. Merci!

Bonjour!  Are you a parent or a teacher looking for a fun, age-appropriate activity to teach the kiddos about France’s Independence Day?  Well, I’ve got just the thing for you–French-themed coloring pages.  FREE . . . or as they say in France GRATUIT (if you pronounce it correctly it almost rhymes.)  

All you need is a computer, a printer, and box of crayons.  Use your imagination and you’ve got your very own French “staycation.”  

For added flair, kids can create their own fireworks on any one of these printables.  After coloring, make fireworks designs in glue and sprinkle on the glitter.  Sure, it’s messy, but don’t all kids love a little glitter?

Enjoy some Bastille Day creativity with the kids:  

Fete-Enfants.com, a French site, has a wonderful selection of Bastille Day Coloring Pages.

Crayola’s web site has a Friendly Flags coloring sheet, including both the French and American flags.

Here is a resource for a variety of Parisian monuments:  Free Printable Coloring Pages Featuring Paris, France

The Pixar movie Ratatouille has some nice French-themed coloring pages, too.  Go to this page on Coloring-Book.info.  If you’re just looking for a nice Eiffel Tower (no rats) scroll down about halfway and you’ll see one of my favorites.

And don’t forget to check out Bastille Day Crafts for Kids.  My kids and I are making bleu, blanc, rouge lanyards and bracelets out of pony beads.  Then we’re making a French Flag Cake for the preschool.  Délicieux!

Happy Bastille Day!

Photo Credit:  ppditigal at http://morguefile.com/archive/?display=12789&