LITTLE PIM BLOG
Musical Spanish Immersion Class in NYC
We're excited to launch our partnership with The Pineapple Explorers Club (based in NYC) for their Musical Spanish Immersion Class using our Entertainment Immersion Method® and language learning materials. If you're located near New York City, see below for more details or visit their website linked above:
Classes begin MONDAY JUNE 26th at 10 AM in Marcus Garvey Park (upper west corner below playground) & WEDNESDAY JUNE 28th at 10 AM in Central Park (Enter at 79th and walk South, group will meet on the left just before the playground).
Cost: $15 a child (cash or Venmo) or find them on KidPass!
Learn a Language to the Beat of Your Favorite Song
You have all likely heard the song “Despacito” (lyric video below) recently, whether you know it or not, as it has been played on every radio station. Justin Bieber’s feature has helped the Spanish song rise to the top of the charts. Fascinatingly, a 2015 census confirmed that in certain Miami communities up to 90% of the population speaks Spanish, and 2016 data notes that nearly 70% of the county is Hispanic. Moreover, in 2015, half of New Yorkers were recorded to speak a language besides English at home. The success of the song coupled with these statistics demonstrate how culturally integrated our society has become. Whether or not you currently live in an urban metropolis, like Miami or New York, where cross-cultural interaction is extremely frequent, teaching your child foreign languages at a young age is not only fun but prepares them to thrive in an increasingly globalized world.
Knowing more than one language, which can start with learning a simple song, opens doors for your children in the classroom and in the workplace.
Let’s talk about some more boring statistics so that I can show you the value of turning on a song in a foreign language. Only 1.5% of the students enrolled in higher education in the 2014-2015 school year studied abroad. Each of these students, by immersing themselves in a different culture, often speaking a different language, propelled personal and future professional growth. The ability to recognize and appreciate cultural differences via an immersive experience motivates a certain respect that is often lacking among individuals in such a polarized political and social climate in the US. Additionally, the fluency in a language and understanding of cultural norms and traditions of a country brought about by a study-abroad also make an individual a greater asset to potential employers, as 95% of consumers across the globe live outside of the US. 95%! Learning the language of that culture prior to visiting maximizes the power of this experience to spur development. Afford your child the same personal and professional benefits as this mere 1.5% of students by teaching them a foreign language and exposing them to a different culture.
After being exposed to data that connotes language learning’s capacity to permit personal and professional growth, a parent is saddled with the question: how do I get my child excited about language learning?
You have likely subconsciously heard the answer to this question in listening to songs like “Despacito.” Kids respond very positively to music, and there are countless simple songs that can provide a perfect introduction to a foreign language. Little Pim, as a company dedicated to making language-learning fun and accessible, has compiled some of these songs into Spanish and French CD’s for kids. As the heat waves roll in and you and your family begin planning summer road trips or weekend getaways, these CD’s are the perfect in-car activity. If you are a bilingual family, you may be able to immediately pick up the lyrics and sing along with the CD as your child learns. If you are learning alongside your child, it can be a beautiful bonding experience.
Language learning doesn’t have to be extremely serious or scary. It can start with a single CD and turn into a worthwhile investment in your child’s future.
Happy First Day of Spring!
Say "hello" to Spring in 5 different languages! Welcome the first day of Spring by teaching your little ones a new language. It's the last day to save 40% with code LUCKY at www.LittlePim.com.
What a great day to celebrate Spring by having your kids color in Little Pim’s Springtime coloring page. Print out this coloring page today and teach your kids how to say each color in a different language!
Share your finished page with #littlepim on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Enjoy your colorful day!
Simple Ways to Introduce Your Kids to Foreign Languages
Introducing children to foreign languages is not a far cry from encouraging kids to try sports. However, so long as our parental motives are pure, foreign languages are the simpler of the two! The following list includes unique ways to introduce your kids to foreign languages. You can integrate these ideas into Spring/Summer plans already made, and don't you worry, no athletic ability required!
Travel
Are you taking a trip via plane, car, or bike? Invite your child to be the guide! Previously teach and discuss key vocabulary words used when traveling through the foreign country. Make your tiny guide a badge, and write in the language he/she is learning. If your child is too young, then it's you! Role play as a pilot, taxi driver, or tour guide. Use new, simple vocabulary, and be sure to note the scenery you spot! If your child is just beginning, have him/her repeat the key words after you. You can also use music CDs and videos found here to keep them learning on-the-go.
Travel Vocabulary (English to Spanish)
Airport -----> el aeropuerto Plane -----> el avión Trip -----> el viaje Suitcase/bag -----> la maleta Bus -----> el autobús Train -----> el tren Ticket -----> el boleto Pilot -----> el piloto
Go all out: Dress the part, and pack along common snacks or candies found in your country of study.
Stuck Indoors
Whether you've been quarantined for days, or a few hours which feel as long, Little Pim offers of award-winning language learning videos and companion products to bring foreign languages into your home. Make a game with the flashcards and allow your child to quiz you! Read board books before nap time as your child snuggles a Little Pim panda plush.
Do you have any bilingual friends? Invite them over for a multicultural meal and let them know you're interested in introducing your child to the foreign language and culture. Request for this friend to speak only in the language new to your child. Before your guest arrives, discuss with your child a few questions to ask. If your child is a bit older, he/she can even conduct an interview.
Go all out: Prepare a cuisine native to the foreign country of study.
Outdoor Games
Plan a scavenger hunt! Using the foreign language of choice, give direction and leave clues for your child. Allow your child to invite friends to help solve the mystery of lost treasure. As for the treasure itself, pick up a new video, book, or tickets to a cultural experience; anything to further teach in an unforgettable way.
Pack a picnic! Bring along library books, trinkets, and colorful pictures of foods served in the appropriate country. Have your child make labels for each food item before you pack them. Play foreign music as you eat.
Go all out: Dine at the same time persons native to the country of study are also eating. As you eat your meal, excite your child, "It's as if we're really there!"
Need more resources, products, or help choosing which foreign language is best to introduce to your child? Please check out our language guide or email us at help@littlepim.com with any question. Little Pim is grateful to help!
Little Pim Valentine's Day Coloring Page
Here's a special Valentine's Day treat for your kids that doesn't involve sugar! Print out your free Little Pim Valentine's Day Coloring pages today and share your child's creation with us with #LittlePim on Instagram or Twitter for a chance to win a free Little Pim panda plush and "Say Hello" poster! Click the images below to print and start coloring. Joyeuse Saint-Valentin! (that's Happy Valentine's Day in French!)
Take a moment with Little Pim and learn how to express your love in French!
Learn a New language in Record Time? Por supuesto, bien sûr, sì certo!
It doesn’t matter which language you want to learn, the answer is the same if you understand how to set about the task, of course you can! Many parents who choose Little Pim to teach their child a second language may not speak the language themselves, which is why we developed this parent guide to include information and tips so you can become your child’s first language tutor. Why not take it one step further? Make it your 2017 new year's resolution to learn a new language alongside your child.
This infographic below from UpgradedPoints shows you how you could achieve a level of fluency in most languages in record time, in fact it suggests that three months is all you need to make significant progress.
What you will discover is that there is a technique that allows your brain to retain more information and if you follow that path to learning a new language, you are more likely to succeed than spending hours trying to remember in a way that is highly inefficient. If you're interested in high quality resources to help yourself learn using similar techniques as Little Pim, but for adults, check out the Pimsleur Method, which was established nearly 50 years ago by our founder, Julia Pimsleur's father, Dr. Pimsleur.
Fun Activities to Celebrate Chinese New Years with Kids
The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on Saturday, January 28 this year and it's the Year of the Rooster. Also called the "Spring Festival" the new year celebrations and traditions are centuries old and last about 15 days. Kids of all ages anticipate and enjoy the celebrations, parades, and special treats during the festival. On Chinese New Years Eve, families get together to ring in the new year with a reunion dinner where homes are decorated in red and gold paper crafts, glorious lanterns, and intricate ornaments. Mandarin trees and plum blossoms placed in homes during the new year to bring good luck and fortune. Fireworks are set off throughout the night and red paper envelopes of money are given out as gifts. These are only a few of the many Chinese New Year traditions. To learn more about the Chinese New Year celebrations for kids, visit the "A China Family Adventure" website.
Here are a few fun activities you and your family can do to celebrate the Chinese New Year in your home this year:
Learn a bit of Chinese:
Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) and Gong Hey Fat Choy (Cantonese)! Means “Happy New Year!” and is the standard greeting throughout the holiday.
Have a countdown on Chinese by teaching your kids the numbers 1-10:
一 yī: one 二 èr: two 三 sān: three 四 sì: four 五 wǔ: five 六 liù: six 七 qī: seven 八 bā: eight 九 jiǔ: nine 十 shí: ten
Chinese New Year Crafts
Make your own Chinese lantern with the kids. Get some red and gold construction paper to create your own masterpiece. For step-by-step instructions, head on over to the China Family Adventure website.
You can also have lots of fun making fireworks on black construction paper using glitter glue!
Make a handprint rooster craft to celebrate the year of the rooster and teach your little ones how to say rooster in Mandarin: Gōngjī
Dress the Part
Don whatever red clothing you have — red is a lucky color in Chinese culture. Research the tales and legends of why red is the color of choice during the Chinese New Year. The stories will fascinate you and your children!
For more Mandarin lessons for kids, watch a free preview of Little Pim Mandarin for Kids! Comment below if you have any fun activities for Chinese New Years! Happy New Year or shall we say, Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Holiday Crafts for Kids: Christmas Around the World
Looking for some fun holiday crafts for kids during Christmas Break? Christmas Around the World is always a fun theme to incorporate into your holidays. Kids love learning about other cultures and countries and how they celebrate the holidays this time of year. Not only are crafts from around the world fun, they're educational as well. What more can you ask for? Before you dig out the paper, glue, and scissors, do a little research. Decide with your children what countries you want to learn about and make crafts. There are all kinds of wonderful resources on the internet for you to use in your research. Once you decide on which countries you'd like to learn more about, you can get started on the crafts. Try some of these fun ideas.
Flags of the World Ornaments
Use real ornaments or make paper ornaments with the countries flags on them. For this activity, you can also head on over to your local craft store such as Michaels Arts & Crafts to buy supplies to paint your own flag ornaments. They will have plain ornaments that you can paint on. For a image database of the world flags and countries, visit this website from the CIA.
Traditional Holiday Crafts
During your research, find traditional decor or a tradition the country enjoys during the holidays and recreate it with crafts. For example, The Nutcracker is a traditional ballet done in Russia. Design and create your own nutcracker using things from around the house like milk jugs or cartons, paper rolls, Legos, or wood pieces. For ideas, check out this great post from Multicultural Kids on DIY Christmas Ornaments Inspired by World Cultures.
Holiday Nature Crafts
Many countries have "treasures" that come from nature that you can recreate at home. For example, Poinsettias come from Mexico. You can make paper or tissue paper Poinsettias after learning about Mexico. Christmas trees originally came from Germany. In the link above, there is a beautiful Mexican Felt Poinsettia you can make with the kids. Do you have any Christmas crafts that you do with your kids that you can share with the Little Pim community? There are tons of fun Christmas tree crafts to make! Share your traditions in the comments below.
Holiday Dress Crafts
Many countries have traditional clothing they wear during the holidays. Make paper dolls or clothes pin dolls with the traditional clothing worn from the country you researched.
Paper Crafts
Make crafts of the countries you researched out of paper and hang on a tree or decorate your home. Origami is a great idea for Japan, or make paper chains from Sweden. Let your imagination run wild!
Whatever crafts you decide to use for Christmas Around the World, you know your kids are having fun learning and creating great crafts! For more fun activities, print out our Winter Coloring Pages or fun Hanukkah Crafts for Kids.
Little Pim's Winter Coloring Pages
Happy Holidays to all. Wintertime is the perfect time to cozy up with the little ones and do some coloring activities. We've got you covered for the entire Winter season with our latest coloring pages. Simply click on the links below to print out the pages. We'd love to see your creations. Post of photo on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using the hashtag #LittlePim and we will share it across our networks. Happy coloring and we hope you're enjoying the glorious holiday season! ¡Adiós Amigos!...
Links to download and print the FREE Little Pim Coloring Pages (in order as they appear above):
Explore Winter in Ukraine with a Craft Based on this Clever Story
The Holidays are easily the most magical time of year for a child. Make it even more magical by exposing them to another culture, like that of wintry Ukraine! In Eastern Europe, Christmas is not heavily celebrated. Instead, it is the coming of Father New Years that brings anticipation to children everywhere. That doesn't mean that there's any less winter wonder! The Mitten is a common folktale for Ukrainian families to read to their little ones during the holidays. With such cold winters, it's no wonder that the main feature of this tale is a group of animals trying to stay warm!
- Explore Winter in Ukraine with this printable craft based on the classic Ukrainian children's story, The Mitten.
The story starts with an old man in the forest losing one of his mittens. As animals in the forest find the mitten, they scurry inside to enjoy its warmth. The story begins with small animals, such as frogs and badgers, and works its way up all of the way to a bear. In the end, it's a little mouse that "breaks the camel's back," so to speak; causing the bear to sneeze and all of the animals to fly out of the mitten.
Engaging your child with The Mitten:
- Watch this free video of the folktale, retold and illustrated by children's author Jan Brett.
- Read the story with your children.
- Ask them, "Why do you think the smaller animals let the bigger animals take up the room in the mitten, even when there were too many?" This will help connect your child's mind to the abstract concepts of the reading.
- Color and illustrate pictures using your kids' imagination of the different animals mentioned in the story. Learn how to say the names of each animal in different languages.
- Discuss Eastern Europe and its Holiday traditions; its climate, its animals, and the similarities and differences between our stories and theirs.
For more phenomenal winter crafts, stay tuned to the Little Pim blog! Happy Holidays!
