Do you play sports with your kids ? Are you keen to have them playing sports ? What do they most like ? Do they play football ? Or other team competitive games ? Do they know the rules or invent as they play ? Do you just have fun passing the ball or try to setup teams ? Are they energetic playing ? What about afterwards ? Do you talk about the fun moments you just had ? Tell me your story, here is mine...
The Little Girl shot the ball in the direction of Papi. Papi received the ball and kicked it back. The Little Girl ran to catch the ball and stopped it. The Little Girl kicked the ball back to Papi. Papi and the Little Girl were laughing, they got the ball rolling between them.
Blue Boy saw them playing and tried to join.
"Hello Little Girl", said the Blue Boy.
"Hello Blue Boy", said the Little Girl.
The Little Girl kicked the ball to Blue Boy. "Pass to my daddy", said the Little Girl. And the Blue boy passed to Papi the ball. Papi kicked back to the Little Girl, and the Little Girl kicked the ball to the Blue Boy. the ball was now rolling in a triangle, and everybody was having fun.
More friends of the Little Girl from kindergarten joined. Papi moved slightly away and watch all the kids playing ball. the kids were now very excited. there was no special team, but many kids dribbled the ball between them and passed to others. There was no goal, but they seemed to kick in the direction of what would be a goal. Some would shout "Goal", others clapped hands.
A simple ball joins the kids in the neighborhood, and many of them are just waiting for somebody to start.
Do you go often with your kids to the playground ? Do your kids ask you to take them ? Do they like the playground ? Can they stay for long ? Do they play with the swings, sandboxes, monkey bars, sliders or invent games on top of them ? Do they play with the other kids or play alone ? Do you have a ritual like going for ice-cream afterwards ? Do you go there by bicycle or walk ? Tell me your story, here is mine...
The Little Girl climbed the ladder quickly, other kids followed her. At the top of the ladder she made a small jump on to the platform. The other kids mimicked her. The Little Girl walked on the rope bridge to the platform on the other side. The other kids followed her. At the tower the Little Girl climbed the stairs to the top of the tower. The other kids climbed the stairs as well. The Little Girl slides down the slide and the other kids follow her.
The Little Girl runs around the play castle. The other kids followed her around the play castle. the Little Girl says: "STOP!", and all the kids stop. The Little Girl shouts: "RUN!", and all the kids start running. The Little Girl shouts: "JUMP!", and all the kids jump. The Little Girl shouts "Clap you hands!", and all the kids clap their hands. The Little Girl shouts "Stomp your feet!", and all the kids stomp their feet.
The ice-cream lorry comes with its music. It is playing a pop hit. The Little Girl starts to sing the song and stomping her foot. The other kids also sing the song and stomp the foot. The Little Girl sings loud and dances like on the TV. All the other kids follow her steps and dance to the song.
The playground was now transformed into a music show. All the parents watching and enjoying. When the music stopped the kids were exhausted. All the kids cried at the parents for ice-cream. The Little Girl copycat the kids and asked Papi for ice-cream.
Does your family live in a multilingual environment ? Do you teach other languages to your kids ? Does your kid understand what a language is ? Can your kid differentiate between languages ? Do you watch movies in other languages ? What is the exposure of your kid to other languages and cultures ? Tell me your story, here is mine...
The Little Girl did not like to fly in the plane. The Little Girl had to sit down for a very long time. And when the Little Girl wanted to play, Papi and Mami told her to be quiet.
"I don't want to fly anymore... it's boring!", said the Little Girl when they got out of the plane.
Soon the Little Girl saw another Little Girl and went to play.
"Let's play, let's play copycat", suggested the Little Girl.
The other girl did not understand the Little Girl, she just shrugged her shoulders, universal sign of not understand... or not caring...
The Little Girl insisted making funny monkey faces, "Let's play copycat."
The other girl approached her mummy, "That Girl is saying strange things", told the other girl to her mother in the same language the Little Girl usually talked with her own mother.
The Little Girl approached the other girl once more, and insisted "Let's play copycat!", and the other girl to her mummy, "See, she speaks funny.!"
The Little Girl could not understand the confusion in the other girl, and why she said to her mother that she talked funny.
The Little Girl went back to Papi.
"Papi, that girl does not talk the language of the kids, she only talks grownup language...", complained the Little Girl to Papi.
"Little Girl, in this place, the language of the kids is the same language you and Papi speak.", explained Papi.
"Ah! This place is silly, the cartoons on TV are in kids language or in grownup language ?"
