This is our first time in South America celebrating Day of the Dead. My daughter came home one day and told me that people don’t celebrate Halloween here but they celebrate Dia de los Muertos here in Ecuador. What is the difference between Halloween and Day of the Dead? What are the craft projects we can do? What are the books we can read on this special occasion? What do people eat during this celebration? When
Read more →Winter Olympics just started and we are excited to learn about the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia! This is a great time to introduce theme vocabulary about Olympics and winter sports. I designed two sets of matching games, one for the younger children and one for the older ones. You can print them on card stock and cut them into cards. You can play with them when you are watching the game or when you are
Read more →2013 is the Chinese Year of the Snake. Did you know that in Chinese culture the “Year of the Snake” is also known as the “Year of the Little Dragon?!” Here is a Fun Spiral Snake craft you can make at home with your child. I have created the design for you to print out on stock paper. What you need: 1. Stock paper any color 2. Scissors 3. String 4. Glue 5. Hole punch 6. Sequins
Read more →Apps offer a fun way to learn at home and at school. The iPad apps listed below are my personal picks for Chinese New Year-themed learning, teaching and fun! We are always open to new ones so please feel free to share your favorites too! Note: This is not a sponsored post. These apps are currently on my iPad for my children and students to use. 2013 Happy Chinese New Year – a cultural game by
Read more →February 10th marks the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year in 2013. This coming Saturday evening we say “farewell” to the auspicious dragon of 2012 and “welcome!” to a prosperous Year of the Snake! Chinese people also call the Year of the Snake the Year of the “Little Dragon.” In Mandarin Chinese rather than call this occasion “the Chinese New Year ” we call it “the Spring Festival” (Chūn jié – 春節 (春节)) or “the Lunar
Read more →You’re at the Great Wall of China and Chinese characters are falling from the sky! You’d better catch them as fast as you can. “Mandarin Madness” is a Chinese learning app developed by Native Tongue. The design of this app incorporates the learning of basic Chinese characters and phrases into an exciting game. This app is an entertaining learning tool for children and new adult Chinese learners. What children can learn 1. Vocabulary building There are
Read more →Reading is a great way to learn more about a language! For the month of August we are reading a set of English – Chinese bilingual books by David McKee. In them Elmer, the fun-loving patchwork elephant, takes us around to learn about the daily routine, colors, weather, and animal friends. Each of these books uses simple words and short sentences. Children will love the illustrations in the books and enjoy listening to the stories in both
Read more →May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month. What better time to explore the diversity of our Asian-Pacific cultures? This cultural exploration project can go from now all the way to and through the summer. Want to know how to say “hello” in Vietnamese, Shanghainese, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese? Do you know where Dim Sum is from? Check out this video to find out these answers and more! Learn More About Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month: HARTLYN KIDS: GUEST BLOG:
Read more →The Gordon & Li Li series introduces basic Chinese words to young children. The Elmer’s book series features an adventurous elephant and the short stories keep the attention of the young children. “In the Snow”, like “At the Beach” (from our last month’s picks) introduces ten Chinese pictogram characters on a walk through a forest on a snowy day. Gordon & Li Li Words for Everyday (Mandarin for kids) [Board Book] Languages: English, pinyin and Chinese characters
Read more →We all know the story of Snow White – now let’s hear it in Mandarin Chinese! Here is a short “immersion program” for the whole family. Can you hear the following phrases? Snow White in Chinese is “White Snow Princess” – Bái xuě gōng zhǔ – 白雪公主 Queen – Huáng hòu 皇后 Princess – Gōng zhǔ 公主 Apple – Píng guǒ 蘋果 Prince – Wáng zǐ 王子 Have fun and please SHARE the post if you enjoy
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