B I L I N G U A L A C T I V I T I E S

A N D G A M E S F O R K I D S
Read
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At home and on the go...
A S A
Read as a Family
Readas a Family
This booklet, available in Spanish and English, has literacy activities and games for the whole
family. Print out the activities to complete either at home or on the go. This booklet is perfect
for parents, educators, and anyone else looking for fun, free bilingual resources. Get started
with the activities now, and visit www.rif.org/leer for more of RIFs bilingual resources.
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OUT AND ABOUT
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LA LOTERIA CAR BINGO
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PARTY TIME
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MUSIC MAKERS
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GUATEMALAN WORRY DOLLS
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MASQUERADE
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GROCERIES
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TISSUE PAPER FLOWERS
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TIPS: ENCOURAGING SPANISH AT HOME
2006 Reading Is Fundamental, Inc.
W I T H R E A D I N G I S F U N D A M E N T A L
L E T S
Out About
Traveling in the car is a great time to play and learn together
as a family. Every neighborhood is full of sights and sounds.
Look around your neighborhood: Are you passing the market,
a bakery, or the bank? Is there a park nearby with kids playing?
What color are the cars you see? Draw what you see below.
Read It: My Diary from Here to There
By Amanda Irma Prez
illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
A young girl describes her feelings when her father decides
to leave their home in Mexico to look for work in the
United States. Pura Belpr honorable mention, 2004.
Start a Travel Diary
You dont need to travel to exotic faraway
places to start a travel diary. Every day
you travel somewhereto school, to the
grocery store, or to the park. To see how
far you travel in a typical day, keep your
parents company as they run errands.
Ask them to set their car odometer to
zero so you can track how far you go.
After you get to each destination, log
the number of miles you traveled in the
spaces below. If you run out of space, use
a separate sheet of paper. Once youre
done, add it upyoull be surprised by
just how far you go.
Starting point:
HOME
Odometer reading:
0.0
Point A:
Odometer reading:
Point B:
Odometer reading:
Point C:
Odometer reading:
Point D:
Odometer reading:
Total miles
traveled:
2006 Reading Is Fundamental, Inc.
Out About
&
Draw It
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La Loteria
La Loteria
CAR BINGO
EXTRA CHALLENGE: Traditionally, when the caller calls out an object, a rhyming verse is added
like Star...the star that lights the car or House...the one that hides the mouse. Each time
you find an object, try and come up with your own verse. Write down your rhymes so you can
remember them for next time.
Play La Loteria Car Bingo, a twist on a traditional Latin American game, in the car. La Loteria is similar to
the American game bingo, but it is based on matching pictures rather than numbers. Players typically draw a
card featuring a picture from a deck of cards and then must match the picture to one on their playing board.
When a player covers all of the pictures in a row, they call out chalupa to win the game. In this car version,
instead of using cards, look out the window to see if you can find the objects shown below. Use pennies to
mark all of the squares you get. Dont forget to call chalupa when you complete a row.
2006 Reading Is Fundamental, Inc.
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www.rif.org/leer
Party Time
Party Time
Everybody loves a party, from birthday parties, weddings, and first
communions to baby showers and quinceaeras. Think about the last party
you attended. What was it like? Were there colorful decorations, piatas,
dancing, or mariachis? Did people get dressed up? Help complete the story
about a party by answering some questions and filling in the blanks below.
1) The time right now:
2) Your favorite tias (aunts) name:
3) Type of party you last attended:
4) Type of party decoration:
5) Type of pet:
6) Your least favorite vegetable:
7) Your favorite fruit:
8) Your favorite thing to do:
9) Number of people in your family x 10:
10) Name of a female celebrity:
11) Adjective describing a friend:
12) Adjective describing a sibling:
13) Another type of party:
14) The day of the week today:
Last Saturday at _______________________, the entire family gathered at Tia_________________________s house to throw
my prima a ____________________________ party. The house was decorated with ________________________________ and
papel picado. They even had a piata in the shape of a _________________________________ for the kids. My cousin isnt
allowed to eat candy, so they filled the piata with _______________________________. Yuck. Thank goodness they had
________________________ and arroz con leche for dessert! At the party we got to _________________________ for hours.
Que alegre! There were over _______________ people there, including __________________________________. I couldnt
believe my eyes when I first saw her arrive. She was so ____________________________ and ___________________________.
She even invited me to a ______________________________________ party next ____________________________. Lucky me!
Make It: Papel Picado
Fold a sheet of colored paper back and forth width-wise (like a fan). Leaving
1-inch at the top to attach a string, cut out simple shapes such as diamonds,
triangles, and circles, into both of the folded edges. Be
careful not to cut all the way through. Cut designs into
several sheets of paper so you have enough to string
together. Attach all of them side-by-side to a string by
folding the 1-inch flap over the string and gluing it down.
2006 Reading Is Fundamental, Inc.
Answer the Following Questions
Use Your Answers to Fill in the Blanks and Create Your Own Story
Now add your own
sentence to finish the story: _______________________________________________________________________________________
www.rif.org/leer
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1) Claves
2) Castauelas
3) Pan Flutes
4) Cow Bell
5) Giro
6) Bongo Drum
7) Marimbas
8) Cuatro
Music Makers
Music Makers
On the radio, at a concert, in
the streetsmusic is everywhere!
Salsa, merengue, bachata,
mariachi, tangodo any of
these Latin music types sound
familiar? Ask your parents to
help you find a local Latin music
station. Listen to the music and
see if you can recognize the
sounds of different instruments.
Do you hear the sound of horns,
the strumming of a guitar, or the
beat of a drum? Are there any
sounds you dont recognize?
On this page are many
popular Latin music instruments
that you probably hear on the
radio, but may have never seen
before. See if you can draw
a line connecting each
instrument to its name.
Make It: Maracas
To make your own pair of
maracas, get two small,
empty plastic soda bottles
and fill them with 3/4 cup of
dried beans, small pebbles,
or popcorn kernels (you can
experiment with your own
selections, too). Screw the
caps back on and cover the
bottles with tape, colored
paper, paint, glitter, or even
stickers. Once youre done
decorating,
start
shaking.
2006 Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. www.rif.org/leer
A n s w e r K e y : 1 = G , 2 = E , 3 = A , 4 = F , 5 = B , 6 = D , 7 = H , 8 = C .
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Guatemalan Worry Dolls
Guatemalan Worry Dolls
Dont be a worry wart! Let your Guatemalan
worry dolls do the worrying for you. According to
Guatemalan legend, if you have a problem, you
should tell it to a worry doll right before you go to
bed. Then place the worry doll(s) under your pillow
and go to sleep. During the night, the worry dolls
work their magic, helping you find solutions to your
troubles. You can do this each night, although
you can only tell one worry to each doll per night.
Do you have any worries you want to tell a worry
doll? If so, write them down in the spaces below.
If you dont have any worries right now, ask a friend
or a family member if they have a worry to share.
1._________________________________________________
2._________________________________________________
3._________________________________________________
4._________________________________________________
5._________________________________________________
6._________________________________________________
Make a Worry Doll Bookmark
Color in the dolls above, give them each a name, and cut out the bookmarks. Next time you
read before bed, tell your worries to each doll before you sleep. You might also want to
write your worry on a slip of paper and tuck it underneath the pillow with the dolls. In the
morning, the worry should be gone or the trouble resolved.
Read It: Abuelas Weave
By Omar S. Castaeda
illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez
A young Guatemalan girl and her grandmother grow
closer as they weave some special creations and then
make a trip to the market in hopes of selling them.
2006 Reading Is Fundamental, Inc.
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Masquerade
Masquerade
During Carnival and other festivals, masqueraders frequently dance and play in the streets throughout Latin
America and Spain. In Puerto Rico, during the entire month of February, masqueraders called vejigantes dress
in colorful costumes and papier-mch masks to run through the streets and play tricks on kids. The masks
are decorated to be very spooky with multiple horns and pointed teeth.
Below are six vejigante masks. Can you spot the one mask that doesnt match?
Make It: Paper Masks
To make your own vejigante mask, first get a paper plate and cut out
two circles for the eyes. Next, create horns by rolling square sheets
of paper into the shape of a cone. Tape or glue the paper horn to the
plate. (You can add as many horns as you want.) When you are done
making horns, draw a mouth and teeththe scarier you make the mask
the better. Use paints or colored pens to decorate
your mask. Once the plate is decorated, punch a
hole on each side of plate, across from the eyes.
Thread yarn through each end. Tie ends in a knot,
so that they stay securely attached to plate.
Read It:
Vejigante Masquerader
By Lulu Delacre
Learn about Puerto Rican Carnival
with Ramon, who longs to
masquerade along with the older
boys, the vejigantes, in the
month-long celebration in Puerto
Rico. This book is written in
English and Spanish.
2006 Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. www.rif.org/leer
Groceries
Groceries
Make a List
Find the recipe for your favorite
dessert and write down every-
thing youll need on the grocery
list below. When youre done, go
to the store with your parents and
help gather all the ingredients
to make this tasty treat.
Market Mix-Up
Grocery List
Oh no! I lost some letters
in my sign below. Help me
remember how to spell
the names of the fruits.
When youre done,
see if you can answer
the question below.
What is the mystery fruit hes selling?
HINT: Its a fruit that tastes a lot like a vegetable.
2006 Reading Is Fundamental, Inc.
Play It: How Fast
Can You Shop?
Visit www.rif.org/leer to play
Supermarket Spree, a fun
drag-and-drop shopping game.
__ __TER__ELON __UA__A
CO__ __N__ __ P__A__H
__INE__P__L__ TAM__RIN__
M__ __G__
www.rif.org/leer
A n s w e r : A V O C A D O
FLOWERS
FLOWERS
TISSUE
PAPER
Did you know that 90
percent of flowers sold
on Valentines Day come
from Latin American
countries like Colombia
and Ecuador? This is
because the warm tropical
weather in these countries
is perfect for growing big
and beautiful flowers.
Color in the flowers below
according to the number
guide. When youre
finished, see if you can
figure out what type of
flowers are in the picture.
Then visit a flower shop
in your neighborhood to
see if they sell the flowers
in the drawing.
Color by
Number
1. Orchid (Magenta)
2. Red Ginger (Red)
3. Bird of Paradise (Gold)
4. Calla Lily (Yellow)
5. Heliconia (Orange)
6. Dahlia (Purple)
Make it: Paper Flowers
Colorful tissue paper flowers are a traditional decoration in Mexico and Central America.
To make your flowers, first stack 5-8 pieces of tissue paper or crepe paper (if you want
multicolored flowers, use different colors). Cut into 8-inch squares. Keeping the sheets
layered, make 1-inch folds in the entire layer like an accordian, to form a fan. Tie a wire
pipe cleaner to the center of the fan. Trim the ends with scissors. You can cut an arch
shape for a regular round flower or use fancy scissors for ruffled
edges. Bend the fan in half at the twist tie and separate each layer
of tissue careully, beginning with the outside and working your way
in. Once all the layers are pulled up, fluff them in place to look
natural. Add a stem made of pipe cleaner.
2006 Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. www.rif.org/leer
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E N C O U R A G I N G
S P A N I S H A T H O M E
Whether or not you are a native Spanish speaker, encouraging your children to learn
Spanish will help deepen their understanding and appreciation of Latino culture and offer
a fun and exciting way to add new literacy activities at home. Here are five tips with advice
and support for getting started:
1) Make It a Family Affair
If you are a native speaker, you probably have several Spanish-speaking relatives who can
speak mostly Spanish to your children. If you have Spanish-speaking relatives living abroad,
encourage your child to keep in touch by sending e-mails, instant messages, postcards, or
letters in Spanish. For non-native speakers, explain to your family why you want your children
to learn Spanish and encourage them to praise your child for learning another language.
Positive reinforcement is critical when learning and maintaining another language.
2) Start a Spanish-Language Playgroup
Making friends with other Spanish-speaking children is one of the best ways to get your
kids to use their Spanish. Ask around your neighborhood or at school to see if any play-
groups already exist. If not, start your own. In addition to providing an opportunity to practice
Spanish, playgroups are great for Spanish-language book exchanges, making new friends,
and establishing a parent-support network.
3) Set a Spanish Story Time
Reading books out loud is one of the best ways to learn a language. Visit your local library
or bookstore to find bilingual or Spanish-language books to read with your child. If you
have trouble finding books in Spanish, get creative and make your own books.
You can create translations for English-language books or come up with your own family
stories. As you read together, ask your child questions and encourage them to share their
thoughts in Spanish.
4) Make It Fun with Games
The more fun you make learning a new language, the more likely your children will
embrace it. Start by playing the Spanish versions of classic American board games like
Monopoly and Scrabble, both of which have Spanish-language editions available. You can
also play traditional games from Latin America, like La Loteria. Several websites also offer
online games, including RIFs bilingual site: www.rif.org/leer.
5) Create a Language-Rich Environment
Ensure that your home is a language-rich environment in both English and Spanish by
watching Spanish-language television, listening to Latin music, and subscribing to Spanish-
language magazines at the same time that you use other English-language media. While
watching television or listening to the radio with your children, ask them questions and
wait for a response. Make everything you do interactive. Children learn a language best
when they are encouraged to interact with it, rather than learn it passively.
Thanks to the generous support of LeapFrog, RIFs
bilingual website Leamos en Familia (www.rif.org/leer)
will now feature even more free fun, interactive activities
for kids, parents, and educators. With resources such as
this downloadable activity booklet and a quarterly
bilingual eNewsletter, theres plenty to please
Spanish-language speakers or learners of all levels.
Reading Is Fundamental, Inc.
1825 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20009
www.rif.org