風船工作 Balloons! Balloons! Balloons!

風船にテープやモールをセロテープで付け、顔や動物、ポケモンのキャラクターをマジックで書き、うちわで打って遊ぶゲームをしました。親子ともに真剣で風船を落とさないようにゲームをしました。プール遊びの後、昼食の時7月生まれの誕生日会もしました。メダルは彼女の首にずっとかかっています。5歳のお誕生日おめでとう。いい事がいっぱいありますように。食後、輪になってダンスをしました。やせました。来週はホットケーキパーティです。日本スタイル、インドスタイル、アメリカスタイルのホットケーキパーティです。おいしいそう。来てね。
As it was summer holidays in Japan, kids from primary school and kindergarten joined the Potato group today. Each kid is given a balloon, markers and ribbons to decorate the balloons. One of the primary school kid is very good at drawing pictures from the Pokemon cartoon series and one of the younger kid wanted the same picture on his balloon. It is nice to see how kids can just make friends so easily regardless of race and age. After that it is pool time, lunch time and dancing time. The older kids were shy and did not want to join in the singing and dancing but the younger kids had a nice time singing and dancing to their favourite Hokey Pokey song. Next Thursday is Pancake Party. Japanese, Indian and American pancakes. We will be waiting.

粘土遊び Playing with clay

食紅の赤、緑、黄色をペットボトルに入れて色水を作り。小麦粉、食用油と色水をビニール袋に入れてよくもみ小麦粉粘土を作りました。小麦粉粘土は口に入れても安全で0歳からの工作によく使います。ポテトでは色々な作品ができました。ワニ、アヒル、タコ、ドキンちゃん、そのた色々面白い作品ができました。11時から水遊びの予定でしたが粘土から離れられず11時20分からプール遊びをしました。大きい男の子がリーダーになり、プールの中で大騒ぎをしました。ポテトも2ヶ月たち、母親同士がニュースの交換をして、友達の輪が広がっています。これからとても楽しみです。
Summer holidays has started in Japan. Primary school kids and kindergarten kids are also invited to Potato group. A mother from Peru with 3 kids and a mother from China joined us today. Using flour, oil, water and food coloring, mothers and kids learned how to make clay. Using the colored clay, the kids used their imaginations and made various crafts. There is an octopus, duck, strawberry, crocodile and many other creations. During lunch, the room was packed with 18 people but it was fun. Next week, we will be playing with balloons. Come and join us!

ペーパープリンセス Paper princess and paper hero

新聞紙とトイレットペーパー、色つきのガムテープを使い造形遊びをしました。家では新聞紙を破いたりすることは禁止されている家が多いが今日は思い切り新聞紙を破いたり、丸めたり、テープでお団子をしたり遊びました。新聞紙のペーパープリンセスとスーパーマンが出来上がりました。スーパーマンは家までバーギーに乗ってご機嫌で帰っていきました。プール遊びははじめは嫌がる子供もいましたが気持ちよく水遊びをしました。次回もプールで遊びましょう。

Dress up time today! Using newspapers, toilet papers, paper ribbons and colored tape the kids are dressed up as princesses and heroes. They paraded around the room and asked to be carried in front of the mirror so that they can look at themselves. For pool time, Potato group kids played together with the ViVi day care kids. Some of the kids were nervous to meet other kids and did not want to join in but on the other hand, some of the kids just jumped in and started splashing everyone. Some of the ViVi day care kids noticed that one of the Potato group kids is Indian and started making a conversation asking "Are you Indian?". It was good exposure for both the Potato group kids and also the Japanese kids to mix and play together. After lunch, the Korean mothers exchanged information about what books to use to teach their kids Korean and English language. Potato group has been existing for nearly 2 months and we asked the mothers about how they feel towards the group. We will soon put up a column - "Voices of the Mothers" so watch out for it. Ever tried making clay from flour? Why not come and join us next Thursday and try it out.

日本語クラスパティーに参加しました Japanese Class Party

今回は多文化ともだちセンターの日本語クラスのパティーに参加しました。おいしいものがいっぱいあってとても幸せな気分になりました。おなかがいっぱいになるとどの国の人もとてもいい顔になります。女性ばかりのパティーで色々な国のお料理のレシピも聞き今度作ってみようと思いました。夏休みになったら小さなお友達もポテトでパティーをしましょう。
ボランテア日本語クラス

Party today! Food! Food! Food! Korean food, Chinese food, Peru food, Vietnamese food, Thai food, Japanese food...... Yummy! The food that you get here is not what you can buy at the restaurants but authentic home cooked food. After eating, it is word games time. For example, how does the pig cry? In Japanese it is "Boo Boo", in English it is "Oink Oink" and you also get the Spanish version, Thai version, Chinese version and Korean version of the cry of the pig. It was very interesting and everyone burst out into laughters. What can I say but that I deeply felt that the participants have great love for their country and put in lots of effort to prepare the food for the party. Some Japanese class students has kids who goes to kindergarten or primary school and they are all invited to join the Potato group during summer holidays. Looking forward to an even more international gathering of Potato group. You may wonder about the Japanese class mentioned here. Well the place that Potato gathers is actually the venue for a voluntary Japanese class. Class fee is 2000 yen per month. Classes are held on Wednesday and Friday morning (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.) and afternoon (1 p.m. and 3 p.m.). Child care assistance is also available. For more information, you can refer to the link below.
Voluntary Japanese Class

プール遊び Pool time

保育園の友達と遊べると思ったら涼しいので彼らは散歩にいったしまいました。プールはポテトのみでしました。小さいプールとベビーバスを出してペットボトルやジョウロで遊びました。はじめはこわごわ水に入ったがだんだんと慣れてきてお友達に水をかけたりジョウロの取り合いをしてたのしみました。終了の合図をしたが泣いて遊びたいと言いました。みんなで遊ぶ事は楽しいですね。昼食後薬を見せながら説明をしました。虫刺さされ、熱さましシート、傷の薬、大人の風薬、胃腸の薬などでした。次回のレクエストは子供用な下痢薬、風薬、破棄止め薬などでした。プリントにして各々に配りたいと思います。来週の予定はプール遊びと新聞紙で遊ぼう。
A new friend from India joined us today. Potato group is increasing again. One of the mother asked....who pays for this group to exist? True! Nothing is free in this world. No fee is collected from the mothers and kids so who pays for it? Well, our tax money pays for it actually. Atsugi city has funds allocated to assist mothers with child care and that fund actually subsidies Potato group so lucky us. Pool time today but is it too cold to play in the pool? It is not raining but the wind is kind of chilly. However, so as not to dissapoint the kids, we brought out a tiny pool and filled it up with warm water. Initially the kids were wary about entering into the water but they soon warmed up and enjoyed themselves. Before going down to the pool, we had story telling in Japanese and English and also danced to the Hokey Pokey dance. Ever had problems with what medicine to use in Japan? Today, we introduced various over the counter medicines in Japan. For example, what to use when you get bitten by insect, what to use to reduce fever, etc. Our homework for this week is to come up with a document so that it is easier for foreigners to buy medicines at the drug store. Next Thursday is pool time and playing with newspaper. Tomorrow's pot luck party is also on at 11am. We will be waiting.

児童館は何？ Excursion to the Kids Community Center

清水公園と戸室児童館へ探検に行きました。清水公園までみんなで歩きました。アジサイの花やきゅうりの花を見ながらおしゃべりしました。公園でシャボン玉遊びをしましたがうまく子供たちは吹けませんでした。お母さん達が頑張っていっぱいシャボン玉を空に飛ばしました。その後児童館に行き使い方を指導員から教わりました。幼児と保護者同士の交流場として、平日の午前中、児童館を解放しています。平日１０時から１２時までです。図書室も利用できます。私たちはおままごとをしたり、ピアノを弾いたり、児童館の庭でスペリ台やブランコをしました。帰るのを嫌がり泣く子もいいましたがまた来る事を話して帰ってきました。来週はプール遊び。水着とタオルと着替えを忘れずにお持ちください。7月１１日（金）午前１１時から多分化ともだちセンターの人たちと一品持ち寄りパティーがあります。待ってます。
児童館午前中利用

Yippee! No rain today. Our excursion is on. Today we have a new friend from India joining us. Potato group is increasing. We gathered at room 403 and left to Shimizu park at 10:30 am. We played bubbles at the park and went to the Tomuro Kids Community Center. Did you know that there is a facility called "Kids Community Center" (jidoukan) in Japan? In Tomuro, the Kids Community Center is open for small kids on every weekday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. There are toys there, a small library where you can borrow some children books and also a small park with slides, swing and climbing frames. Mothers with small kids are welcome to use the Kids Community Center in the morning. However, for the Kids Community Center in other area, the opening hours varies. For more information refer to the link below. When it was time to go back, there are kids who wanted to play some more. It was an enjoyable excursion. Next Thursday is pool time. Do remember to bring along a swim suit, towel and extra change of clothing. We will also be having a pot luck party on 11th of July (Friday) from 11 a.m. with Japanese class students and teachers. Do come and join us. We will be waiting.
Atsugi Kids Community Center for Young Kids Information