マラカス製作 Maracas

プラスチックの空きビンを使用しマラカス製作をしました。ビーズと小石を入れ音の良く出るように工夫しました。ビンには丸いシールをはりユニークな作品が出来上がりました。どれも個性的な作品で嬉しいそうにもって帰りました。韓国の男の誕生日会をしました。母親が韓国製のチョコパイを積み上げてろうそくをともして祝いしました。韓国では誕生日の時学校にチョコパイを持っていってみんなでお祝いするそうです。韓国のチョコパイの味は日本製と違いました。来週はお好み焼きとチヂミパーティです。お待ちしています。
Small plastic beads and small stones. Empty bottles. Stickers. Tape. These are what we used to make the maracas. The kids were given an empty bottle each and to develop their finger motor skills, they are asked to put in the small beads into the bottle. Then the bottle is sealed with tape and to tap their imagination, they are to decorate the bottle with stickers. Outcome is a pig maracas, cat maracas and girl maracas. There is also a birthday celebration today. In Korea, the kids will bring choco pie to school on their birthday and pile up the choco pie like a cake and eat it with their friends there. The mother of the birthday boy brought choco pie to celebrate her son's birthday here with his friends. Today apart from the normal English story book and English songs session, we had Korean story book and Korean children songs session too. Next week, we will be having an Okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza) and Chijimi (Korean pizza) session. Come and join us.

「おはぎ」パーティと折り紙 Ohagi party and origami

今年の秋分は9月23日です。その日は「おはぎ」を作りみんなで食べます。春は「ぼたもち」と季節の花で名前が変わると教えてあげましたが、本物を味わいたい希望が有り作りました。折り紙を折りながら隣でお母さん達がせっせと美味しそうな、あんこ、ごま、きなこのおはぎ作りを見ました。おいしかったよ！
23rd of September is the Autumnal Equinox day in Japan and on that day, the Japanese have the custom of visiting the cemetery and making the ohagi dessert. Ohagi dessert is made from glutinous rice and wrapped with red bean paste, kinako powder or grated black sesame powder. As one of the POTATO play group mother likes red bean paste and Autumnal Equinox day is next week, we decided to kill two birds with one stone and had an impromptu ohagi dessert making class and of course after that ohagi party time. While the mothers are making the ohagi, the kids had an origami session making animals. However, there is a creative kid who decided to make a bullet train all on his own. it is nice to see the kids that come to POTATO play group progress and develop in various skills. As usual, there is story telling in Japanese and English and also dancing to some English songs. Today a new song, "Ring a ring of roses" is taught to the kids. During lunch time, a mother from India brought corn curry to share and Korean mother brought cucumber kimchi to share. It was delicious home cooked food and not something that you can get at restaurants. Interesting. Next week, it is maracas making session and birthday party. Come and join us.

”おはぎの作り方　Ohagi recipe”

シミ Autumn is here

お母さんからの質問で、簡単なシミの落とし方がありました。幼稚園のトレーニングウェアーはなぜあのように白いのか？　だいたい白いウェアーは洗濯が大変です。制服であればしょうがないので日本人の親はせっせっと漂白したりこすったりしてシミを落とします。基本的には洗ってあればシミがあってもいいのにシミ一つなく落とすのは日本人の特徴なのではないでしょうか。清水公園で二人の子供とファミリーサポートの人に会いました。お母さんは日本語が不自由だそうです。そのような人のためにポテトがありぜひ勇気を持ってポテトに来てください。大歓迎です。お散歩の途中、ねこじゃらしを見つけ韓国ではいぬのしっぽと教えてもらいました。来週は動物の折り紙です。来てください。
Autumn is here. The breeze is cool. The air is dry. It is a nice day for a stroll. Where did we go today? One of the mother is unsure what to use to remove stains on kids clothes. So our first destination is to drop by the nearby drug store to get the stain remover. Next destination is the Tomuro Kids Community Center. As the weather is nice, the kids played outside. Then off to the Shimizu park. The kids played bubbles there and there are supposedly acorns at the park but searching with all my might, only one was found. At the park, we met 2 new friends from Argentina. A baby sitter is looking after them at the moment as their mother needs to be with their brother at the hospital. We told them about the POTATO play group so hopefully they will join us next time. It is nice to stroll outside with the kids and as we stroll along, the kids picked flowers, stones and looked at the vegetables growing at the small vegetable plot. Next week, it is origami time at room 403. Come and join us.

紙粘土作り Paper clay craft

紙粘土、木や葉やどんぐりや小さい栗を使用して色々な物を作りました。子供の発想はすばらしく、パイナップルや雪だるまは驚くほど上手にできました。山椒の葉、ローズマリー、ラベンダーなど香りの高い葉を手でちぎりながら紙粘土で物を作りあげる事は子供の情操教育に良いものではないでしょうか。
It was unexpectedly quiet with only 2 mothers and 4 kids joining us where in the previous week we had 12 kids and 5 mothers joining us. Today, a new friend from Ukraine joined us with her cute twins, a boy and a girl. Paper clay craft today. Acorns, chestnuts, leaves and branches were collected and used to decorate the end product. One of the mother and kid were very creative and made pineapple, snowman, cartoon characters, Anpanman and Baikinman and various other crafts. Other crafts made were crocodile, deer, porcupine, snake, tortoise, house, etc. Next week, we will be talking a stroll to Tomuro Kids' Community Center. We will gather at room 403 and depart at 10:30 am. In case of heavy rain, the outing will be cancelled and we will be at room 403. If it is raining lightly, bring your rain coats and the outing will be on.