年賀状作り New Year Card

日本の年の初めご挨拶のカードを作りました。墨をすり筆にたっぷり墨を含ませ本来であればあけましておめでとうとか賀正などと書きますがみんなはクリスマスカードのようなものになってしまいました。しかし筆ではがきを書くことは楽しかったようです。墨の香りや私が持って来た年賀状の見本など見て日本の正月を楽しめたと思います。来週は25日で持ち寄りクリスマスパーティと正月の遊びをやります。最後ですので来てください。待ってます。

Japanese have a custom of sending out New Year Card on the 1st of January. The New Year card being sent out is in the form of a post card. For today, we gave each and every one a card and introduced the kids to calligraphy brushes. The kids used calligraphy brushes and crayons to decorate the card. Since Christmas is still in the air, some of the cards became Christmas cards rather than New Year Cards. Next week, we will be having a Pot Luck party. We will also be singing some songs and play some New Year games. Bring a dish and come and join us next week.

クリスマス模様 Christmas is in the air

クリスマスカードを色々な材料で作りました。色紙、鈴、星型に抜いた紙、ピカピカ光るテープ、モール、今回も写真のように個性豊かに仕上がりました。工作もだんだんその子の個性が出てきて面白いです。デンマークの方が紙を編んで作るクリスマスのハートを教えてくれました。私は第一段階の一番やさしいのを習いました。とても指先を使い注意深く作りました。ブログに乗せてありますのでご覧ください。来週は年賀状つくりです。日本の伝統的な便りです。
A new friend from China joined us today with her daughter. Welcome and do continue to join us. Christmas cards and Christmas decorations today. First, the kids are taught how to make a Christmas card　using a green card and decorated with shiny tapes, bells and stickers. After the kids are done with the cards, they played among themselves and we progress on to the next class which is to weave a patterned heart using 2 different color papers. This is taught by mother from Denmark. She can make really complicated patterns but for today, we started off with very simple patterns. As usual, we have story telling and singing and dancing in English. There will be a Japanese class party at room 403 (12 December) from 11 am to 2 pm. All POTATO members are invited. There will also be a party at room 202 on 13 December by the ViVi Day Care. Next week, we will be making New Year Cards. Do come and join us.

厚木北児童館 Christmas Decorations

秋晴れの空の下お散歩がてら厚木北児童館のおひさまタイムに参加しました。0歳児から3歳児までの日本人のグールプの中に入りおままごとをしたり自動車遊びにしたりして過ごししました。思ったよりすんなり中に入る事ができ安心しました。この年齢の子供たちは人種や言葉など関係なく最初はぎこちなく近いより遊び始めました。児童館から帰るのはいやで道路でだだをこねて私たちを困らせましたがおなかがすいていたのでしょうがなくポテトに戻りました。来週はクリスマスの飾りを作ろうと思います。先生は参加者のお母さんです。すごく楽しみにしています。

Mother from Denmark came today and brought with her more Christmas decoration crafts. Using 2 different color papers, you trace the templates of the pictures that you want to make and cut it using a scissors. After that, you weave the 2 pieces of paper together and it is like magic, you get really nice heart shape pictures. There are also some very simple templates that kids can make. We plan to do some of this next week so do come and join us. Nice weather today. We walked to the Kita Kids Community Center and unlike the previous time, there are lots of mothers and kids today. There is a person today from the Atsugi City Parenting Support Center and the teacher sang some songs and read some stories to the kids. No wonder it is so crowded today. We also dropped by the Kita Community Center to inquire about "Ai Ai" playgroup as one of the mother from India is interested to bring her boy there. After lunch, we ate some delicious Denmark Christmas treats that the mother from Denmark brought. Recipes of the treats will be posted later. Try it out if you like.

お姫様 Let's Sing

今週は雨のため出席者が1人しかいませんでした。彼女はいつもお母さんにくっついていてママ大好きなお子様です。しかし今日は私の手をとったり大きな声でお話したりいつもと違う一面を見ました。きっと家では大きな声で話したり、笑ったりしているのでしょう。多くの人の中に出るとそのような面が消えてしまい黙ってしまうでしょう。とてもいい笑顔なのにもったいないなと思いました。また笑顔を見たいです。リズム遊びをしました。子供は乗りが悪く大人の合奏になりました。こんな日もあるでしょう。来週は北児童館へ行きます。10時15分に出発します。来てください。

Cold, rainy and cloudy. Gloomy weather today. Many of the kids have caught a cold and could not come today. Only 1 came. Anyhow, we had a nice time. A mother from Denmark showed us how to make stars which she uses for Christmas decorations. The stars are made using 4 long strips of paper. In Denmark, they usually use white and red which are the colors of the Denmark flag. She said that kids from age 5 could make the stars but try as I could it is impossible with my dexterity level. Castanets, hand bells and tambourines. Using these musical instruments, we sang to some children songs. It is a bit difficult though to form an orchestra with only 1 kid. We will try again next month and hopefully we will have more participants then. For next week, we will be going to Kita Kids Community Center so do join us. We will depart at 10:15 so come before then or meet us there.

どんぐりを食べる Newspaper! Newspaper!

韓国のお母さんがどんぐりのゼリーを作ってきてくれました。テーブルに乗るまで甘いお菓子のようなゼリーを創造していました。どんぐりのゼリーはこんにゃくのようでそれを薄くきり生野菜と韓国風ドレッシングを混ぜた惣菜の一品でした。口当たりもよくどんぐりの粉と作り方を教えてもらいましたが20分間も混ぜなくていけないので辞退しました。作ってくれたのを食べるのが一番いいです。今日の工作は新聞紙で遊ぼうでした。シンデレラ、スーパーマン、大きいな鳥、かわいいウサギなどに変身しました。発想はみんなさん豊かで写真をごらんください。来週はリズム遊びです。
Newspaper! Newspaper! Using newspaper, the kids were taught how to fold a hat. Then using shiny ribbons, papers and stickers, the kids and mother decorated the hat. Next, it is dressing up time. Cinderella, Superman, Rabbit and Bird. It is almost like a Halloween party. The mothers were very innovative and made costumes for the kids per the kids request. Next, paper gun. Using newspaper, we folded a paper gun. Well it does not look anything like a gun, or rather it looked like a simple triangle but when you quickly flip it down, BANG! explodes the paper gun. That too was a hit amongst the kids.

Day of the Bird. There is such a day in the Japanese calendar. On that day, there is a custom to decorate a rake like ornament which has some grains of rice and a face on it. This ornament is called "Kumade" which means 'Bears Hand'. Rice represents money in the olden times and the rake is for raking in all the wealth. Day of the Bird occurs twice or thrice in a year. For the year that it appears thrice, there is a saying that fire outbreak will happen easily so beware of fire.

For dancing time today, a mother requested for the song Ring a Ring of Roses so we sang that on top of the other songs. Kids and mothers alike enjoyed going round and falling to the ground. Last week, when we made autumn crafts using acorns, one of the Korean mothers mentioned that in Korea, they make acorn jelly during autumn. Today, she made the acorn jelly salad and brought for everyone to try. It is vegetarian so the vegetarians can also eat it. Next week we will be having a "Let's sing together" session. Come and join us.

どんぐり Autumn Crafts

秋のタペストリーを作りました。折り紙でどんぐりと葉っぱと本物のどんぐりもつけました。きらきらしたテープに色名どんぐりが付いてギャラーリのようでした。落ち葉を集めて作ってみたらどうでしょうか。来週は新聞紙で遊ぼうと11月のお誕生会です。時間を作って来てください。

It has been cold for the past few days but today we are blessed with nice autumn weather. Autumn crafts today. Using origami paper we folded chestnuts, acorns and ginkgo tree leaves. The kids and mothers were very creative. The end products were pasted on a sparkling tape as a decoration. After that, story telling in English and Japanese and dancing and singing. It is nice to see how the kids have progressed through the months and they can dance to perfection. Kids are kids and their learning abilities are amazing. Join us next week at room 403.

清水公園でシャボン玉遊び Bubbles at Shimizu Park

朝タンポポの花をもらいました。韓国語では「ミンデレ」と教えてもらいました。発音が悪く彼女からは違うと何度も言われました。清水公園行くときも日本の名前の草と韓国の名前の草の言い比べしました。柿は韓国でも「かき」らしいです。落ち葉のいっぱいある公園で遊動木に上ったり、すぺり台を滑ったりしました。シャボン玉はうまくふけなかった子供も最後にふけるようになり、ビンに水を入れて最後は水遊びになりました。お天気が良かったので他所ぬれても乾いてほっとしました。来週は工作をします。お弁当を持ってきてください。

Nice autumn weather today. Sunny, cool and dry. A new friend from Indian joined us with her son. The kids had such a nice time at Shimizu park that we did not have time to proceed to the Tomuro Kids Community Center. Bubbles, slides, swings, climbing frames, running around the park, leaves picking are just a few of fun activities that the kids did. After coming back, lunch time and as usual story telling, songs and dancing in English. Join us next week at room 403. We will be making some autumn crafts.