保育園ViViの行き方 Directions to ViVi

Ever had problems trying to find out where ViVi is? Check out the directions from Hon Atsugi station to ViVi.

By foot - 20 minutes walk (refer to map below)
By bus - Take bus 16, 19 or 20 from bus stop no. 5 opposite the Hon Atsugi Station and stop at bus stop 愛光病院前(Aiko Byouin Mae). Cost 170 yen. Takes about 7 minutes.

小田急本厚木駅より
徒歩：２０分
バス：本厚木駅より５番乗り場、宮の里、宮が瀬行き愛光病院前下車。料金１７０円。７分ぐらいかかります。

地図　Map to ViVi from Hon Atsugi station

Birth of POTATO

Ever wondered how the POTATO play group came about? Check out the reasons why POTATO play group was started up and what we hope POTATO play group will be.

Aims and History

Voices of Mothers

The long awaited comments from mothers that attended Potato is finally uploaded. Please check it out.

Voices of Mothers

ホットケーキパーティーPancake party!

ホットケーキを外国の人に言っても通じません。英語でも韓国語でもホットケーキはパンケーキです。私はホットケーキは英語だと思っていました。60年近く生きてきて驚きです。このように異文化の人達としゃべるといっぱいいっぱい驚きがあります。ちなみに今日のホットケーキは私が作った物はだめでした。パンケーキは直径10センチにも満たない物です。食べてみると小さいパンケーキはチョコレートつけてもメープルシロップつけても食べやすく、シロップガぼたぼたこぼれません。みんな様もたまには小さなホットケーキでおやつをいかがですか。アメリカのパンケーキはブルーベリーやストロベリーをきじに入れて焼きます。今日も作ってもらっておいしかったです。来週はお休みします。21日はお誕生日会です。8月生まれの人は来てね。

Pancakes! Pancakes! Pancake party today. One of the mothers specially bought a book concerning pancakes and read it to everyone today. It was a very interesting book by Eric Carle and it describes the process of making pancakes right from how to get flour, butter and so forth. The kids dipped in the pool at around 10:15 a.m. and we started making the pancakes around 11 a.m. The pancakes turned out to be more popular than the kids' lunch. Who could resist teddy bear shaped blueberry pancakes with maple syrup, chocolate spread and whipped cream. Yummy! There will be no gathering next week so join us the week after for finger painting and vegetable stamping.

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.