Spanish Tip of the Week: Talking about the weather

¿Cómo está el clima/tiempo hoy?  

What is the weather like today?

With all the ups and downs in the weather lately, why not try talking about it in Spanish?  There are some idioms to be aware of, but don’t worry.  We’ve got you covered!

In English, we use the verb “to be” to describe the weather.  In Spanish, however, we use the verb “hacer”, which means “to do” or “to make”.  Practice saying these phrases to talk about what it is like outside today!

Hoy hace calor.	It’s hot today.
Hoy hace frio.	It’s cold today.
Hoy hace viento.	It’s windy today.
Hoy hace sol.	It’s sunny today.

Action verbs for weather work similarly in Spanish and English.  Try these examples.

Está lloviendo.	It’s raining.
Está nevando.	It’s snowing.
Está granizando.	It’s hailing.

Now try putting it all together!  You can talk about the weather like a pro!

Hoy hace frio en Boston pero no está nevando.

It’s cold in Boston today, but it’s not snowing.

Spanish Tip of the Week- Pretend Vacations

Take a pretend vacation and practice Spanish!

It is cold out lately in Boston- and then it's fairly mild- and then it's cold again.  All this back and forth just seems to make the colder days that much colder!  If you are like many of us, you're spending a good portion of these "colder days" planning imaginary vacations to warmer places.  So why not put those plans to good use?  Even if you can't get away right now, you can use some items you probably already have at home to spend some quality time with your children and practice Spanish at the same time!  Plan and execute a pretend trip to a Spanish-speaking country.  Whether you are fluent in Spanish or can only say a few words, use as much as you can when you "arrive".

During the months of November and December, many of our schools did Transportation and Travel themes to coincide with the holidays when families are often actually traveling.  Here are some pictures from our Needham school where the teachers and children created an "agencia de viajes" or "travel agency" in their dramatic play area.  

You can make one at home quite easily.  Ours had a travel desk, and a lounge-area for planning journeys, but you could use anything-even your kitchen table.  If you are a member of AAA or other such organization, you can obtain free travel guides and maps to use as well.  Otherwise, you can use any materials you happen to have around the house, or print information and pictures from the internet.  

Once you have planned your journey, you are ready to get on the airplane!  This can be as simple or as elaborate as you like.  All you really need though, are a few chairs arranged in rows, and maybe an aisle (depending on how big your plane is, of course).  The teachers at Pine Village Needham even created a beverage cart out of a set of plastic drawers on wheels.  It came complete with plastic cups and a pitcher for the children to serve drinks.  If you don't have one of these carts, you can use anything you do have around the house, such as a tray or even a flat piece of sturdy cardboard. You and your children can pretend to have the plane take-off and land.  Once you disembark, remember to use as much Spanish as you can as you play out all the activities you will be doing on your trip.  Maybe you would like to go horse-back riding, or swimming, or biking.  The sky's the limit!  

 Just don't forget to bring your passport!

If you like what you've seen here, you will love the Pine Village Spanish Immersion Summer Camp!  During the summer months, we take imaginary vacations to a different Spanish-speaking country every two weeks.

Session 1: July 1 – July 26 (closed on Wednesday, July 4^th)

Session 2:  July 29 – August 23

iVengan y Exploren con nosotros!!

Spanish Tip of the Week - Socializing

When we take our children to the playground, a party, or any other kind of event, we tend to use a number of phrases to encourage them to initiate play and navigate typical Toddler- & Preschool-age interactions.

Normally, many of us do this in English. Now that you’re part of a community of families dedicated to giving their child(ren) the gift of bilingualism, why not try it in Spanish?! 

Here are some useful phrases to encourage your child to socialize positively with other children:

You: “Ask him/her what her name is.” Your child: “What is your name?”	“Preguntale como se llama.” (preh-GOON-tah-lay KO-mo say yama) “¿Como te llamas?” (KO-mo tay yamas?)
You: “Ask if s/he wants to play!” Your child: “Do you want to play?“	“Pregúntale si le gustaría jugar!” (preh-GOON-tah-lay see lay goosta-ria hoo-gar) “¿Quieres jugar?” (KEY-eh-res HOO-gar?)
You: “S/he would like a turn.  Please share.” Your Child: “Here you go. It's your turn.”	“Ella/El quiere un turno. Comparte por favor.” (EH-ya KEY-eh-reh oon TOUR-no) “Toma. Es tu turno.” (To-ma. ESS too TOUR-no)

Diviertense! 
(Have fun!)

Spanish Tip of the Week: Practicing your own Spanish with the PVP Teachers

Many parents and caregivers are very eager to practice Spanish at Pine Village. Conversing with the teachers in Spanish is a great way to get information about your child on a daily basis while also enhancing your own language skills!

The following phrases are very simple and easy to practice every day. Choose a phrase each day and practice, practice and practice. Most of the time your child’s teacher will tell you this information without you asking but it is a great way to also practice listening and comprehending. We are sure you will feel more comfortable and ready to learn more.

Your Question:	Possible Answers:
Hola ¿como estás? Hi, how are you?	Bien, Gracias. Fine, thank you.
¿Dónde están los niños? Where are the children?	Están…afuera, en el parque, en el salón. They are…outside, at the park, in the classroom.
¿Qué hicieron hoy? What did you do today?	Hoy… pintamos, jugamos afuera, leímos un cuento, hicimos yoga. Today… we painted, we played outside, we read a story, we did yoga.
¿Que aprendieron los niños hoy? What did the children learn today?	Hoy aprendimos sobre… los planetas, los animales, el invierno. Today we learned about… planets, animals, the winter.
¿Qué tengo que traer mañana? What do I need to bring tomorrow?	Mañana tiene que traer… un juguete, pijamas, un libro, una foto. Tomorrow you need to bring…a toy, pajamas, a book, a picture.
¡Hasta mañana! See you tomorrow!	¡Hasta mañana! See you tomorrow!