LIBRARY: The best kind of fun begins at the library! Visit your local public as well as those in other towns for an enjoyable summer excursion. Look for Spanish music on tapes and CDs; search for both fiction and non-fiction titles and videos about Spanish-speaking countries, culture, crafts, and other Hispanic themes. Inquire about bilingual books with tapes so your child will see Spanish print and hear Spanish. Ask about using or borrowing computer software available in Spanish or bilingual formats for children. Highly recommend authors are Francisco X. Alarcón, Nancy María Grande Tabor, Juan Felipe Herrera, and Carmen Lomas Garcza, Alma Flor Ada, Lulu Delacre, Pat Mora, and Pura Belpré, Arthur Dorros, Georgina Lazaro, Hilda Perera, Patricia Polacco, Gary Soto. One outstanding bilingual book that has come to my attention is Calor: A Story of Warmth for All Ages by Juanita Alba. Children's Book Press is an excellent sources!
RADIO: Turn on the local Spanish-speaking radio station for a few minutes every day just for fun to allow the children to hear native speakers. Let your child search for these stations during a long car trip far from home.
CULTURAL EVENTS: Make a habit of searching the events calendar in the local and statewide newspapers for live music and other happenings related to Spain and Latin American cultures at various venues. Many are especially for children and take place during the day and are without charge as well.
FOOD: Sample foods in restaurants from the multitude of Spanish cultures. Connecticut Magazine is an excellent source of such listings. (Keep in mind that Iberian food from Spain is distinctly different from Mexican food, for example.) Select recipes from cookbooks of Spanish/Latino cooking; shop together for the ingredients (most large supermarkets will carry the majority of them); and prepare the meal together.
TRAVEL: Of course, being able to visit a Spanish-speaking place during vacation is a real luxury. A site that is filled with ideas for trips around the world with children is http://www.travelforkids.com/main.htm. However, with resource books, videos, and maps from the library, it's fun to plan an imaginary trip through the Caribbean, México, Central America, Spain, or the South American continent with your child. Copy a detailed map from an encyclopedia, do some shared reading and research, and plan away on a rainy day.
MUSEUMS: But, of course -- art museums! Let the Spanish masters, Picasso, Velázquez, El Greco, Dalí, Miró, and Goya be your guide. And if you are able to travel to Washington, DC, the National Museum of the American Indian has lots to offer about Native Americans in México, and Central and South America. "The National Museum of the American Indian is the sixteenth museum of the Smithsonian Institution. It is the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of Native Americans. Established by an act of Congress in 1989, the museum works in collaboration with the Native peoples of the Western Hemisphere to protect and foster their cultures by reaffirming traditions and beliefs, encouraging contemporary artistic expression, and empowering the Indian voice. The opening of this museum marks a unique cultural achievement as Native Americans from North, Central, and South America realize a long-awaited dream to share and honor their vibrant cultures with visitors from throughout the world."
WEBSITES: Amazingly, browsing the Internet with your child can help accomplish all of the above. I have listened to a radio station from Guatemala, found a recipe for paella, explored the Peruvian Andes, heard samples of mariachi music, and searched for particular book titles. Don't forget to dig deeper into the other "Parent/Child" topics in my website as well.
