Get Loud! for Hispanic Heritage

The following post is in collaboration with Tragos. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Discover ¡Get Loud! by Tragos Games, a fun, bilingual word game for kids. It's perfect for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month - or learning at ANY time of the year.

Every year, during Hispanic Heritage Month, I go on the hunt looking for new resources that will help families (including mine!) with learning about about Hispanic culture or that support them in their efforts to raise bilingual kids. This year, Tragos Games stands out!

Get Loud! is their new bilingual guessing word game that is kid-friendly and great for nurturing their knowledge of Spanish AND Hispanic culture. I received a review sample of the game a few weeks ago. It is fabulous for several reasons.

The Huge Number of Cards

¡Get Loud! has SO MANY cards! There are 400 cards with words on both the front and back in English and Spanish, when necessary. That means 800 words! Wow. I can totally see how this would be an awesome game to play in the classroom and/or at home. These words range from simple everyday words of people, places, and things that your kid will be learning both in and out of school.

A lot of the words are culturally based - in other words, if you aren't familiar with Hispanic culture, then you will probably learn a lot. You may want to keep your phone handy so you can look up what some of them are. And even if you consider yourself pretty knowledgeable, you may still need to look up a few.

The Diversity

I like the diversity of Hispanic cultures that are represented in this game deck. From Puerto Rico to Colombia to Peru, there are references to foods, people, words, and more.

But the game also comes with different levels of difficulty. The cards are color coded: red and yellow with simpler words and references for younger players, or blue and green for more challenging words that adults are more likely to know. They include topics such as history, travel, and pop culture.

It's Bilingual!

And I think that the best part of this game is that it can easily be played in either English or Spanish. Many of the words are recognizable or used in both languages. But when necessary, they've listed the word in both languages.

This would be a great way to reinforce new vocabulary if your children (or your entire family) are learning either English or Spanish. 

But it's also a great way to learn about Latin America and U.S. Hispanic culture, icons, and more.

It's Kid Friendly!

The packaging says that this games is best for kids ages 8 and up, but really, I think you might even be able to use it with younger children. You may need to be intentional in the cards that you select to play with, but there are certainly PLENTY of options. 

How to Play

Playing the game is easy!

1. Choose the colored cards you want to use.
   
   
2. When it is your turn, you flip the minute sand timer and grab a card from the deck. Do your best to describe the word until the other person guesses what it is. 
   
   
3. Get another card from the deck and do the same. 
   
   
4. The team or player with the most cards at the end of three rounds is the winner!

The game defines a round is completed after each player on a team has had a turn. 

I think you can play individually or in teams, but teams is recommended. However, as a parent and teacher, I think you can certainly use this game in a variety of ways.

Get One!

This game is a must-have for all Hispanic families and classrooms. Don't wait! You can order your ¡Get Loud! card game here.

Want to find this post again? Pin it!

7 Screen-Free Games for Elementary Kids

Like many parents, one of my goals at the beginning of every year is to get my kids to spend less time staring at a screen. So I'm always on the lookout for games and activities that will engage my kids and keep them busy offline and off tech. Here's one list of seven fun screen-free games for elementary kids that will give you ideas for helping your kids have fun without a device.

This post contains affiliate links.

Puzzles

The best thing about puzzles is that everyone can enjoy them. Be sure to choose puzzles with the right amount of pieces to make it a bit of a challenge without making it too hard for your children. A minimum of 24 pieces and up to 100 pieces is best for elementary-aged children. Or consider this family puzzle that comes with 20 big pieces for little kids and 40 pieces for big kids (and adults!). It's challenging enough for two people of vastly different ages and experiences to enjoy.

The Matching Game

Play the matching game with the kids. It strengthens their memory skills and can easily pass the time. There are lots of different versions of this game! One of my favorites is this one by eeboo (shown above). 

OR you can consider downloading and printing one of my themed lotería sets to add a cultural twist. Then just print two copies of the game boards and cut them into cards.

Board Games

Do you use board games to supplement your lessons? There are so many games on the market now teaching everything from fractions to geography that you can find one to use with almost any subject. Even some old fashioned checkers, chess, or backgammon can be really fun for young kids.

I find these games to be valuable tools because they make learning fun, and they serve to reward my kids for their hard work. And the best part is that you can find board games in Spanish, too!

Here are a few games that I highly recommend for kids 5 and up:

• Ready Steady Sloth
• La Cucaracha (The Cockroach Travel Game)
• Candy Land - Dora The Explorer
• Rapid Rumble
• Wild Kratts Race Around the World Board Game

Card Games

We have stacks of cards in our home. From Uno to those card decks you get in a kids' meal at Chick Fil-A to regular playing cards. And the number of card games that you can find instructions for online seem endless! 

Our favorites for kids ages 4 to 8 are:

• Uno
• Skip Bo Junior
• Red Light, Green Light
• Highlights Classic Card Games (this one is a four pack!)

Also, I recommend using this card holder to help little hands hold their cards in order. 

Crossword Puzzles & Word Searches

Have fun testing skills with word puzzles! Kid-friendly crossword puzzles are free to download online from a variety of sites. But you can always find these game books at your local bookstore or online. They come with lots of themes and even in Spanish!

© Can Stock Photo  serrnovik

Homemade Obstacle Course

It's hard not to love an obstacle course. Children love the physical activity and the challenge. So consider making an obstacle course at home using different items, such as plastic rings, cones, pool noodles, cords or ropes, and so much more! You may have most of the supplies you need at home, but if not, here's a simple obstacle set from Imagym.

Hide and Seek

Enjoy a fun game of hide and seek! If you have an only child, you may have to get in there and play, too. You will be amazed how much fun it is to actually play this game with your child (I get the giggles while hiding from my 5yo). But if you aren't available to paly, your child can still have fun by turning the game into a treasure hunt. You can pick out any item (plush dolls work best), and hide it for your child to find.

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• 40 Ways to Keep Your Child Excited About Reading
  
  
• 7 Fun Products to Get Kids Outside
  
  
• Enjoying School Breaks as a Family: Easy Tips and Resources
  
  
• 18 Fun Felt Crafts for Kids

Linguacious for Spanish Learners

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Linguacious and MommyMaestra. All opinions are my own. 

Most good Spanish learning curricula contain a lot of hands-on learning. If you flip through almost any program lesson plan and you'll see arts, crafts, music, TPR...and games. Especially games. That's because learning happens faster and easier when we are having fun. Teachers have used games like hopscotch, dominos, Uno, Go Fish, and many, many others to teach children important concepts for decades.

In the Internet TESL Journal, there's an article by Chen, I-Jung, in which the author states that games are beneficial in language learning because "games...

• are learner-centered.
• promote communicative competence.
• create a meaningful context for language use.
• increase learning motivation.
• reduce learning anxiety.
• integrate various linguistic skills.
• encourage the creative and spontaneous use of language.
• construct a cooperative learning environment.
• foster participatory attitudes of the students."

If your child is learning Spanish at home or in the classroom, there's no reason why you can't use games outside of their curriculum to supplement their language learning. That's why I love it when I learn about products independent of a curriculum that may be used to boost your child's language learning skills. 

So let me introduce you to Linguacious, a family-owned language learning company started by a language learning expert raising his son to be trilingual. The dad is Brazilian, the mom is Ukrainian, and their son is being raised speaking Portuguese, Russian, and English through the OPOL (One Parent One Language) approach. I was delighted to be contacted by this education company and asked to share their products. 

This set of game-based vocabulary flashcards is unlike any flashcard set you've ever seen before. To use the cards, it is best if you download the Linguacious app. It's basically a QR code reader, but one developed by Linguacious specifically for use with Linguacious products. The result is that it scans the Linguacious QR codes much faster than other QR readers, has no ads whatsoever, and is very easy for even small kids to use; simply point at the QR code and it pronounces the word. It also has a flashlight feature, which makes it possible for kids to scan the cards even in the dark!

You'll need it to work with the cards. On one side you'll find real-world images and a QR code (no written words), and on the other side, you'll see the written word and another QR code (no images). When you scan the code, you'll hear the word pronounced in the target language. 

It's pretty amazing because you can use each card to boost ALL FOUR language skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This is a precious tool for any language learner or educator.

And you know what this audio feature means, right? That's correct! Parents, you don't have to be fluent in the target language to play games with your child! Woohoo! (But watch out because if you mispronounce the word, your child is going to notice anyway!)

The other cool thing is that these flashcards can be used by one child (solitaire) or as a group (class) activity. The Linguacious website has a page dedicated to all the different games you can play with their deck of cards. (But I bet your children or students can come up with a few more!)

I believe I counted 51 languages in which the cards are available. Wow. That's some serious language learning going on. And the cards are available in several themes, such as...

1. Animals
2. Around the Home
3. Food & Drinks
4. and Verbs

The really fantastic part is that these cards may be used with children of ANY age. Are you working on raising a bilingual toddler? Boost his vocabulary with the Pointing Fingers game. Got a middle schooler learning Spanish? Help him with his pronunciation with the Word Whiz game. Is your high schooler taking Spanish for the first time? Help her practice her conversational Spanish by playing Vocabulary Train! Seriously, who would have guessed you could play so many games with a simple deck of flashcards? 

AND I was impressed to discover that all Linguacious® products come with a complimentary 2-year technical audio warranty!

In addition to the flashcards, Linguacious also has poster sets in a similar format using the QR reader app. Their Spanish poster, as you can see above, follows the Gomez & Gomez dual language education model, with the Spanish words colored in red and the English translation colored in blue. What is great is that the English translations are in a much smaller font size than the Spanish words, so that students do not use the English translation as a crutch, but only to check the meaning. The images are quite self-explanatory and clear on their own, but the small English translation may appeal to certain schools and programs. I think this would be a great addition to the Spanish-learning classroom and could be used as a language center activity while the cards could be used as a group-learning game to reinforce vocabulary. 

To order your own set of Linguacious cards or posters, you can visit their site or purchase directly from Amazon (aff link). 

Winter Olympics Parts of Speech Game

As I mentioned, we're using the Olympics as a learning opportunity in our homeschool over the coming weeks. That means that almost ALL of our subjects have an Olympic link. Even grammar!

Check out this fun game that allows your student to practice distinguishing parts of speech: proper nouns, common nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. This file includes:

- game board
- game cards with words
- answer sheet with the list of words in their respective parts of speech category.
- blank cards for you to add your own words
- blank game board if you'd like to add different categories.

And, yes, it is available in English and Spanish!

You can find it in my TpT store or the MommyMaestra Shop.

Looking for other Olympic-themed resources? Don't miss:

• Science 360: Science of the Winter Olympics free video series
• Winter Games Unit: A comprehensive download full of excellent reading & geography activities
• My Pinterest board on Winter Olympics Printables and Activites
• Learn the Greek Alphabet (activity book for kids)
• Exploring Ancient Greece Through Crafts & Activities (books)

230 Juegos para toda la familia

During one of my trips to my favorite bookshop, I stumbled upon another treasure for bilingual families.

Published by Combel Editorial (out of Spain), 230 Juegos para toda la familia is a collection of hundreds of games for children to play alone or together with their friends and families...in Spanish, of course! This is NOT a translation, but the real deal. I get requests all the time from parents and teachers looking for authentic books that were originally written in Spanish. This is one of those. It is probably best suited for children ages 4 to 10 years old.

It is perfect for nurturing your child's Spanish skills during the summer or year round! Inside this book you'll find more than 85 pages of:

• patio games
• strategy games
• travel games
• water games
• outdoor games
• magic games
• seasonal games
• party games
• games of chance
• card games
• group games
• crafts
• track games
• solitaires
• tongue twisters and riddles
• songs
• cut-out games, and more!

The illustrations and layout make this book lots of fun for children to read, too. Take a look...

The final section includes templates, such as markers and game boards, for some of the games that your kids can cut out (or print and cut out, if you want to be able to use them over and over again).   

I bought all of the copies that the bookshop had so I can offer them to you. But I only have three copies. They are all in excellent condition, practically new, though the cover of one has some shelf wear. So if you are interested, you can purchase one from my shop. 

Bilingual Travel Games & Free Sample

A few weeks ago, my friend Frances asked me for some travel games in Spanish. They were headed on a road trip and she wanted to use the time to boost her son's Spanish. Just for fun, I made a few pages and then decided that MommyMaestra readers might enjoy them, too. And THEN I thought I better make some English versions for the English-language learners following this blog.

There are 10 travel-related games in all. My kids got in on the creation process. We had such a good time creating the packet! So if you are hitting the road this summer and are looking for some fun games in English OR Spanish that your children can play together or on their own, consider my Bilingual Travel Game packet. You'll find a sample download of one of the games below.

Download Sample Game Here

Here's a look at some of the other games available in the complete packet...

To purchase this packet, visit my products page or my TpT store. 

Happy traveling!

Alphabet Lotería - Lotería abecedario

Do you have little ones that are learning their ABCs? If so, check out my Alphabet Lotería/Lotería abecedario!

For a year or so, I've been working on this new printable. I wanted to create a children's version of the popular game using images with significant meaning in Hispanic culture. And I wanted them to work in both English and Spanish. This was really hard! But I'm really pleased with the final product.

As you probably know, Lotería is a traditional Mexican game of chance similar to bingo. Players each get at least one tabla (game board). But instead of using ping-pong balls marked with numbers, the lotería cantor (singer) selects a card and calls out its name or describes it with a riddle.

This Lotería can be played in multiple ways to enhance alphabet learners and includes:

• A brief history of Lotería
• Ways to play
• Ways to win
• 12 tablas (game boards) - 6 in English, and 6 in Spanish

You can download it here on MommyMaestra, or visit my TpT store and download it here.

Maximize Classroom Learning with Games

Maximize Classroom Learning with Games
Latism '15

Panelists:

• José Villeta, Senior Director, Disney Interactive
• Gabriel Adauto, Technical Co-Founder, Motion Math

Moderator:

• Melanie Mendez-Gonzalez, blogger & founder of ¿Qué Means What?

Games, when used purposefully and thoughtfully can be a powerful tool. It has the potential to spark student engagement and enhance learning. Join this interactive session on maximizing students’ learning with top Latino Education Gamers and learn how to measure results, and realize that teaching should be at the heart of this innovation.

José Villeta started working for NASA after graduating from MIT. He quit to make his own video games for 12 years, then was hired by Disney, where he has worked for the last six years.

Villeta has worked on the Infinity game from the beginning. Putting it together was not an easy task as he had to get permission from companies such as Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars, for using all the different characters as toys. Their goal is to create interactive moments as Disney memories. Infinity is played by millions of users worldwide. It's a family game that parents can play too. The appeal is that kids use their own imagination to play.

Gabriel Adauto is the CTO and co-cofounder at Motion Math. The games are designed for kids in K - 6th and target math's most difficult concepts at those levels. Adauto has a Masters degree in Computer Science from Stanford. He started with an app studio which has expanded into 9 games and is now growing into a learning company. Their games have special appeal for their teacher dashboard to help educators understand what their students are learning. The team has also been thoughtful with the design; the math is the challenge of the game, it's not hidden. They are now focused on researching the efficacy of the games, measuring the learning.

Mendez-Gonzalez asked both of them how they determine if a game is successful?

Villeta said that they measure the success of a game by play time. They want users to play a game for a long time, not play and finish it after a few hours. And, of course, sales and engagement determine if the games are successful.

Adauto said that sales measure success. But they want to go deeper. Learning game developers are interested in the learning what happens in games, so they are working to get an academic to do an efficacy study. Adauto said, "We know we help the kids with fraction learning by 15%, but more importantly, kids' attitudes about math improve by 10%. Attitudes are a better indicator of a kids' performance. We're looking to improve their attitudes toward math." He says that video games have the power to engage, empower, and excite kids. Adauto also said that micro-assessments are inserted into the games.

Villeta also talked about how they have to train the educators on how to use their games in their classrooms. He's helped write curricula for schools to integrate these tools.

Adauto said that they go into classrooms to test learning and get ideas from teachers for difficult concepts, and they develop activities to complement the games. Understanding the application and explaining the equations are important.

Villeta also mentioned how we have to think of education with higher education, too, not just K-12.

Adauto said that Motion Math is a small company and competition with bigger companies is fierce. So it is important to work with college students to think about all the different aspects that are involved.

Mendez-Gonzalez asked them what kind of feedback do they get from their consumers and how they use that information.

Villeta shared how he took his 8 year old into the office every Friday when he was developing Infinity so he could get his son's feedback while he was playing the game. "We're creating storytellers," Villeta said. "We give them the tools - characters, settings, etc. - then leave the direction and content up to them."

Adauto said that the kid is the most important person in the equation; they drive their own learning. "We want them to take control of their own paths. We want the kids to choose the path they are on and decide if they are on the right path for themselves."

Mendez-Gonzalez asked Adauto why he chose math as the subject for his games, and Adauto said that math is the language of the video games. "I use math every single day to make the games. In our STEAM economy it is the basis of computer science."

Mendez-Gonzalez asked how they chose what area of learning to explore. Villeta said that lots of variables impacted their development; new releases (movies) influence our subjects, and recently they've discovered that close to 50% of their players are female, so they developed strong female characters. He also mentioned that their gamers are growing older. So they've created 130 characters on Infinity for all of their players to choose from and then the player can create their own story or use one of the ones provided.

Adauto said they are keeping Spanish-speaking families in mind and that their top four games are in Spanish and English, plus other languages. He said that they kept this in mind when they hired their Chilean developor.

Villeta said that Infinity is available in 12 languages, including both Castilian and Latin American Spanish. The challenge is making sure they have the correct voice over actors for their Castilian Spanish because Spain assigns one person to do all of the voice overs for any given actor.

Probably the best moment in this panel is when a young boy around 11 years old in the audience shared his coding skills with us. He stood up and showed us how he had created a moving pikachu (animal) on Scratch, a free project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century.

Travel Bingo Boards

Do you remember these? When I was a kid, I loved playing this Interstate Highway Bingo game whenever we would go on road trips.

So imagine my delight to find it in a Cracker Barrel! I saw them there a few years ago, but when I went back to buy it for an upcoming trip, they had sold out. I've been kicking myself for not buying it ever since. Well, I found them again and snatched them up as fast as I could!

Cracker Barrel has them in stock right now, but there's no telling for how long. They come in a two pack for $4.49. So head to your local store to get them while you can!

If you don't have one near you, them you might prefer to go online and download some copies. You can find links to free downloads and more on my Pinterest Travel Bingo board (I never knew there were so many available!).

Free Download: Build Your Own Board Games in Spanish

I'm just loving this month's Spanish-learning freebie from our sponsor Spanish for You! And if you have a Spanish learner in your family, I think you will, too.  

The Build Your Own Game Board and Activities comes with activity cards and links to activities and games that boost language learning. This particular freebie focuses on the months of the year, symbols or images associated with each month, and an audio file to help the players/learners with pronunciation. There's also a worksheet at the end for practicing the vocabulary.

Click here to download this file

If this is your first time here, you can find other free samples from Spanish for You! here. There are some fantastic downloads of games and activities for you and your family to enjoy.

Thanks, Spanish for You!

Free Valentine's Sentence Building Activity Sheets in Spanish

Need some Spanish Valentine's Day activities for your young language learners? Grab our free printable sentence builder!

Are you gearing up to celebrate Valentine's Day with a Spanish twist? Look no further! Our sponsor, Spanish for You!, brings you an exciting opportunity to infuse language learning into the season of love with our free printable activity set. This 5-page bundle is not only a fun way to commemorate El día del amor y la amistad but also a valuable tool for expanding your Spanish vocabulary and honing your sentence-building skills.

Boost Your Vocabulary with Spanish Valentine's Day Activities

Holidays present fantastic opportunities to enrich your language skills. By incorporating themed vocabulary and activities, you can immerse yourself in the culture while learning new words and expressions. Our Valentine's Day activity set introduces learners to essential vocabulary associated with the holiday. From terms like "corazón" (heart) to "amor" (love), each word is chosen to boost language learning.

Engage in Interactive Learning

Sentence building is a crucial aspect of language acquisition, and what better way to practice than with engaging activities? Our activity set includes worksheets where learners can construct sentences using the newly acquired vocabulary. By putting words into context, students deepen their understanding and retention while gaining confidence in their language abilities.

Fun and Games for Language Development

Learning should be enjoyable, and our activity set ensures just that! In addition to vocabulary and sentence-building exercises, we've included game ideas to make the learning process interactive and exciting. Whether it's a matching game with vocabulary cards or a race to conjugate verbs associated with Valentine's Day, these games add an element of fun while reinforcing language concepts.

Master Pronunciation with Audio Support

Proper pronunciation is key to effective communication in any language. That's why our activity set comes with an accompanying audio file, allowing learners to listen and practice the correct pronunciation of words and phrases. With the help of native speakers, both parents and children can refine their accents and sound more natural in their Spanish conversations.

This Valentine's Day, dive into the world of Spanish language learning with our free printable activity set. Whether you're a beginner or looking to brush up on your skills, this resource offers a comprehensive and enjoyable way to celebrate El día del amor y la amistad while expanding your linguistic horizons. Download your copy today and embark on a journey of language discovery and love!

Click here to download the activity

Click here to download the audio file

Books in Spanish for Valentine's Day

Children's picture books are a great way to practice reading simple Spanish and boost vocabulary. Here are a few that are perfect for Valentine's Day.

Con Mucho Amor

by Jenny Torres Sanchez

Palabras que hablan de amor

by Rick Warren

De como nacio el amor

by Mrinali Álvarez Astacio

Los plátanos son amor

by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris

You may also enjoy...

• February Roundup of Spanish Activities
  
  
• Free Download: Valentine Bingo Activity in Spanish
  
  
• Free Download: Spanish Valentine Vowels Game
  
  
• Free Download: Spanish Valentine Numbers Game

eeBoo's Spanish Bingo

The after school Spanish enrichment class at my son's school is going well! Setting foot in the classroom has reminded me how rewarding it is to teach children. Diego is encouraging and the rest of the kids have been really interested in everything and anything I present to them on Wednesdays. Of course, they love playing games! After a session of conversation, reading and writing practice, we have played several different things, but eeBoo's Spanish Bingo, has been their favorite!

The game includes 6 game boards and I have paired children to work together. I love that this game of bingo does not have any English words anywhere. The kids, who do know how to read, have to carefully listen to me and look for the Spanish word on their board. The boards all have a specific theme, so the children only have to focus on either articles of clothing, nature, colors, food, vehicles or animals at a time.

There are 48 tiles, which allows the kids to hear a good amount of vocabulary before a winner is declared. The game boards and tiles are sturdy. eeBoo's Spanish Bingo has already endured four years in our house of very boisterous boys (and an abuelita who loves to play)! The children at the enrichment program have been very gentle with the game and even decided the winner should put all the tiles back in the gorgeous cloth bag that comes with it!

No doubt that the more children hear vocabulary in Spanish and practice repetition, it will foster confidence. Their ability to start speaking a new language can only come from mastering basic vocabulary. For non-native speakers like my students, it's great to try games like this Spanish Bingo, because it also makes learning so much more fun!

--------------------------------------

Betty Galvan, is writing "for smart and stylish moms" over
at My Friend Betty Says... She is a teacher and mother to three fun little boys.

Math Masters Learning Games {GIVEAWAY}

Today's giveaway is geared toward helping your 1st or 2nd grader master the math skills they'll be learning in class. Math Masters Learning Games (from our friends at Lakeshore Learning) make it easy and fun for kids to master math skills while playing colorful board games and using super cute manipulatives.

The first grade games focus on teaching addition, subtraction, time and measurement, while the second grade collection teaches problem solving, money, and fractions.

Girls and boys both need to be strong in math, especially if they grow up with an interest in the STEM fields. Help your child learn that math isn't hard, and can be a lot of fun to learn. Both of my kids are hands-on learners and learn faster and more easily when they have activities that reinforce the concepts I'm trying to teach them. If your kids are the same way, don't miss this great giveaway!

Lakeshore Learning is offering one of these sets to a MommyMaestra reader. 

Enter to win below using the Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Game of Kings

by Betty Galvan

My oldest son, who for the past three months is "almost six", is about to take part in his first chess tournament this weekend in New York City! He is "almost six" but was probably more prepared for his tournament a year or two ago than he is today.

Since our move from New York City last year, it has been more and more difficult to continue to have him learn the game he learned to love at the young age of three. Back then, his preschool had a chess coach go in to the class once a week and teach small groups. His teaching of chess was like nothing I had ever seen before. The coach had a story for each piece and told it with so much animation and passion, that it was impossible for the children to forget how each piece was supposed to move. Diego learned that one King moved one step at a time because he had a huge belly!

It has been difficult to find a coach or a program who works well with very young children. We spent a year trying different places but many don’t take children under seven, so we would sit and try to teach him the little that we know. We also downloaded Shredder Chess app for the iPad as recommended by his former coach. We eventually relaxed when we learned his school would open up the chess after-school program to the kindergarten classes this winter. He will only have one class before the tournament this weekend but we felt it was important for us to have him re-connect with the coach who helped build his love for chess.

The benefits of a child learning chess are just as important as the benefits of a child learning math and music. Chess helps with critical thinking skills, analyzing, planning ahead, pattern recognition, concentration, creativity and sportsmanship. It’s also very inexpensive (especially if your school offers a class) compared to other activities. Parent Magazine has written that, "A growing body of research is showing that chess improves kids’ thinking and problem-solving skills as well as their math and reading test scores. Accordingly, communities across the country are racing to create after-school chess programs and start local chess clubs, and some states — New Jersey, for one — have written chess into official school curricula." This is being seen in inner city schools as well as private schools.

We don’t know how well Diego will do on Saturday, but he is excited to go and that is what is important to José and me. Diego will see his old coach, perhaps see old friends and we will all be motivated to start up again. As parents, we have also realized that there will be so many things we cannot teach our children! We have vowed to find resources when our sons’ express an interest in an activity as beneficial as chess because, "The beauty of a move lies not in its appearance but in the thought behind it." -　 Aaron Nimzowitsch

To learn more about the specific chess curriculum designed for children of ages 3-10, visit Chessat3.com!

---------------------------------



Betty Galvan, is helping her readers "find the positive and seek the benefits" over at her blog, MyFriendBettySays.com. 

She is the mother of three beautiful little boys and a teacher.

Bella's Mystery Deck: Mini-Mysteries with Latino Flavor

I'm excited to share with you a review of this fantastic product. If you haven't heard of Bella's Mystery Deck before, then let me introduce you...

Last Christmas, while trying to find educational games that my daughter would enjoy, I was looking for materials with a strong female character to inspire her and hold her attention. At some point I had already seen this deck advertised and had bookmarked it for future examination. But I hadn't really read what it was about.

Imagine my delight to discover that this set of mini-mystery cards features 13-year-old, Isabella Tia Marie Martinez...otherwise known as "Bella." Together with her faithful black Labrador retriever, Noche, she unravels mysteries around her town. This deck has 50 cards, each one with a short story. Embedded within the stories are clues, that your child must uncover to solve each mystery. And if you get stuck? No problem. The answer is written in mirror image on the back of each card. A mirror card is included to help you read the answer.

We love this product so much! Spanish words and culture are scattered throughout the stories, which have a Latino theme and reflect the lifestyle of Hispanics in the United States. For instance, there are two cards that tell the background of Bella and Noche. On Bella's card, we learned that she lives in South Tucson with her family. Our bilingual heroine is a chicana - her dad was born in Minnesota where his family harvested sugar beets, and her mother was born in Nogales, Mexico. And Bella has a younger brother, Antonio, and sister, Alejandra. Her dad now works for a landscape contractor, and her mother is an artist who makes masks. My favorite line? "You could say that we're a normal family and I'm an ordinary girl - except that I solve mysteries."

So far, we have been going through the initial deck, but we're happy to know that there is a Bella's Mystery Deck 2 with a whole new set of stories. These cards are perfect for children ages 8 to 12. My daughter, who is just shy of 8 finds the mysteries a wee bit too hard, but she loves them anyway. I usually help guide her to the solution with specific questions.

Teachers could use these decks as a reward at the end of class/week. Parents can use these cards to help their children practice their reading and critical thinking skills.

You can find both new and used decks available for purchase in La Librería.

Con mucho cariño...

Disclosure: I purchased this set online for my daughter. I was not contacted in any way by the company, Mindware, to review this product. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Aventura en la selva tropical

Whenever I travel, one of the first places I like to hit up are the bookstores. You NEVER know what treasures you'll find. Today was a jackpot day.

Waiting for me on the shelf was a small pile of Aventura en la selva tropical, an educational activity book completely in Spanish. Young readers pretend to join an international team of scientists to explore and protect our planet's tropical forests. Along the way they face many challenges and mysteries, which they must solve in order to decifer the secret code to open the box. Inside they will find a game board, playing chips, 4 tropical animal miniature figures, 24 animal stickers and a travel journal filled with field notes.

I cannot find it available online anywhere here in the States, but you can look at this site for more pictures and additional information.

If you’d like to purchase this activity book, it is available for $20.00 (includes shipping) on a first-come, first-served basis. I only have a few of them. Contact me here.  SOLD OUT!

The Muppets' Road Trip Game {PRINTABLE}

Are you headed out of town for Thanksgiving? We're not, but I'm doing a lot of shopping this next week which means a lot of time in the car and stores with my kids. And I thought, well, since we ALL KNOW what's coming out exactly one week from today, maybe I'd go ahead and share the following printables that Disney sent me (and if you've seen them before, then you are apparently reading the same blogs I do! Lol.). Simply click on the pictures below to download each activity.

The funniest one, I think, is the Muppets' Road Trip Game, which includes hilarious challenges to keep the kids busy, such as seeing if they can spot:

• 1 Person who looks like a relative of Gonzo’s?
• 4 Miss Piggy fans (people singing to themselves, fixing their hair in a mirror, etc..)
• The letters of Disney’s "The Muppets" in license plates

You can also print up a couple of 3D Kermit and Fozzie Bear papercrafts.

Are you planning to go and see the new Muppet movie when it comes out? I am a die hard Muppet fan. I grew up watching the characters and I even have the series on MY Christmas wish list.

Download all these files here

When Jim Henson died, I felt such an incredible sadness for the whole world. I guess that was because I felt like he had had such a profound impact on my childhood that who knows how many other children found comfort and friendship in his beloved characters. As a child I fell in love with all of the Muppets, and I mourned the loss of such creativity and comedic genius.

It makes mi corazón so happy to know that his legacy will continue and that children today (especially my own!) will have a chance to come to know and love and laugh with the same special characters - Kermit, Miss Piggy, Foz, Gonzo, and so many more - as I did.

I want to make sure you all know that I received Disney promotional material all the time, but I'm pretty selective about what I share. Mostly, I choose those things that I know my own children will love. I am not paid to talk about the films, but I simply share the activities and photos that I think may interest you all. And I am grateful to Disney for providing me the opportunity to offer these materials on MommyMaestra.

Wishing you all the happiest of weeks! (Thanksgiving is almost here - YAY!!!)