May Newsletter
Hello!
I think we all let out a huge sigh of relief when the warm weather finally arrived in mid April and since then, everyone I bump into is looking so happy and more relaxed. Summer is definitely on it's way and we at KidooLand are ready and waiting to welcome your children AND teenagers at one of our fabulous summer workshops! Read on to learn more...
In this edition of our monthly Newsletter:
Spotlight on... AdoLand and the summer workshops aimed specifically at teens!
Holiday workshops – a reminder about all our summer holiday workshops for youngsters.
Boost your English - some of the best storybooks around.
Taking inspiration from French schools, where children are read stories everyday!
Antonia recommends for parents... A talk by Gently to Sleep's Louise Morelli on 5th June.
Antonia recommends for littlies… CBeebies Bedtime Stories
A few ideas for things to do this month…
Happy reading!
SPOTLIGHT ON - ADOLAND!
KidooLand is renowned for its quality programmes for babies, toddlers and younger children, but we've also put a huge amount of effort into developping a fabulous summer programme for teens as well.
At AdoLand, teens have 2 options:
1.) Adoland Classic Workshops for teens aged 10-16.
A great programme full of activities with several excursions per week, all in English of course and all designed to keep teens happy and stimulated. Vallauris / Sophia Antipolis.
2.) K'ELITE "Leadership in Training"
For teens thinking about working with children in the future, why not join the K'ELITE programme and see what it's really like to be an "animateur". The K'ELITE programme is divided into 3 levels, with level 1 accessible for teens 12 and over. The teens will learn what it's really like to work as an animateur, including learning about issues such as health and safety, good leadership skills, positive encouragement, best practices for dealing with children etc..
KIDOOLAND'S SUMMER HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS
KidooLand is running holiday workshops for children aged 4 - 14 years throughout the summer holidays, with a range of themes to excite every child.
Workshops will involve a whole range of creative activities, including cooking, singing, arts & crafts, sports, lego workshops and much more. All IN ENGLISH!
Workshops are being held both in Vallauris and, during certain weeks, at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Valbonne Sophia Antipolis. For more details, dates, themes & activities, tarifs and discounts, please download our online brochure.
BOOST YOUR ENGLISH... with an imaginary trip to the shops!
Imagine... you are off to the shops but before you leave you need to work out a shopping list of evertything you need to buy.
Player 1: “We're going to the shops and we need to buy .... bananas"
Player 2: “We're going to the shops and we need to buy .... bananas and jam"
Player 3: “We're going to the shops and we need to buy .... bananas and jam and pasta"
You keep taking it in turns to add something to the end of the shopping list, until someone forgets one of the items on the list.
Depending on your child's ablity and the vocabulary you want to practise, you can use this same, simple concept to practice animal names ( “We're going to the zoo and we're going to see .... a monkey and a giraffe....") or even places (“We're going into town and we need to visit the .... post office and the shop and the pharmacy..."). Have fun!
ZOOM ON… FRANCE
French maternelles strive to instill a love of books into children from the very start of their education at 3 years of age: children are read to at least once per day, books are available for children to look at during free time in the classroom, children can borrow books from the library to take home and read with their parents and, when they're big enough, children are taught to respect and navigate books (identification of the title, author, front cover etc). In Grande Section, many children also "write" and illustrate their own short story which is presented in the form of a mini-book they can take home and share with their families.
At KidooLand we often incorporate books into our lessons (as we did here in an English is Fun class for 4-6yr olds) and activities and this is always popular with the children. At KidooLand we use storytime as a way to introduce a theme, revise vocabulary, calm children and also to inspire them and spark their imaginations.
At home, parents can encourage their children by reading aloud to them and by having a variety of enticing, colourful and interesting books to hand. This does not need to be expensive - indeed 2nd hand books are often put up for sale on various Facebook groups in our area and now that the carboot sale season is upon us, books can be picked up for as little as 50cts each most Sundays!
KIDOOLAND RECOMMENDS FOR PARENTS…
Louise Merelli, a sleep consultant from Gently to Sleep will be holding a one hour talk at KidooLand's Vallauris center on Tuesday 5th June at 14h. If you need advice, hints or tips about helping your baby or toddler learn good sleep practices, Louise is the lady you need to meet!
Places are limited so please reserve your place ASAP by emailing us at reservation@kidooland.com
In the meantime, if you'd like to learn more about Louise and her sleep consultancy business, you can also check out her recent Rivieria Firefly podcast interview...
KIDOOLAND RECOMMENDS FOR LITTLIES…
Cbeebies "Bedtime Stories" are great for young anglophone children as well as for youngsters learning English as a foreign language. They're available on YouTube and are on average about 5 minutes long each. These programmes are beautifully put together, using illustrations from the books as well as some very talented narrators, including famous faces such as Patrick Stewart, Tom Hardy, David Tennant...
LOCAL FUN: THINGS TO DO ON THE COTE D’AZUR
Enjoy 24 Hours of Sport in Valbonne from lunchtime on Saturday 12th May to lunchtime on Sunday 13th May. This annual event is a real treat for families, enabling children of all ages to try out lots of different sports, play games and also learn a little about our area! Tennis, martial arts, poney rides, VTT, football, archery... Check out the official programme on Valbonne's website for full details.
The month of May is perfect weather-wise for exploring our area and each year our regional government arranges numerous guided walks and talks aimed at introducing residents, including children & families, to the natural beauty in which we live. Animations are held regularly all over the departement so for more information or to reserve, visit the website of the Department des Alpes Maritimes.
That’s it for this month’s newsletter. If you have any feedback on what you’ve read, please don’t be afraid to join in the discussions in our Facebook community we would love to hear from you!
All the best,
Antonia Beauvoisin Brown
Managing Director of KidooLand
