Week of May 11, 2020

Y KIDS NEWS

kids playingWhen school’s out, the Y is in! We hope you enjoy this edition of Y Kids News, a newsletter with games and activities you can do from home!

THIS WEEK'S THEME:

GOING GLOBAL

We're exploring cultures from all around the world! Check out our games, crafts, recipes, trivia, jokes and more!

healthy challenges

LET'S PLAY

kids playingIn Ghana, children play a game called Pilolo. Let’s learn how!

Steps:

  1. Imagine a treasure hunt and race, all in one. One child is the leader and the rest are the searchers.
  2. The searchers turn their backs and close their eyes as the leader hides small objects in the playing field. These can be stones, coins, or sticks, but they should all be the same. The timekeeper stands by the finish line.
  3. When the leader says, “go,” the searchers hunt for an object. The first to find one and carry it over the finish line wins!

LEARN TO SAY HELLO

Here’s how you say hello in 10 different languages:

  • Hello (English)
  • Buenos dias (Spanish)
  • Bonjour (French)
  • Shalom (Hebrew)
  • Jambo (Swahili)
  • Huanying (Chinese)
  • Guten tag (German)
  • Konnichiwa (Japanese)
  • G’Day mate (Australian English)
  • Goed dag (Dutch)

 

CALLING ALL VEXILLOLOGISTS

Tim S. from Mottino Family YMCA has a vexillology lesson and activity for you today. Stumped? Watch his video to learn more — we promise it's fun, and we might feature your creation on our social channels!

CREATE A PASSPORT

International travel requires a passport – do you have one? If not, make one!

  • Start your foreign adventure by folding five pieces of paper into a booklet. The cover should say “INTERNATIONAL PASSPORT.”
  • Draw, use stickers, or glue a picture of the country's flag to fill the pages of the passport. Use the Internet to learn about the various cultures.
  • Write out five facts about each country you’d like to visit.
  • Write out the language you would speak, or the food you would eat in that country.
  • How many countries can you visit?

CHALK ART CHALLENGE

Using chalk, try to draw the BIGGEST world map you can! How big can you make yours? How many countries can you label by name? Can you color the ones you have visited?

kids cooking

CARIBBEAN PLANTAIN CHIPS

cooking familyIngredients:

  • Plantains
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Optional: ground red and black pepper

Instructions:

  • Have an adult peel and slice a plantain into ⅛-inch chips.
  • Toss the chips in a bowl with a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
  • Spread chips on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-14 minutes – or until golden brown and crispy. Enjoy!

jokes and trivia

BE THE ENTERTAINER

Jokes

  1. What’s the fastest country in the world?
  2. What’s the worst thing about planning a party in space?
  3. How can you tell if the ocean is friendly?

See answers below

Trivia:

  1. In what country is the Great Pyramid of Giza found?
  2. In what country was pizza invented?
  3. What is the name of the tube-shaped wind instrument invented by the aboriginal peoples of Australia?
  4. In what Asian country were chopsticks invented, roughly 4,000-5,000 years ago?
  5. Which continent (Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Antarctica, Australia) is the most populous (has the most people)?

See answers below

more to explore

GLOBAL ACTIVITIES

Recipes: Check out these Yummy International Recipes on the Every Mom website. We recommend the Nutella Crepes!

Game: Check out this Countries of the World Quiz! on the JetPunk website.

FAMILY WORD WORKOUTS

word gameOur Y families are staying active and having fun with Family Word Workouts. Each letter of the alphabet represents a different exercise! This week, we're challenging you to a worldly word workout every day:

  • Monday: ISLAND
  • Tuesday: PASSPORT
  • Wednesday: CONTINENT
  • Thursday: CULTURE
  • Friday: LANGUAGE

Also, check our social channels (@YMCASANDIEGO) throughout the week for more get-you-moving words. Download your alphabet workout sheet.

FLIP FOR GYMNASTICS!

gymnasticsY Kids are having fun learning gymnastics tricks and practicing skills with coaches from our branches through our new YMCA of San Diego Gymnastics Facebook group. You can get in on the fun, too! Take part in weekly challenges (like handstands and pushups); learn skills (like parkour and balance beam) and get access to crafts, puzzles and more. Note: A Facebook account is required to participate in this private group.

JOKE ANSWERS:

  1. Russia
  2. You have to PLANET!
  3. It Waves!

TRIVIA ANSWERS:

  1. Egypt
  2. Italy! Did you know that the average Italian eats 51 pounds of pasta per year?
  3. Didgeridoo
  4. China
  5. Asia —60 percent of the world’s population lives on the Asian continent!

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