In preparation for the new term!

The end of the first term found us in a festive mood, singing Greek Christmas Carols and making Christmas decorations and Greeting Cards! We had a lot of fun in our classes.

The first term however had been an amazing journey for both students and us. Our preschoolers have been enriching their vocabulary and learning how to read and write too! Our primary school students have been working on their expression, vocabulary as well as their grammar with lots of creative, fun and original exercises. Our High School students have been gaining confidence in the way they speak Greek and have massively improved their grades in Greek. Not to forget our adult classes of course where our students learn how to practically include Greek in their everyday life! As for us in Greek4Kids we are ever so proud and amazed by our students and their progress. Continuously inspired by the children, we strive to create more fun and engaging material to help them achieve their goals!

This is what this period is all about here at Greek4Kids! We are resuming classes after the Christmas holidays but in the meantime we have been working hard and with enthusiasm to create new educational material. We really can't wait to have the students back in class, happily working on the new and exciting classwork. Lots of new games and worksheets for you to print out and use at home with your little ones too. Stay tuned for the posts to follow!

Here is a 2013 yearly calendar to help you get organised for the new year! Get your little one to colour the different seasons and teach her the months!

Our Christmas Booklet

Our Christmas Booklet!

Preparations for Christmas have already begun! The streets and shops have been decorated and we have all started thinking about what to do during the Christmas festive period.

It's beginning to feel like Christmas in Greek4Kids classes too! We have started decorating, making Christmas cards and sending letters to Santa! This 18-page booklet will give you ideas on songs, crafts, exercises, cards and other Christmas related activities.

Here is a preview of the booklet.

 

 To get your own digital copy click on the Paypal button.

Booklet Options

Digital Copy €7.00 EUR Hard Copy €10.00 EUR

Colour of the week: red

We all love colours! They brighten up our day and set the mood! Children enjoy all activities related to colours. There are so many concepts you can teach using colours. 

In this new feature you can find  a different colour every week and a matching activity to do with your little one.

Here is a fun mosaic to do with your child. Cut out black felt and red tissue paper and stick  them on this cute ladybird! Alternatively you could use this as a colouring page.

Have fun learning!

Poster: My face

This is one of the posters we use in class when we learn the face. Print out on an A3 page and hang it on the wall. Visual stimulation and games help children to actively learn new vocabulary and builds up confidence.

Try playing different games:

1. Point to the different parts on the poster while saying the word in Greek and ask your child to point to their ears, nose, eyes etc
2. Cut out the different parts (eyes, nose, mouth, cheek etc) and take turns placing them correctly on the head. There is only one rule: You have to shout out loud in Greek the part of the face you are placing, otherwise it won't count!  
3. For older children you may cut out the actual words in Greek and get them to place them correctly on the poster. 
4. Try scrabbling the letters and get the children to put them back in the right order. This will help them learn using the words as well as placing them correctly.

Combine this activity with a face colouring page and get your child to draw their own facial features.

Have fun learning!

Flashcards: Farm Animals

Children love animals!

Use these colourful flashcards to teach them the farm animals!

Practice their names by playing these little games with your little one:

• What sound does the γουρουνάκι make etc? 
• Ask them to pick the right flashcard.  
• Talk about the different foods these farm animals like.
• Tell them what each animal does in the farm! 
• Print them twice and play a memory card game!
• Make a poster using the flashcards.

There are so many games you can play! 

You can find the Farm Animals Flashcards on our shop!

How about trying this craft with your child? Click on the picture to get instructions on how to make each one!

Happy learning!

Greek Nursery Rhymes Booklet!

Greek4Kids first booklet is out and it is featuring the most popular Greek nursery rhymes! Colourful illustrations and themed colouring pages accompany each nursery rhyme.

Remember or learn some Greek nursery rhymes and sing them with your child. Teach them new vocabulary by pointing at the colourful illustrations. After each nursery rhyme, you will find a colouring page for your little one to colour! The perfect exercise to help them practice the vocabulary. 

It is a 28-pages, A5 booklet which fits in their school bag, nappy bag or your purse! So it's perfect to take out with you!

Click on the picture or here for a preview!

If you would like to order a hard copy, please email info@greek4kids.eu. Alternatively you could order an electronic copy to print out yourselves!

Have fun learning!

Choose your copy

Hard Copy (soft binding) €8.00 EUR Hard Copy (soft binding) x 2 €16.00 EUR Digital Copy €5.00 EUR

Flashcards: Weather

This week's flashcards are about the weather elements. The sun, the rain, the cloud, the snow, the lightning and the rainbow! Cut them and laminate them for extra durability. We love to place them on our Weather Corner. We have made a frame where, on a daily basis, we highlight the flashcard that best describes each day's weather!

You can find our Weather Flashcards on our shop!

Greek4Kids asks: How to choose the right school bag for your child?

Since our post on lists for the new school year, we have been thinking a lot about the right school bag. At this time of the year, us parents have been spending a lot of time shopping for all our children's school supplies. The most important one is the school bag!

 Have you thought of the importance of a good school bag?

Greek4Kids prepared some questions and contacted Emma's Lunch to seek their expertise on school bags. Check out their page on Back2School products for ideas on designs and patterns!

What should a parent know about the different shapes, sizes, weight and straps type?

There are many kinds of school bags out there, the important thing to look for is the correct size of bag for your child (most importantly the bag should not be too big).  When choosing a backpack make sure to tighten the straps and see how the bag is positioned on the child's back. Ideally you should be looking for anatomical backpacks which are contoured to the spine.  

The weight of the bag also has to be considered. Think about how much it would weigh with books inside!  This is a good guide to follow when considering how heavy should be the backpack when compared to the weight of the child. 

Sadly, children are expected to carry far too many books and usually the weight of the backpack exceeds those guidelines by far.  This is why I would recommend always buying a roller backpack or trolley for your young children.  There is no strain on the back and you can fit pretty much anything in it.

What should the parents look out for in terms of the design of a bag? 

Parents should ensure the backpack or trolley has enough separate compartments.  It is much easier to organize the books and keep notebooks, pencil cases and other equipment separate. This allows for easy access to necessary items and it also encourages using and developing organizational skills.  For Cyprus and hot weather countries I would strongly recommend choosing a bag with an insulated compartment or purchasing a separate insulated bag which can then be attached to the trolley or kept in one of the compartments for keeping water and lunch boxes.

How do you know if you have chosen a sturdy, hard-wearing bag? 

Brand awareness is important. Make sure you go to tried and tested suppliers and choose the bags offered by established  bag producers.  When choosing a licensed product, Disney, Nickelodeon, HIT entertainment, Marvel, Mattel etc ensure that you are actually buying an original bag.  This will guarantee that the bag is meeting all health requirements and regulations, that it is safe and appropriate for the ages intended and that it is durable.  Some of the things to look out for are proper packaging with copyrights and full details of the licensee (meaning the contact information of company who has been given the license to produce that item).  This information should also be found in different places depending on the licensor on an inside label, or on a label outside the bag. If you find those you should be safe.  

There are so many patterns out there! It is so hard to choose! What do you recommend? 

There is no one great design! If you follow the above guidelines when looking for a bag, you should be safe to let your child choose their own colour or character.  This empowers them and makes them happy to be carrying a bag they chose on their own.

Good luck choosing the right bag for your child.

Thank you very much Emma's Lunch for the very useful information! 

Greek4Kids: Flashcards (school supplies)

These flashcards are inspired by the back to school mode we have been on these last weeks. Help your child learn some everyday classroom items. A very helpful set of flashcards. You could even use these flashcards to label drawers or decorate your child's homework space at home! Just print them out on coloured card paper.

You can find the School supplies Flashcards at our shop!

Greek4Kids out and about: ELC playtime

Here at Greek4Kids we encourage play! Play has an enormous role in our children's lives and its benefits are unique.

Most of our activities are based on fun learning. Playing is an integral part of our lessons. You can use our printables, our games, our exercises to teach your child or students Greek through play. What about other fun ways to promote learning?

An outside the class or home environment can enhance learning and offer new possibilities. Children absorb new knowledge very quickly and are readily open to new stimuli. In our effort to provide you with more fun learning opportunities we are starting our new feature:  

Greek4Kids out and about. 

Places you can visit, such as the beach, the theatre, the library, a restaurant, a museum, a playground, a store, a friend's house, a local event etc.

We are starting this series of posts today with a weekly playtime session:  

Tuesday playtime at Early Learning Centre.

When:
Every Tuesday, 4:30 pm to 6 pm

Where: 
At ELC stores around Cyprus 

Cost: Free  

What is it all about:
One and a half hours of free play, crafting and browsing books with your little one.

Our thoughts:

We particularly love the book corner where you can sit with your child, read a book, flip through the pages and discuss the pictures. A fantastic opportunity to teach your child new words, talk about different concepts and trigger their imagination! 

Another favourite is the farm and jungle animals stand where you can play with the different animals. practice their names and different sounds they make and even role play by setting up a farm for them! 

The crafting table is a great opportunity to get creative with your little one. Teach them the colours, the different textures or craft supplies and let them express themselves. 

A great opportunity for parents to spend some quality time with their child, although it may not be suited for children older than 7 due to the nature of the toys and books.

 

Word of the Week

ψάρι

(fish)

Classroom Decoration: The Fantasy Corner

You can never have enough Classroom Decoration material!

At Greek4Kids we love Classroom Decoration. We are renewing our series of printables with this lovely banner for the Fantasy Corner. Dragons, castles, princes, princesses and fairies, this banner has it all!

You can use this banner for your homeschooling wall too! Encourage children to make up stories and engage in pretend-play by creating images all around them!

  Happy pretend-play!

A child reads - The rights of the reader

Τα δικαιώματα του αναγνώστη

1. Να μην διαβάζει

2. Να πηδάει σελίδες

3. Να αφήνει ένα βιβλίο στη μέση

4. Να το ξαναδιαβάζει

5. Να διαβάζει ο,τιδήποτε

6. Να ζει την ιστορία σα να είναι αληθινή

7. Να διαβάζει οπουδήποτε

8. Να πιάνει ένα βιβλίο από τη μέση

9. Να διαβάζει μεγαλόφωνα

10. Να μη μιλά

10 δικαιώματα - μια προειδοποίηση: 

Αν κοροϊδεύεις αυτούς που δε διαβάζουν, 

δε θα αγαπήσουν το διάβασμα ποτέ.

This amazing guide is 
an introduction to our new Saturday feature:

A child reads

Follow Greek4Kids to a journey of making children love reading. 

From babies to toddlers to school students to teens read and share tips and advice on how to instill the love of books to your little reader.

The fish song - Το ψαράκι

This is our newest addition to the Nursery Rhymes series. It is a lovely nursery rhyme, based on the English nursery rhyme Once I caught a fish alive.

It helps children learn the numbers from one to ten. Ask the children to sing while counting with their fingers.

You can get the children to make fish out of card paper and hold them while singing the song. They can imitate the fish's "lips" with their mouth. You can use a blue bed sheet as the sea and let the children help their paper fish "swim" in the sea.

Here is a version of the ψαράκι nursery rhyme.

You can combine singing this song with a fish craft or a story about a fish. Here is a lovely rhyming story about a fish who is afraid to swim:

Ένα ψάρι που δεν ήξερε να κολυμπάει.

Have fun learning!

Back to School Checklists!

Another school year is approaching! It is such an exciting time for both children and parents! For some families, this marks the beginning of primary school, a very important milestone in a child’s (and a parent’s too!) life.

A few of the Greek4Kids students are starting primary school this year so we have put together a guide/checklist as well as a few tips for the families to help them manage the practical side of things! You may use this checklist not only for first graders but as a general checklist for primary school as well. Check it out to see if you are on track!

Now it is the time to start doing your school supplies shopping. If your child's teacher has not provided you with a list, the Greek4Kids list may help you decide what to buy.

Here is a mini version of both lists. You may print it and stick it on the fridge.

If you are anything like us and enjoy making your own lists, then you can download a blank list (the mini version).

Have a lovely time preparing for school!

 

What time is it? Τι ώρα είναι;

There is no better way to teach children how to say the time than to make a clock with them.

Here is a template that you can print out on card paper and make into a practice clock by adding a number hand and an hour hand. The numbers have a summer theme, which makes it more fun for the little ones!

Stay tuned for our Tell the time worksheets!

Reading Cards (summer theme)

In preparation for the new school year, we have been practicing our reading using reading cards. They are perfect for children who have just started learning how to read. Children can associate the picture with the short sentences, making reading fun! Here are two cards you can use with your child to encourage reading.

Through simple and short sentences which are accompanied by a picture, children learn to read and recognise words. You may use these cards to initiate conversation in Greek, by describing the pictures and asking questions.

Story Time Fridays (and Tuesdays too)

Greek4Kids Story Time Fridays 

are traveling to Nicosia 

every Tuesday at 4.30pm 

for an hour filled with stories, songs and crafts

 for the little ones. 

Come and meet us 

at the child-friendly premises of CityFields, 

who have been kindly hosting the Greek4Kids activities in Nicosia. 

€5 per family

For more information or to book a place 

call Greek4Kids on 96649737 or

email info@greek4kids.eu

Η Ώρα του Παραμυθιού 

ταξιδεύει στη Λευκωσία 

κάθε Τρίτη στις 4.30μ.μ. 

για μια ώρα γεμάτη παραμύθια, τραγούδια και χειροτεχνίες 

για τους μικρούς μας φίλους. 

Ελάτε να γνωριστούμε 

στις υπέροχες εγκαταστάσεις του CityFields, 

που φιλοξενούν τις δραστηριότητες του Greek4Kids στη Λευκωσία.

€5 ανά οικογένεια

Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες ή για να κρατήσετε θέση

τηλεφωνήστε στο 96649737 ή

στείλτε email στο info@greek4kids.eu

Alphabet Flashcards with words

We have been working a lot on letter recognition with the younger of our students lately. It is a lot of fun and sooooo educational. It not only helps them memorise the Greek letters but also works on their memory and image association!

Here is a version of the alphabet flashcards accompanied by the whole word of the image used for each letter. If you are using the flashcards at home with your children (or if you are learning the alphabet yourself!) and you are not familiar with all the words this version will help you. Just click on the image, download the file and print out!

The big bad wolf

Children walk happily in the woods when they hear the big bad wolf! Where is he hiding and when is he coming out?

Children love this song! At Greek4Kids we sing it to learn the different clothes and accessories people (and wolves of course!) wear.

You can print the A3 version, laminate it and use it at home or in your classroom.

Story Time Fridays

Uppercase-Lowercase: Ιι to Μμ

Moving on with the uppercase-lowercase letters recognition exercise! You can find the next four letters here. Ιι to Μμ. Help your little one choose the right small letter to match the capital letter on the left.

This is an ideal exercise not only for young children but also for adults! Are you struggling with remembering the lowercase letters of the Greek alphabet? Download this exercise and you will never confuse them again!

Thanks for stopping by! All Greek4Kids blog material is available for parents and teachers for free. Please respect the copyright and credit Greek4Kids when using our material. Like our page on Facebook to receive updates on our constantly updated material as well as on all our activities.

Beach Time

It is beach time! The little ones love the beach and the sea! What better way to teach them those Greek words than taking them to the beach together with a sand bucket and a set of beach flashcards? 

Think of laminating them for added durability!

 

You can find the Beach Time Flashcards on our shop!

Word of the Week

τρένο

(train)

 

Classroom Material: The months

At Greek4Kids we have just got our own premises and are in the process of decorating our very own classroom! Such an exciting process! I love every aspect of it, but most of all I enjoy making the display material! We're still in the early stages, so stay tuned for our classroom pictures!

We have created lots of useful material to put up on our wall. The children love a colourful classroom and we never miss a chance to educate and stimulate children through visual content. So, here is the first of this new series of Greek4Kids' free printables, which will be made up entirely of our classroom's posters.

The months! A colourful header featuring different weather elements as well as the title: Οι μήνες του χρόνου - Months of the year. To accompany the header, you can add the months, all in individual colours. You can print, cut, laminate them and you are set to go! Print out the orange arrow and get the children to move the arrow according to the month you are in!This can be a great addition to your home learning wall too!

Happy decorating!

Thanks for stopping by! All Greek4Kids blog material is available for parents and teachers for free. Please respect the copyright and credit Greek4Kids when using our material. Like our page on Facebook to receive updates on our constantly updated material as well as on all our activities. 

Flashcards: The vehicles

Use these colourful flashcards to teach your child the names of the vehicles in Greek. You can use any toy vehicles you may have to reinforce learning and make the game even more fun. As with all the flashcards you may cut them, laminate them and use them for fun educational games!

You can find the Vehicles Flashcards on our shop!

Colouring Page: The sun

Following the weather poster post, here is a nice colouring page for your little one. He can colour the sun and trace over the word under the picture.

Poster: the weather

What's the weather like today?

An A3 poster to print out, laminate and talk about the weather with your little one. You can practice by asking her what the weather is like during different seasons.

Word of the week

ποδήλατο

(bicycle)

Uppercase-Lowercase: Εε to Θθ

Another printable from the series Uppercase-Lowercase.

Circle the correct lowercase letter which matches the uppercase letter on the left.

The letters for this post are Εε, Ζζ, Ηη, Θθ.

More Easter activities

Easter is almost here! Today's post has more Easter activities for your little ones to do. There is an Easter wordsearch, an Easter colouring page as well as an Easter maze!

Try and find all the hidden words in this fun wordsearch! Click, download and print!

Children love colouring! They will enjoy colouring this Easter basket complete with eggs, chick and Easter bunny!

The Easter bunny (κουνελάκι) needs to go to the basket (καλαθάκι). Could you show him the way?

Enjoy your holidays! Have a lovely Easter! Καλό Πάσχα!

Happy Easter! Καλό Πάσχα!

The Greek Easter is almost here! Everyone is preparing for the big Easter celebrations. Children are on holiday from school here in Cyprus, enjoying Easter traditions.

Here are some flashcards that you can print out to help your child learn Easter related vocabulary.

Greek4Kids recent activities

After a rather busy March Greek4Kids is back! Here is what we have been up to:

Greek4Kids launched three new groups in March. A preschoolers class in Nicosia, a preschoolers class as well as a Greek4Adults class in Oroklini and a Creative Expression Workshop in Larnaca! The groups are amazing and I am having a great time getting to know my new students and helping them explore the Greek language. If you would like more info on these groups contact us or post on our Facebook page. Please like our page if you would like to stay in touch and receive all our updates!

Greek4Kids attended its first exhibition! The Baby, Toddler and Christening Exhibition was a great success and an invaluable experience for us! A well organised exhibition with entertainment and activities for the whole family to enjoy. Meeting all the exhibitors was very informative too! The Scavenger Hunt, a fun adventure for the visitors of the exhibition, was a real success! Greek4Kids is very proud to have been a part of this joint effort. Thank you suncuddles.com, Emma's Lunch, Little Kickers Cyprus, Mums In Cyprus,The Maternity Wardrobe, Kindermusik Cyprus and Little Gems Montessori for making it a success! Two lucky children have won a free month of Greek4Kids classes!

This is Greek4Kids stand at the exhibition! Thank you Emma from A matter of choice for this picture!

Little Kickers Easter Egg Hunt! A charity event organised by Little Kickers Cyprus took place last weekend in Nicosia. It was a fantastic day out for families who enjoyed Little Kickers's sessions as well as other child/family activities! Greek4Kids was also there, making caterpillar name tags with the children. Here is a photo of Greek4Kids at the event.

Greek4Kids has its very own domain www.greek4kids.eu. Bookmark it to receive our free online educational material and to follow our news!

All and all it has been a fantastic and creative month! Stay tuned for more!

Uppercase - Lowercase

We are revisiting the letters in today's post. 

This is an interesting exercise suitable for preschoolers as well as toddlers. Get them to identify and circle the lowercase equivalent of the uppercase letter given on the left hand side of the column. 

Click on the picture to download the exercise for the first four letters of the Greek alphabet.

You will find the alphabet cards as well as the Greek Alphabet song in this post. Have fun learning!

Nursery Rhyme: Our good old cow

This week's nursery rhyme is an all time classic.

I learnt this song at kindergarten as a child and I was surprised to hear Maya singing it one day after school!

It is about a cow and its precious milk.

Here is a video of Maya singing the song as well as a printable for you to print and laminate.

Colouring Page: My body

Here is a picture for your little one to colour and name the body parts in Greek. You can accompany this craft with the body parts flashcards.