Don't Break the Ice!
We were playing around today and rediscovered a game we haven't played in a few months. Coincidentally, it matched our theme of Antarctica so we thought we'd share it with you.
It's called Don't Break the Ice and is pretty fun and easy for all ages, although a grown up (or patient kid) will probably need to set it up. It features blocks of "ice" held by tension in a square rack. There is one large square that holds a figure of an ice-skating polar bear that you DON'T want to let fall as you knock out the surrounding blocks of ice one by one. Since there are no polar bears in Antarctica (they are in the Artic) we subbed a small stuffed penguin. We found another stuffed penguin who we let observe :)
It's a fun game and, if you can stand the noise of the little hammer tap-tap-tapping the ice, the kids will enjoy setting up different configurations and seeing how much of the ice they can chip away before it all goes crashing down!!
Fun times! Well maybe not for the penguin!
Another fun Antarctica themed idea would be to rent Happy Feet. It's a cute little movie about a young penguin who feels he just doesn't belong. He goes on a quest to find himself and ends up saving the whole penguin colony. It gets a little into the overfishing and illegal poaching that goes on in the Antarctic region and the leopard seals (and other penguin eating animals) are a bit frightening in some scenes, but, overall, it's a pretty good movie that would make a good platform for teaching about Antarctica and the animals that live there. Click here for a small clip from the movie.
A little Brazilian Portuguese...
Since Brazil was a Portuguese territory for many years, the national language of Brazil is Portuguese. They, however, have a slightly different way of pronouncing a few words so their dialect is called Brazilian Portuguese. Here are a few phrases you can learn...
good morning - bom dia good evening - boa noite
thank you - obrigado (if thanking male) obrigada (if female)
beautiful and marvelous - lindo maravilhoso
hi, how are you? - oi, como vai? (que the Santana - if you have no idea what I'm talking about than you are missing out on some great music )
A few other tidbits you could do ...
- Soccer is the most popular sport in Brazil, they have the largest soccer stadium in the world and have won the World Cup 5 times! So go to the park and kick the ball around , or if you really want to learn the game, this book -Everything Soccer Book has everything you need to know (it says so right in the name)!
- Have you seen the movie Rio ? The opening sequence is my favorite- all the birds of the rainforest doing a synchronized song and dance! Love it and it has a nice message about saving the animals of the rainforest without being preachy.
- There are many great books at the store and library about the rainforest. This is a good one about saving the trees- The Great Kapok Tree.
- While we're talking about saving trees - have you seen The Lorax? It has nothing to do with Brazil but is a good example of what would happen if we cut down all the trees. I'll admit it, I cry at the end everytime I watch it (many times already)
- (Another good segway) The Brazilian rainforest has over 3000 different fruits and many of them are super healthy. This Brazilian Superfood is one that we tried this week-Zola Acai Berry juice . I usually get a lot of guff when I try to bring home "superfoods" since sometimes they taste kinda, well, healthy - but this was gone in 2 days and was really tasty AND loaded with anti-oxidants and omegas.
- Finally, if you'd like to learn more about Brazilian Portuguese, this book promises to teach you -Everything Brazilian Portuguese Book!
I hope you all enjoyed Brazil and get a chance to try some of the fun and games we did this week! I really would enjoy reading some of your comments- I opened up the comments section so that ANYONE can post a comment and not just subscribers or people with a google profile. See you next week................
You Oughta Be In Pictures - Moviemaking in New Zealand
With its amazing scenery, beautiful weather and wonderfully welcoming people, it's no wonder that New Zealand has become a mecca for moviemakers. There are snow-capped mountains and green lush valleys. Volcanic lakes and fjords created by glaciers!
You can go skiing and surfing on the same day and all on an affordable budget! For years movie makers have made us think that the beautiful scenery was actually New Zealand was mythical fantasy lands. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was filmed entirely on location in New Zealand - did you see that movie? It was breathtaking, super long , but breathtaking scenery!! The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was also filmed in New Zealand. A country that looks so much like a fantasy land that you feel like you are on a movie set? I really want to go there- maybe I can get a part in the Hobbit :) Another movie that was filmed in New Zealand and is actually ABOUT New Zealand is Whale Rider , about a Maori tribe whose chief is ailing and the apparent heir has no interest. The Chief's granddaughter must fight for the right to rule her people. A wonderful, empowering movie with a great message for young girls but it is rated PG-13 so I probably won't be showing most of it to my kids, but I've got it on Netflix ready to go. * 9/9/12 I just watched Whale Rider and don't want to recommend it for very young kids - some emotional scenes. I cried a few times but it was a beautiful movie and knowing what I've learned about the Maori really helped me get more out of it! I didn't mean for this post to turn into a movie review or an ad for Lord of the Rings, I just was struck by how diverse the landscapes of New Zealand is. I hadn't really thought of it as much, I figured it was probably just like Australia, a place I was lucky enough to visit as a child. But New Zealand has really struck me as a special kind of place - so calm and naturally beautiful. The native animals so unique and interesting. I just want to burst into Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World"....and with that thought I'm going to leave you with few pics of beautiful New Zealand....
Beautiful, isn't it?
It's called Don't Break the Ice and is pretty fun and easy for all ages, although a grown up (or patient kid) will probably need to set it up. It features blocks of "ice" held by tension in a square rack. There is one large square that holds a figure of an ice-skating polar bear that you DON'T want to let fall as you knock out the surrounding blocks of ice one by one. Since there are no polar bears in Antarctica (they are in the Artic) we subbed a small stuffed penguin. We found another stuffed penguin who we let observe :)
