Setting up your own playgroup
Setting up your own playgroup
Playgroups & Classes
- Make sure it is taught by a native speaker. You should try and find a playgroup or class where the native speaking teacher only speaks that language for the whole class.
- It should be fun and engaging for your child- Singing Songs, Arts and Crafts, Games, Reading – again by making it fun can help your child absorb the language.
Have you thought about maybe just starting your own?
As the original founding member of your playgroup, you are now the Organiser, however that doesn’t mean that you will have to do all the work.
- Rotate the group to each other’s houses or share the responsibility with others
- Look at using websites like www.meetup.com or Free online invitational services like evite so that people can communicate with other people who want to join. They can send automatic invites to people who sign up.
- Less than three doesn’t really count as a group but it’s a starting point, more than ten means that you will need to source somewhere other than a house, otherwise look at local churches, centres etc
- Look at splitting the group if it gets bigger ; for example by age or language proficiency
Activities
- Look at opening your group with some songs that include the children’s names, this will allow for consistency, routine and repetition which can add to your child’s language growth.
- Read books in your group’s chosen language.
- Listen to music and make it fun like making drums out of saucepans, check out different resources that we have online for your languages
- Let the children play, it helps develop conversations in your chosen language.
- Have a cleanup song for the children, like they have in crèches or schools, it’s another way to introduce the language
- For older kids – try and have a theme – especially relating to the chosen language that you are basing your group on
- Do show and tell – this helps the child speak about and show things that relate to the language or the culture
- Introduce board games, puzzles, puppet shows etc that get the child involved in the language and the culture.
Where to meet
This really is only an issue when there are more than 10 people in your group, however do take into account working parents, so weekends may suit. Don’t feel left out just because you work. Start your own.
Check out libraries that may already have playgroups and/or conversational groups and see if they are interested in doing a children’s group.
Check out language schools that may be a support to you and provide you with some information that can help out, also help you find out about grants if they are available.
We would love to see what you are doing and how you are getting on and are happy to promote your group on our website, so drop us a line.
