Hobbies And Interests
Crossword Puzzle
French has often been called the "language of romance." Help your kids learn a few French words with a crossword puzzle. French crossword puzzles can be found at Maps.com, but you can make your own using a French dictionary and graphing paper. Find at least 20 French words and use a pen or pencil and carefully place the French words in the graph. Make sure all the letters interact and share letters with other words. Once you're finished, give your kids a list of vocabulary words and a dictionary. They have half an hour to find all of the words and fill them into the crossword. Whoever does it fastest should win a small prize. If you are playing with your own children, you could give them candy or money, but if you are playing this game in a class, give them extra credit.
Map Match
Geography can be a confusing subject for many children. Not many will know about the different cities and towns in France. Play this simple matching game to help teach them about French geography. French geography games are available at KidGeo.com, but they can also be made for classroom and home use without a computer. Print out maps of France and hand them to your kids. Also give them a blank map and several "geography points of interest" to glue to their map. They should have half an hour to find the approximate spots on the map to place the points of interest. Once they have finished, they can hand them in to you. Whoever finishes fastest should win a prize. Hang the maps on the wall for fun decorations.
La Petanque
"La Petanque" is a traditional French game you can use to teach your children a little bit about how French children have fun. It has to have at least six players and no more than 12. Divide your players into even teams. Give each player on each team a small, metal ball. They will throw these balls at a small wooden target called the "piggy." The traditional piggy will look somewhat like a pig, but you can use any small target. The first team throws the piggy from the starting point. After it is thrown, the teams take turn throwing the balls towards the piggy. The object is to get as close to the piggy as possible. The team with the closest ball wins. Players on the winning team then count how many of the team's balls are closer than the other teams' balls, earning a point for each one. Play as many rounds as you like with the highest scoring team winning. There is no set limit for how long you can play.