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Nuestras Familias / Our Families
A Program for Families

Books to Share

• Besos mágicos by Ana María Machado.
• La estupenda mamá de Roberta by Rosemary Wells.
• Hairs / Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros.
• In My Family / En mi familia by Carmen Lomas Garza.
• Sip, Slurp, Soup, Soup / Caldo, caldo, caldo by Diane Gonzalez Bertrand.
• Los tres cerdos / The Three Pigs: Nacho, Tito, and Miguel by Bobbi Salinas.

Bulletin Board

My Family / Mi familia

Ask children to bring a drawing or photo of their families to display on the board. Surround the photos and drawings with a colorful boarder and at the top write the words, "My Family / Mi familia."

Decorations

Arrange books about families on display tables. Surround them with framed photographs of family members.

Rhymes

La araña Pirulina

(Traditional rhyme from Mexico)

La araña Pirulina
Por la pared se subió
Y mi tia Catalina
Con la escoba la barrió.

The Little Spider Pirulina

(Translated by Paola Ferate-Soto)

The little spider Pirulina
Climbed slowly up the wall
Here comes Aunt Catalina
And swaps her with the broom.

Mi tio

(Traditional rhyme from Colombia)

Mi tío, mi tío, llegó de Puerto Rico,
y me trajo un bonito abanico.
Mi tío, mi tío, se fue a tierra extranjera,
y me trajo de vuelta unas lindas tijeras.
Mi tío, mi tío, volvió desde Marruecos,
y me trajo de vuelta unos bonitos suecos.
Mi tío, mi tío, viajó hasta el Japón,
y me trajo de vuelta un jueguito de ping-pong.
Mi tío, mi tío, pasaba por Peking,
y me trajo de vuelta un lindo balancín.
Mi tío, mi tío, paseaba por Perú,
y me trajo de vuelta un amigo que eres tú!

My Uncle

(Translated by Paola Ferate-Soto)

My uncle, my uncle just came from Puerto Rico,
And he brought me a very pretty fan.
My uncle, my uncle, left to go overseas,
And he brought back a pretty pair of scissors.
My uncle, my uncle, came back from Morocco,
And on his way back he brought me some great shoes.
My uncle, my uncle, traveled to Japan,
And when he came back he brought a ping pong game.
My uncle, my uncle passed by Peking,
And he brought back a titer tater machine.
My uncle, my uncle, traveled to Peru,
And guess what he brought back: A friend like you!

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Fingerplay

Tres monitos saltando en la cama

(This translation of the traditional rhyme, "Three Little Monkeys" is by Paola Ferate-Soto.)

Tres monitos saltando en la cama.
Uno se cayó y la cabeza se pegó,
Mamá llamó al doctor y el doctor le dijo:
"¡No más monos saltinbanques en la cama!"

Dos monitos saltando en la cama,
Uno se cayó y la cabeza se pegó,
Mamá llamó al doctor y el doctor le dijo,
"¡No más monos saltinbanques en la cama!"

Un monito saltando en la cama,
Ese se cayó y la cabeza se pegó,
Mamá llamó al doctor y el doctor le dijo,
"¡No más monos saltinbanques en la cama!"

Three Little Monkeys

Three little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped his head,
Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more little monkeys jumping on the bed!"

Two little monkeys jumping on the bed,
One fell off and bumped his head,
Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more little monkeys jumping on the bed!"

One little monkey jumping on the bed,
He fell off and bumped his head,
Mamma called the doctor and the doctor said,
"No more little monkeys jumping on the bed!"

Poem

Amor Filial

(The following poem by Amado Nervo is about "family love," the love a child has for both of his/her parents.)

Yo adoro a mi madre querida,
yo adoro a mi padre también;
ninguno me quiere en la vida
como ellos me saben querer.

Si duermo, ellos velan mi sueño;
si lloro, estan tristes los dos;
si rio, su rostro es risueño:
mi risa es para ellos el sol.

Me enseñan los dos con inmensa
ternura a ser bueno y feliz.
Mi padre por mi lucha y piensa;
mi madre ora siempre por mi.

Yo adoro a mi madre querida,
yo adoro a mi padre también;
ninguno me quiere en la vida
como ellos me saben querer.

Family Love

(Translated by Josefina Rodriguez-Gibbs and Nohemi López)

I adore my dear mother,
I adore my dear father too;
No one loves me as much
As they know how to love me.

When I sleep, they keep watch over me;
When I cry they are sad with me;
When I laugh they smile with me:
My laugh is the sunshine for them.

They tenderly teach me
to be happy and nice.
My father does his best for me;
My mother prays always for me.

I adore my dear mother,
I adore my dear father too.
No one loves me as much
As they know how to love me.

Craft

Tree of Life Candlestick

(Adapted from Traditional Crafts from Mexico and Central America by Florence Temko)

Materials

• Play dough or clay
• Toothpicks or wire
• Tempera paint
• Birthday candle

Directions

Make a Tree of Life Candle- stick in advance to display, and then let the children follow these directions and make their own. If clay is used, moisten the ends of the parts to connect them. Roll a ball of dough about 2 inches in diameter and flatten the bottom to make the base of the candle stick. Roll a lump of dough into a pole about 4 inches long and ¼ inch thick to form the trunk of the tree. Join the base and the trunk as shown in the illustration. If the trunk bends, push one or two toothpicks down the middle to keep it straight. For the branches, roll each of two dough balls about 4 ½ inches long and ½ inch thick. Bend the branches to form half circles and attach each to the trunk. Roll a ball of dough into a 1-inch ball and with a toothpick twirl a hole big enough to hold a birthday candle. Attach it to the top of the tree truck. Shape clay into birds, flowers, or small balls of different colors and attach them to the branches and base for decorations. Paint it colorfully and insert a birthday candle for the children to light at home.

Audio Recordings

• "El casamiento de los palomos" on Grandes éxitos Cri-Cri, Digital 2 by Francisco Gabilondo Soler.
• "La comadre Juana" on Vol. 1 - Lírica infantil by José-Luis Orozco.
• "Mi familia," "Tortillitas," "La tia Mónica" and "Este chiquito y bonito" on Diez deditos / Ten Little Fingers & Other Play Rhymes and Action Songs from Latin America by José-Luis Orozco.
• "Mis parientes cercanos" on Oquixpi: Música creativa infantil by Maruja Lenero.

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