¡Misión Posible: Espía familias! /
Mission Possible: Spy Families!
Books to Share
- Las abuelas de Liliana / Liliana's Grandmothers by Leyla Torres.
- Chave's Memories / Los recuerdos de Chave by María Isabel Delgado.
- Family / Familia by Diane Gonzales Bertrand.
- Grandma Fina and Her Wonderful Umbrellas / La abuelita Fina y sus sombrillas maravillosas by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
- My Very Own Room / Mi propio cuartito by Amada Irma Pérez.
- Uncle Chente's Picnic / El picnic de tío chente by Diane Gonzales Bertrand.
Bulletin Board
Milagros / Miracles
This bulletin board will be made up of hopes and wishes. Give each child a 3" X 5" index card or piece of paper shaped like a diamond or a star. They can write anything such as "I wish for every child to be happy" or "I want my Grandma to get better." There are no guidelines. After the wishes and hopes are written on the piece of paper, mount them on another piece of colored paper. Punch a hole at the top and string ribbon or yarn through the hole. Staple these to the bulletin board for a colorful background of hopes and wishes called milagros in Spanish.
Name Tags
Refreshments
Serve empanadas purchased at a Mexican panadería or bakery. Or make them! Here's a simple recipe for empanadas.
- Buy a couple of ready-made piecrusts.
- Thaw and flatten.
- Cut out small circles (about 3 inches)
- Fill center will fruit filling. My preference would be pumpkin with nuts and cinnamon.
- Fold over and seal to keep fruit inside. Use a fork to seal edges.
- Bake at 350º for about 7 minutes or until golden
- Sprinkle with a cinnamon and sugar combination
- Serve warm and enjoy
For a great Mexican drink, serve horchata, which is a drink made with rice, cinnamon, and sugar. Purchase a packet of horchata in the "Mexican Foods" aisle at your grocery store.
Fingerplays
Mi familia
(This traditional fingerplay was translated into English by Rose Treviño. Start with the pinkie and on the last line, close your fist and bring it close to your heart.)
Mi mamá, toda cariño,
Mi papá, todo bondad,
Nuestro encanto, el dulce niño,
Mi hermanito alto y formal,
Y yo, en la casa, aliño,
Vivimos en nuestro hogar.
My Family
My mother, filled with love,
My father, filled with goodness,
Our charming, sweet baby,
My brother, tall and reliable,
And me, at home,
We live together.
Mi familia
(This traditional fingerplay was translated into English by Rose Treviño. Start with your pinkie. On the last line, grab your thumb and point to yourself.)
Este chiquito es mi hermanito.
Esta es mi mamá.
Este altito es mi papá.
Esta es mi hermana.
¡¡¡Y éste chiquito y bonito soy YO!!!
My Family
This tiny one is my little brother.
This one is my mother.
This tall one is my father.
This one is my sister.
And this little pretty one is ME!!!
Rhymes
El beso
(Tradicional)
Todas las mañanas, sueño al despertar
Que un ángel del cielo me viene a besar
Al abrir mis ojos, busco adonde estoy
Y en el mismo sitio del angel, veo a mi mamá.
The Kiss
(English translation by Rose Treviño.)
Every morning, I dream at dawn
That an angel from Heaven has come to kiss me.
When I open my eyes, I look around
And where the angel should be, I see my Mama.
Mamita
(Tradicional)
Mi buena mamita
Me lleva a la mesa
Me da la sopita
Y luego me besa.
Mommy
(English translation by Rose Treviño.)
My good mommy
Takes me to the table
She gives me soup
And then she kisses me.
Songs
De colores
(This traditional song is often sung in groups with arms slung around each other's shoulders. The group sways right and left until the song is over. It is recorded on De colores by José-Luis Orozco.)
De colores, de colores se visten los campos en la primavera.
De colores de colores són los pajaritos que vienen de afuera
De colores, de colores es el arcoiris que vemos lucir.
Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mí.
y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mí.
Canta el gallo, canta el gallo con el kiri, kiri, kiri kiri, kiri.
La gallina, la gallina con el cara, cara, cara, cara, ca
Los pollitos, los pollitos con el pío, pío, pío, pío, pí.
Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mí.
y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mí.
Colors
(English translation by Rose Treviño.)
Oh, the colors
The fields become colorfully dressed in Spring time
Oh, the colors
The birds that come from afar are so colorful,
The rainbow that we see glowing is colorful,
That's why I like this colorful world so much.
The rooster sings, the rooster sings with the kiri, kiri, kiri, kiri, kiri,
The chicken, the chicken with the cara, cara, cara, cara, cara
The chicks, the chicks with the pio, pio, pio, pio, pi
And that's why I like this colorful world so much.
That's why I like this colorful world so much.
Games and Activities
Fandango
(This traditional rhyme is translated into English by Rose Treviño. The children pass a stick around the circle as they sing. The stick is used to keep the beat. The person holding the stick when the last "tran" is sung is "out".)
Al son de un fandango, tango, tango,
Cantaré.
Cantaré con alegría,
Y con el triqui triqui tran,
Con el triqui triqui tran.
Fandango
With the sound of a fandango, tango, tango
I will sing.
I will sing with happiness,
With the triqui triqui tran,
With the triqui triqui tran.
Juan Pirulero
(While singing this traditional rhyme translated into English by Rose Treviño, the children choose instruments and pretend to play them as if they are in a band or orchestra. One child is the musical conductor or leader. While the children sing the song, the conductor conducts for a while and then pretends to take someone's instrument and play it. The child who loses his instrument becomes the new conductor. When ready, the each conductor chooses an instrument and becomes part of the orchestra again. Each child must pay attention to the conductor.)
Este es el juego de Juan Pirulero.
Que cada quien atienda su juego.
Juan Pirulero
This is Juan Pirulero's game.
Everyone must pay attention
to what they play.
Hopscotch
Hopscotch in Mexico features the days of the week leading up to the sky and then the world as shown in the illustration below. Draw a hopscotch game on the library sidewalk and teach the children to play!
Craft
Mexican Tissue Flowers
Materials
- Tissue paper in assorted colors
- Chenille pipe cleaners (two per child)
Directions
Mexican tissue flowers are used to decorate homes, businesses, plazas, etc. They are used for celebrations and everyday events. Cut the tissue paper into 5" X 5" squares. Distribute four squares of tissue paper in various colors and two chenille stems to each child. The children place the four tissue squares together, fold them into an accordion, and twist one chenille stem in the center. They then separate the tissue paper by lifting and fluffing up one sheet at a time to give the appearance of a flower in bloom, and twist the top layer of tissue paper to form the center of the flower. They use the other chenille pipe cleaner to make the leaves on the stem.
Guest Presenters
Invite grandparents to share stories from their childhood with the storytime children. Have a rocking chair available for grandparent/grandchild pictures. Set up another area for multi-generational pictures of grandma, momma, and child, and another for "Family Pictures".
Audio Recordings
- "Siempre abuelita" on Cada niño / Every Child by Tish Hinojosa.
- "Simplemente por amor / Simply for Love" on Cada niño / Every Child by Tish Hinojosa.
Videos
- Chrysanthemum. (12 minutes)
- George Washington's Mother. (20 minutes)
