LITTLE PIM BLOG

Spring Ahead With A Fantastic Family Road Trip Playlist

Spring flowers, sunny skies, and the hints of warm weather that come with the change of seasons practically call out for a family road trip. So pack up your kids and put everyone in the traveling mood with our playlist of recent hits and classic songs from around the globe. Actually, no matter if you’re spring day tripping, spring cleaning, or simply have a spring dance party in your living room, our playlist will make you want to get up and groove.

And if Spring makes you as “Happy” as a “house without a roof” (our pick for favorite spring song), check out this link to folks around the world doing their own “Happy” dance. It's a great way to let your kids get a glimpse of spots reaching from Aix to Zagreb, and literally everywhere in-between (96 countries have participated thus far!).

Want even more musical inspiration? Little Pim’s Spanish Bop and French Bop are perfect to keep the music going all the way into summer.

So what are you waiting for? Plug in some speakers and let the spring music start!

Read More
Around The World, Daily News, The Bilingual Brain Systems Administrator Around The World, Daily News, The Bilingual Brain Systems Administrator

What's Trending in Bilingualism

We've scoured the web to find breaking news and information in the world of Bilingualism. Check out our 5 favorite stories, below:

1. Taking bilingualism to the bank: In the Economist, bilingualism comes down to dollars and cents in, What is a Foreign Language Worth? The article looks at actual ROI (return on investment) for bilingual employees. While these numbers are lower than others comparisons we’ve seen, we found it interesting that you can expect being bilingual in German to increase your lifetime additional earnings by nearly three times that of Spanish. Will Goethe become more popular with the preschool set now?

2.Little Pim in the News: Our own Julia Pimsleur Levine, founder and CEO of Little Pim, is featured on Forbes this week in How to Speak Entrepreneur Like a Native. If you’ve ever wondered how Little Pim started, this is a great read. If you’re interested in hearing from Julia first hand about her entrepreneurial endeavors, her personal Forbes blog is here.

3. Kids bop to bilingual pop: It was only a matter of time before pop songs embraced the budding bilingual kids’ market. From the same producer who created the earwig “Friday” song by Rebecca Black, comes a Chinese/English song, “Get in My Car” sung by 10-yr-old Grace Liu. http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/5930503/10-year-old-grace-liu-wants-you-to-get-in-my-car-watch

4. “Hear and I forget, see and I remember”National Geographic explores why it’s easier to remember new lessons, including a second language, when you use visual and tactile lessons---like Little Pim’s videos and books---and not just audible ones.

5. Say what? According to a New Zealand study, babies can actually make distinctions between words spoken in foreign languages.

Read More

The New ABCs: Surprising Foreign Alphabets Kids Will Love Learning

Do your kids love saying their ABCs?  Then they'll be delighted to find out about completely new alphabets, such as Russian, Arabic, or Japanese. Not sure where to start? We've created a quick overview of just a few options we have at Little Pim. Try them out with your kids for some tongue twisting, language learning fun!

RUSSIAN

Pay attention to the following letter combinations that do not exist in the English language:

" “hl” as in “Hlieb” (bread) " “zh” as in “Nozhe” (bread), “Zholtoy” (yellow) " “ts” as in “Tsveta” (color) " “hv” as in “Hvost” (tall) " “zs” as in “Litzso” (face)

It’s important to pronounce your vowels correctly to be understood – you should open your mouth wide and purposely stretch out the sounds (always fun instructions for little learners!)

Now try this sentence out:

Hello, my name is Little Pim. I am a panda.

Привет! Меня зовут Крошка Пим. Я панда.

Privet! Menya zavut kroshka Pim. Ya panda.

ARABIC

The consonants in the following table are distinctly Arabic in the way they sound.

Kh -- The "ch" in "Bach" or "loch"; has a raspy sound H -- H is pronounced from the back of the throat The phrase SabaaH al-Khayr(good morning)  has both the “Kh” and “H” R -- A rolled "r" sound, similar to the Spanish R, as in the word marHaban (hello)Gh -- A "gargling" kind of sound between "g" and "r," produced deep in the throat, as in the word Ghadaa (lunch)

Now put them together:

Hello, my name is Little Pim. I am a panda.

  • .الصغير "بيم" إسمي مرحباً،
  • .باندا أنا

Marhaban, Ismi Pim Assagheer. Ana Panda

JAPANESE

Here are some basic pronunciation guides for Japanese:

  • A pronounced “AH”
  • I pronounced “EE”
  • E pronounced “EH”
  • O pronounced “OH”
  • Double vowels – note elongation of the vowel

Now see if you can use the rules in the following sentence:

Hello, my name is Little Pim. I am a panda.

  • こんにちは、
  • 私の名前は小さいピム。
  • 私はパンダ。
  • Konichiwa, watashi no namae wa chiisai pim,
  • Watashi wa panda

Ready for more unique alphabets? Keep the fun going with Litte Pim's Mandarin Chinese and Hebrew.

Read More

Sochi Olympics Bingo!

The 2014 Winter Olympics is being held in Sochi, Russia, creating the perfect opportunity to introduce your children to not only the excitement of Luge and Speed Skating, but to basic Russian winter sports vocabulary as well.

We've made learning even more fun with this Sochi Olympics BINGO! To create your own bingo card using our word list, or your own special Olympics words, click here.

Winter Olympics Russian Vocabulary List

  • спорт [Sport] - Sports
  • зима [Zi-ma] - Winter
  • снег [Snyek] - Snow
  • Лёд [LYOT] - Ice
  • Cнежинка [snye-ZHEEN-ka] - Snowflake
  • Снежная буря [SNYEZH-na-ya BOO-rya] - Blizzard
  • Холод [HO-lat] - (The) cold
  • Коньки [kan’-KEE] - Skates
  • Лыжи [LI-zhee] - Skis
  • Санки [SAN-kee] - Sled
  • Сноуборд [snow-BORT] - Snowboard
  • Кататься на коньках [ka-TAT’-sya na kan’-KAH]
 - Skating
  • Кататься на лыжах [ka-TAT’-sya na LI-zhah]
 - Skiing
  • Кататься на санках [ka-TAT’-sya na SAN-kah]
 - Sledding
  • Кататься на сноуборде [ka-TAT’-sya na snow-BOR-teah]
 - Snowboarding

If you're interested in exploring Russian more with your children, check out our great Little Pim Russian programs here.

Read More

Get Ready for Sochi with an Olympics-Worthy Winter Moviethon

The 2014 Winter Olympics will be here soon (February 7, 2014)! To introduce your children to some of the events that will be featured in Russia this year, try watching one of our favorite family-friendly movies about winter sports. Added bonus? An excuse to snuggle up with your little ones and savor a movie during the Academy Awards season. And since we know not many parents have time to hit the movie theaters, we included one for you to watch without kids as well.

5 Family Friendly Winter Sports Movies

1. Miracle– The true story of the underdog United States ice hockey team that competed in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. This edge-of-your-seat story shows how a team comprised of US college students took on the might Soviets. Great movie; even greater story.

2. Mighty Ducks – For a more kid-centric introduction to ice hockey, try this Disney movie about junior players at the bottom of their league who come together to play in the junior championships. This is the Bad News Bears of winter sports, but with such soaring popularity that a real team was named after them – the Anaheim (home of Disney Land) Mighty Ducks. Note: If the kids like this one, there are two follow-up films, D2 and D3.

3. Cool Runnings – Jamaica has a bobsled team! No really, that’s the real-life premise of this movie about a team of Jamaican bobsledders who started out as warm weather sprinters, but went on to compete in the 1988 Calgary Olympics. This is both laugh-out-loud funny and inspiring, in true Disney style.

4. The Cutting Edge – Also set at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, this movie is about figure skating and the Olympics, but that’s as realistic as this pic gets. Still, there’s a love story, figure skating, a hockey player learning to skate and no gross-out humor, so it’s a sweet intro to figure skating for kids.

5. Downhill Racer – OK, it’s from 1969 and stars a young Robert Redford– but you don’t need to tell your kids that. They’ll just focus on the excitement of downhill skiing in this classic winter sports movie.

PS – Bonus for adults only*:

*Men With Brooms-- A raucously funny look at curling – yes, curling, the winter Olympics sport that combines bowling with sweeping (yes, sweeping, like with a broom) on ice. Unfortunately, a few foul language choices give it an R rating, making it a late-night adult viewing option.

Read More

A Family Friendly Chinese New Year Celebration

  Streamers? Check. Noise makers? Check.

Don’t put away your New Year’s decorations just yet -- January 31 marks the start of the Chinese New Year and it’s a great excuse to have a fun-filled celebration with your family.

This year is the Year of the Horse and will be celebrated with parties, food, dragon dances, and fireworks both in China and in Chinatown’s throughout North America.

Chinese New Year is also called the Lunar New Year because it’s celebrated on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar – and this year’s celebration will ring in the year 4712.

Want to celebrate the Year of the Horse? Here are 4 easy ways to join in the fun.

1. Learn a bit of Chinese:

Kung Hey Fat Choy! Means “Happy New Year!” and is the standard greeting throughout the holiday.

2. Dress the part:

Don whatever red clothing you have --- red is a lucky color in Chinese culture.

3. Decorate for your celebration:

Paper lanterns are a perfect project for craft time with your kids (although they can be any color, consider red to keep the new year’s theme).

4.  Wok up a family-friendly Chinese dish:

The Lunar New Year is a usually celebrated with a big family meal.

Fried Rice is a great option to make at home with your family – let your children add their favorite veggies and practice picking up larger pieces of veggies with chopsticks while you cook.

CHINESE NEW YEAR FRIED RICE

(The vegetables below are just a guideline, feel free to substitute or add your favorites) 

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet.

Add 1 chopped onion and 2 small cloves of chopped garlic. Cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add approximately 1 cup of chopped pepper, carrots, celery or sliced snow peas. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Mix in 2 cups of cooked rice and stir until vegetables are fully mixed in.

Create an open hole in the middle of your pan and add 1 tsp of oil, then add 2 beaten eggs. Scramble eggs in hole, then mix into rice mixture.

Finally, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of soy sauce and stir through rice mixture until full seasoned.

Here's one more Chinese phrase you'll want to know when you're done eating:

Nn, mìan hăo chī! 嗯,面 好 吃! Mm! It’s good!!

Read More
Around The World, Fun Activities & Teaching Tips Systems Administrator Around The World, Fun Activities & Teaching Tips Systems Administrator

Holiday Treats From Around the World

If you’ve been looking for some new treats to get your holidays off to a sweet start, all you need to do is spin the globe. We’ve found a selection of easy, and delicious, international treats that your whole family will enjoy both making and tasting for the upcoming holiday celebrations.

Swiss Basler Brunsli

(Courtesy of Saveur)

Courtesy of Saveur
Courtesy of Saveur

These gluten-free chocolate-almond-spice cookies from Switzerland taste like chewy brownies. Note: Be sure to use the parchment paper when rolling out your dough to avoid sticking.

  • 8 oz. whole blanched almonds
  • 1 ½  cups sugar, plus more for rolling
  • 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1 ½  tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½  tsp. ground cloves
  • 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
  1. Finely grind almonds and sugar in a food processor. Add chocolate; pulse until finely ground. Add cinnamon, cloves, and egg whites; pulse until dough comes together.
  2. Sprinkle a large piece of parchment paper with sugar; transfer dough to paper. Lay another piece of paper over dough; roll dough to 1/8" thickness.
  3. Cut out cookies with star-shaped or other cutters; transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 1" apart. Reroll scraps and repeat. Let dough dry for 3 hours.
  4. Heat oven to 300°.
  5. Bake until cookies are slightly puffed, 12–15 minutes.

French Palmiers (Elephant Ears)

(Adapted from Saveur)

Easy baking alert! You can make these light and crispy French pastry treats with just 2 ingredients!

  • 1 package puff pastry dough
  • ½ cup of granulated sugar
  1. Cut dough square in half and roll out ¼ inch thick, sprinkling with sugar as you work. Roll or fold the short ends 2 or 3 times inwards to reach the middle. Fold the dough in half along the center and press gently to seal. Repeat with remaining half of puff pastry. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
  2. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  3. Slice the rolled dough about 1/3 inch thick and sprinkle with more sugar. Place dough on an ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
  4. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, turning the cookies once halfway through.

Norwegian Crowns

Melt in your mouth butter cookies from Norway.

  • ½ cup butter
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tsp almond extract
  • 1 ¼ cups sifted all purpose flour
  1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Cream butter with an electric beater and then gradually add sugar. When mixed, add the egg and the almond extract.
  3. Slowly add the sifted flour.
  4. Fill cookie press and use a half moon shape to create crowns.
  5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden.
Read More
Around The World, Family Travel Systems Administrator Around The World, Family Travel Systems Administrator

7 Budget Saving Tips for a Family Trip to Europe

Want to try out your child’s Little Pim language skills with a family trip to Europe? Follow our 7 easy tips to visit the continent without breaking the bank. 1. Friendly Skies: To save on international airfare, remember this one easy tip: Depart on a Tuesday, and return on a Wednesday for the lowest fares.

2. Shoulder Your Way To Savings: Shoulder season is what the travel industry calls non-peak travel season, the periods between prime summer months and the Christmas/New Year’s holidays. If you’re flexible, visiting Europe in the “shoulder” months of January through March will save you a bundle.

3. Do Your Homework: Not all credit cards are created equal. Check before you jet off to make sure your card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Note: Amex Platinum, most Capital One cards, and Chase’s United MileagePlus and Sapphire cards are all good options to avoid foreign fees.

4. Pack Smart: Most airlines will allow one checked bag free on international flights, but charge a HUGE surcharge for a second bag, up to $100! Think one large (within the weight limit) bag per person, instead of two smaller ones.

5. Home Away from Home: For families, nothing beats an apartment or house for stretching out and cooking your own money-saving meals. Try Airbnb for unique options and user reviews or VacationHomeRentals.com for everything from Italian villas to Paris apartments. Want to stay for free? Home exchanges with a like-minded European family might be just the ticket. Check out HomeExchange.com or HomeLink.org.

6. Ride the Rails: Whether you ride London’s Tube (where kids 16 and under ride free) or the multi-country Eurail (kids under 4 free, kids 4 to 11 ride for ½ price), train travel is the most economical option for European family travel. Plus, most kids love a train ride, so you have built-in entertainment value as well.

7. To Market to Market: Now that you have your own room with a view, and a fridge, you can take advantage of farmer’s markets, artisanal shops, and roadside stands to eat like a local and on the cheap. Bon appetit and bon voyage!

--By Melissa Klurman

Read More
Around The World, Uncategorized Systems Administrator Around The World, Uncategorized Systems Administrator

Thanksgiving at Little Pim: What We’re Thankful For

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the topic of what we’re thankful for has been front and center in our minds this week.

So we polled our staff and Little Pim parents and had them fill in the following blank:

“THIS YEAR I’M THANKFUL for__________________”

Here are just some of the responses we received. What would you add?

… my mother taking my kids to cultural events like classical music concerts. That when my kids get sick I can take them to the doctor (thinking of countries where kids have to travel far away to get help). That my boys are each others’ best friends  – Julia, LP founder and CEO

… the super nice people that I work with at Little Pim.  They all make me laugh and work so hard.  I’m also thankful that I don't have to fly this holiday and that family is coming my way – – Alyson, LP senior vice president

… my family and my health --Heidi, parent

… living in New York. Even though I grew up here, everyday I am surprised by how easy it is to meet people from all different backgrounds and who speak a variety of languages. Only here would it be this easy for me to strike up a conversation with a stranger in French! (Yes, it's true; New Yorkers like to have conversations just like everyone else.) --Thea, LP product development & social media

… as always, having my work, family and friends. A warm bed and a place to call my own.  Also, my good health and the means to keep it –Tommy, LP web developer

…. my amazing son. His love of learning anything new, from Spanish to piano, completely dazzles me every day. And I’m also thankful for the amazing educators in his school who work together to help him grow and succeed -- Melissa, LP blogger

…. My friends and family; decaf Nespresso; the never-ending possibilities of things to do in NYC and having Instagram to capture them all – Staci, LP digital marketing

… having more free time to spend with my family – Ken, parent

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!from the Little Pim Staff

Read More
Around The World, Fun Activities & Teaching Tips Systems Administrator Around The World, Fun Activities & Teaching Tips Systems Administrator

4 Tasty Surprises for Your Thanksgiving Table

Although Thanksgiving is a quintessentially American holiday, at Little Pim we also think it’s an excellent opportunity to explore the melting pot of cultures that comprise the United States. And there's no better way to taste a culture than to literally pick up a spoon and start cooking up some global cuisine.

Have your kids tie on an apron and give you a hand with some of these globally inspired, easy to make, recipes for your Thanksgiving feast:

POTATO LATKES

In 2013, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (festival of lights), falls on Thanksgiving, creating a unique opportunity to celebrate “Thanksgivukkah.” These savory potato latkes (pancakes), are the traditional way to celebrate Hanukkah, and also make a great Thanksgiving side dish or appetizer.

Ingredients

  • 4 large russet potatoes, peeled
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tbsp. matzo meal
or flour
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Vegetable oil or shortening

Directions

  1. Grate the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater or use a food processor with a shredder blade. Squeeze moisture from grated potatoes with your hands or a dishtowel. Add eggs, matzo meal or flour, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined.
  2. Heat enough oil to come up about ¼ of an inch in a large skillet.  Oil should be hot, but not smoking. Shape potato mixture into small pancakes and fry until golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancake and repeat on the opposite side. Remove cooked potato pancakes and drain on paper towels.

(NB: although you can cook several latkes at a time, do not crowd the pan or they will not become crisp enough.)

Serve latkes hot with sour cream and/or our easy applesauce (recipe, below).

EASY APPLE SAUCE

Peel, core, and slice 5 large apples (a combination of eating and baking apples works well) and place in a large, flat-bottomed saucepan. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil, then simmer until apples until soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Mash apples with a potato masher (this results in a slightly chunky applesauce). Add cinnamon to taste. Serve warm or cold.

Fein Tau Weiyama (South American Pumpkin Bread)

(courtesy of Saveur)

This rich dessert bread can stand in for traditional pumpkin pie on your dessert sideboard.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup canola oil, plus more for pan
  • 2 cups flour, plus more for pan
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 (15-oz.) cans pumpkin purée

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350°
  2. Grease and flour a 9" round cake pan; set aside.
  3. Stir together oil, sugar, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and pumpkin in a bowl; add flour, and stir until just combined.
  4. Pour into prepared pan, and smooth top.
  5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
  6. Cut into squares or wedges to serve.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

Yorkshire pudding, a British import to the United States, is commonly known as popovers here. Crisp on the outside and airy on the inside, popovers should be served warm and are a great accompaniment to turkey and gravy. These might be your new favorite dinner roll replacement.

Ingredients

  • 1 c. flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 large room temperature eggs
  • 1 tbsp melted butter
  • PAM or other baking spray

Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. While oven is heating, place a 12-cup muffin or popover pan into oven to also heat.
  2. Whisk together milk, eggs, and butter. Add flour and salt. Whisk until completely smooth.
  3. Carefully remove the heated pan from the oven (parents only for this step) and spray with oil. Evenly pour batter into sprayed pan then return hot pan with batter to oven.
  4. Bake 20 minutes, keeping oven door closed during baking.
Read More