Contest: Win Big from Putumayo Kids

We know you want your kids to learn different languages and cultures. What better way than through music? Putumayo Kids introduces children to other cultures through fun music from all over the world.

Putumayo shares our passion for creating global citizens.

The Putumayo Kids music team chooses songs with child-friendly lyrics and rhythms by both renowned and undiscovered international artists. The collections of songs are tested in schools and with families. An international music selection contributes to the education of future global citizens while holding true to Putumayo’s mission of sharing music that is “guaranteed to make you feel good”. -putymayo.com

Watch a preview below!

For a chance to win a full collection of their kids' CDs, just leave a comment telling us what your favorite genre of music is! You can also enter by leaving a comment on our Facebook page. Look for the "Putumayo Kids" thread.

And the winner is... Rachel Cox Cassidy! "I've been previewing Putumayo's cd's on their website, and really enjoy the Reggae Playground. Makes me wanna dance! ;)"

Rachel, please email adam@littlepm.com to claim your prize. Thanks for the entries, everyone! Look out for more fun contests in the VERY near future. :)

The benefits of bilingualism - Dr Bialystok

Here at Little Pim, we’re well versed in the benefits of foreign language learning. We know just how important it is for a child’s early development, the advantages multilinguals have in reading, math and social skills, and how it improves memory overall. Journalist Claudia Dreifus’s excellent interview with Dr. Ellen Bialystok serves as a good reminder of just how critical language learning can be for young minds. Printed in the New York Times Science section this week, Dr. Bialystok’s interview is currently the most emailed article on NYTimes.com, and makes for a truly fascinating read.

Dr. Bialystok is a leading psychology professor, whose main academic focus is bilingualism and its effect on language and cognitive development in children. She has received many prestigious awards for her research, including the Killam Prize and the Pimsleur Award for Foreign Language Education (named for my late father, Dr. Paul Pimsleur).

I’ve highlighted a few of Dr. Bialystok’s main points she made in this week’s New York Times piece:

As we did our research, you could see there was a big difference in the way monolingual and bilingual children processed language. We found that if you gave 5- and 6-year-olds language problems to solve, monolingual and bilingual children knew, pretty much, the same amount of language.

But on one question, there was a difference. We asked all the children if a certain illogical sentence was grammatically correct: “Apples grow on noses.” The monolingual children couldn’t answer. They’d say, “That’s silly” and they’d stall. But the bilingual children would say, in their own words, “It’s silly, but it’s grammatically correct.” The bilinguals, we found, manifested a cognitive system with the ability to attend to important information and ignore the less important.

…There’s a system in your brain, the executive control system. It’s a general manager. Its job is to keep you focused on what is relevant, while ignoring distractions. It’s what makes it possible for you to hold two different things in your mind at one time and switch between them.

If you have two languages and you use them regularly, the way the brain’s networks work is that every time you speak, both languages pop up and the executive control system has to sort through everything and attend to what’s relevant in the moment. Therefore the bilinguals use that system more, and it’s that regular use that makes that system more efficient.

Q. One would think bilingualism might help with multitasking — does it?

A. Yes, multitasking is one of the things the executive control system handles. We wondered, “Are bilinguals better at multitasking?” So we put monolinguals and bilinguals into a driving simulator. Through headphones, we gave them extra tasks to do — as if they were driving and talking on cellphones. We then measured how much worse their driving got. Now, everybody’s driving got worse. But the bilinguals, their driving didn’t drop as much. Because adding on another task while trying to concentrate on a driving problem, that’s what bilingualism gives you — though I wouldn’t advise doing this.

Not convinced yet? There is more!

On average, the bilinguals showed Alzheimer’s symptoms five or six years later than those who spoke only one language.”

You can read the piece in its entirety here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/science/31conversation.html

I also recommend Dr. Bialystok’s “Language Processing in Bilingual Children” if you’re interested in delving into her research, which covers many of her discoveries in more depth:

Little Pim parents are always telling me of the benefits of foreign language learning for their children – benefits that extend beyond the obvious ability to communicate in another language. I’d love to hear your thoughts and observations about how introducing your child to another language has affected their early development. I know that my son had an easier time recognizing “big words” in English because he could recognize the French root in words like “chagrin” (which means sad in French) or “collage” (from the French word colle, which means glue). He is also accustomed to absorbing vocabulary words, which has improved his concentration and ability to stick with challenging mental tasks. What have you seen in your kids?

Memorial Day Traveling With Kids & Little Pim

We believe that treks with kids are made easier with a little preparation and these days it doesn’t hurt to have an iPhone, car DVD player, or tablet to make the trip that much more enjoyable. With Little Pim you can combine entertainment & learning. Does it get any better for your wee travel buddies?

We’re thrilled to announce that Little Pim was selected to win two prestigious awards this month!

Dr. Toy has chosen Little Pim’s Gift Set Plus- a gift set that includes three of our language DVDs, a set of Word & Phrase Cards, and a plush panda- to win a Dr. Toy’s Best Vacation Children’s Product Award! Dr. Toy, Stevanne Auerbach, PhD, has been for many years one of the nation’s and world’s leading experts on play, toys, and children’s products. With 30 years of direct experience, Dr. Auerbach includes educationally oriented, developmental and skill building products from the best large and small companies in her four annual award programs.

We also received another new award from the Dove Foundation Review Board for our Spanish 3-Pak (Vol. I).

As you plan your seasonal getaways, be sure to take Little Pim along- our Digital Downloads are compatible with your mobile device or smartphone. With 10 languages to choose from and our two iPhone Applications: Little Pim Talking Coloring Book and Little Pim Word Bag, the only thing left to pack is sunscreen.

Here are some travel games you can play: 1. My favorite car game as a child was I spy. This is a GREAT game for your kids to build their vocabulary, both in 
English and in a foreign language. Even if they can’t spell yet, you don’t have to play I spy with letters – you can play it with sounds, or other descriptors. Passing by a field? I spy something that goes “moo”. Whether it’s a cow or una vaca, it’s a fun game to keep your kids engaged with what’s going on around them, and build their vocab and ability to describe their surroundings. 2. Make a map of where you’re going. Or rather, let your kids make a map – it doesn’t have to be to scale. Getting them to draw landmarks they see along the way – whether it’s a strange tree or a wacky building – this is a fun game for any aspiring cartographer. 3. Counting cars, counting cows, counting anything really. This is a fun game even as an adult (you can play it with license plates while your kids play it with car colors). Again, get them to count in English or in a foreign language. You can make it a quest to find a house or car that's red/rouge/ 主要翻译, and helping your kids count in another language.

4. And last, but certainly not least – what journey would be complete without Little Pim? Get a digital download, put it on your smartphone or tablet, and let your kids watch and learn as you weave through traffic. Alternatively, pop in the Spanish or French bop CD, and have yourselves a good old-fashioned road trip sing-along!

To celebrate our awards, we're holding a special contest! In the comments below share one item you never leave behind when traveling with your children. One person will win any one DVD or Word & Phrase Cards deck of their choice!

The Winner of the Hanna Andersson Contest is...

We're happy that so many of you enjoyed our latest contest with Hanna Andersson! Did you know that Hanna Andersson is a company built from Swedish roots? The original Hanna Andersson was a baby-loving grandmother in Skåne, Sweden near the Baltic Sea who passed on her fondness of quality goods to her granddaughter, the founder of the company so many of you adore.

The love that Julia Pimsleur Levine, the mom behind Little Pim, has for sharing languages with young children was passed down to her by her father, Dr. Paul Pimsleur. Dr. Pimsleur (of the Pimsleur language program for adults) was a French scholar and pioneer in the field of foreign language learning. Now Little Pim's animated DVDs are sharing French, Spanish, German, Russian, and six other languages with young children around the world (our success stories are amazing), including celebrity moms like Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba!

No wonder we have so much fun together; two companies based on a global tradition committed to children.

Ready for the winner? The winner of the $100 Hanna Anderrson gift certificate is...Ellen Kucera! Ellen please email adam@LittlePim.com. Thank you for all of your entries!

This contest has put us in the giveaway mood! We're giving away a Little Pim Gift Set: this set includes three DVDs and a Little Pim Plush Panda ($59.95 value). Simply comment to enter.

Did You Know?

Young children who learn a language before the age of five tend to have superior reading, writing, analytical and social skills, as well as more extensive vocabularies.

You do not need to be bilingual to help your child learn a second language.

The most current scientific research has proven that babies, toddlers and preschoolers are uniquely equipped to learn one or more languages with ease.

To enter to win a Little Pim Gift Set in the language of your choice, just leave a comment below stating what language you'd like your child to learn. A winner will be notified via email.

Cinco de Mayo por qu no?

Whether you are teaching your children Spanish or just looking to expand their awareness of other cultures and traditions, Cinco de Mayo offers a great chance to have some fun with your kids and learn about Mexican culture, music and food.

Cities with large Mexican populations like Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston host annual Cinco de Mayo festivities that draw hundreds of thousands of people every year. Whether or not you live in an area with a large Mexican community, there are many things you can do to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this May 5th:

1) Even the youngest Spanish students can say “Cinco De Mayo”, already a big confidence boost for young language learners! You can lead your kids in a fun chant: ”¡Viva México! Viva el 5 de mayo!”, and even if your kids are not studying Spanish, it’s the second most widely spoken language in the US. Many of those Spanish-speakers are from Mexico, and while Cinco de Mayo does not hold as much significance in Mexico as it does in the abroad, it’s observed in the US as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

2) Mexican food is one of the world’s great cuisines. In fact, in 2003 UNESCO officially declared Mexican food as a piece of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity! Although Mexican food can be incredibly complex (some sauces take literally days to make) a lot of Mexican food is simple and fun. Try making guacamole and chips with your kids, or cookies with red, green and white sprinkles (à la Mexican flag). You can also follow this simple guide to create your own maracas, then play Little Pim Spanish Bop while you are cooking and have a Cinco de Mayo dance party!

3) Your kids can understand a good story about the underdog. Tell your kids a simplified version of the history behind Cinco de Mayo, which is really about how a small group of clever, determined people (the Mexicans), overcame a much more powerful, bigger army (who were French). Since kids always can relate to the little guy, they will appreciate this story (leaving out the details about all the gory battles and beheadings, of course).

Most of all, make it fun! ¡Diviértanse! (have fun). Enjoy the fiesta!

Cinco de Mayo Giveaway: Post photos of how you celebrated the holiday to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mylittlepim) for a chance to win a free digital download of any three Little Pim DVDs (worth $41.95). Alternate entry method: email info@LittlePim.com

Try this FREE online game: Spanish Heritage - Piñata Game

Japanese Moms Come Together to Stand With Japan

Here at Little Pim, we’ve been keeping a close watch on the recent disaster in Japan. Our hearts are with everyone who has been affected by the recent earthquakes and tsunami. The magnitude of the tragedy may be obvious to us as parents, but it’s difficult to know what to say to your children, and how to explain it. We don't want to scare them, but we do want them to understand how we are all part of one interconnected world. This weekend, my family went to a festival organized by Stand With Japan, a new association of New York moms who set out to raise money for Save the Children's Japan fund. We took Emmett (six) and Adrian (three), to this family event that included a Japanese bake sale, origami making, and a koto recital (a beautiful Japanese string instrument that you can check out on YouTube).

Emmett had heard about the tsunami at school, and had also seen the wonderful movie Ponyo, about a boy and a half-fish half-girl who weather a tsunami in a small Japanese town. We had talked about the Japanese disaster a bit (one of his classmates is half Japanese and has family there), but I felt I hadn't done enough to help him understand how we could help our Japanese friends from right here in New York.

I think that an important part of raising “global citizens,” is helping our kids make connections between seemingly distant people and places and their own lives, which tend to be filled with very local preoccupations. In addition to giving kids the advantages of being able to communicate with people through speaking another language, it’s important to try and give them access and exposure to other cultures in any way you can. As adults, we sometimes forget that the interconnectedness of the world is not that obvious to children. We hear about Japan on a daily basis and understand both the human tragedy and its global implications, but young children need a helping hand to connect those dots. A cultural event like the one organized by Stand With Japan was great not only because we got to help raise money for relief efforts, but because it showed our boys several important things:

1. There are many Japanese people in our community – people directly connected to the same Japan that Emmett was told about in school.

2. Japan, and Japanese people, have a rich tradition they hadn’t seen before, from the costumes, to the food, tea rituals and music.

3. Most importantly, my kids were able to see how we can help people in the rest of the world though local efforts.

Although my boys aren’t quite ready for the delectable sushi that was on offer, through the sweet goodness of Sticky Buns and Red Bean cakes, they were transported for an hour or two into another culture, something I hope they will grow a taste for.

Q: Are there any local efforts for Japan that you can get involved in, or take your kids to? Have you gone to any already?

Take Action: Donate to the Save the Children Japan Earthquake Tsunami Relief

L'âne a diné: Watching My Son Learn French

Yesterday Emmett read his first sentence in French. It was “l’âne a diné.” Ok so “the donkey ate dinner” may not mean much to you, but it was a huge moment for me. I was proud and excited that he’s reading in a second language and reminded how important is to keep the teaching fun (he picked that sentence to read because it was silly!). This was part of Emmett’s French homework, which we do together every Sunday night before he has French class after school on Mondays.

If you have followed my blog, you know that it hasn’t always been easy to keep Emmett’s interest in French. I created Little Pim for him when he was a baby and we had a few good years of learning the words in the DVDs, naming animals and numbers, referring to apples as “les pommes” and singing French songs. Then around age four, Emmett, like so many kids of parents who speak a second language to them, started seriously objecting when I spoke French (as in, “don’t speak French!! “ and covering his ears) and it’s been pretty much an uphill battle ever since (he’s now six). So that I could let Emmett continue what struck me as an otherwise healthy separation/differentiation from his mom (rejecting what he saw as “my language”) but not letting his French slide, I brought in a wonderful kids’ French tutor (he loves her! saved!) and the French continued, despite occasional assertions that he’d rather play more soccer, see his friends or do just about anything else (I was unphased…Tiger Mom, move over).

In case you have a child who is not always 100% grateful for the foreign language gift you are giving them, you may share my moment of relief when I heard “l’âne a diné.” It was like suddenly years of reading him French books, playing French DVDs and insisting he continue French, just paid off. He can read in French! He has a good accent! He was actually pretty pleased with himself. This sentence means Emmett is just small steps away from accessing the French language, culture, films, music and so many other delights I wanted him to be able to experience as a dual speaker. So if your children are in one of the phases of “I don’t want to learn French/Spanish/Chinese/German…”, don’t give up! Your donkey will come.

This summer we are going to France as a family. I can’t wait to hear Emmett read the signs at the airport. Then, on to Proust.

International Day at Emmett's School

On Friday night my family went to International Night at my son's school - this was sort of a glorified potluck dinner for the whole school with dishes from all over the world and a music performance. Because we live in Battery Park City (at the tip of Manhattan) which has a very international population to begin with, there were at least 10 countries represented. The fact that Emmett goes to school with kids from Korea, India, Australia and China is one of the things I love about his school. Even though Emmett is in one of his "picky eater' phases (OK it's more than a phase) where anything that isn't fish sticks, white meat chicken, pasta, yellow pepper or pizza meets with a resounding "no thank you!" I was happy we could share this international experience. His little brother Adrian was slightly more experimental, taking a crack at some chick peas with yellow rice.

The kids, who helped organize the evening, (along with a parent volunteer committee) drew colorful maps of each continent which hung on the walls, and the food was grouped by region. That way, as you went down the buffet line you could sample empanadas from Spain, fried ravioli from Italy and then move on to Samosas from India and sushi from Japan. Each dish was numbered so we could vote for our favorite one at the end.

We had a great time and it was a fun way to bring some of these countries my kids have not had much experience with to life through the foods they eat (we've been doing a lot of spinning our globe lately and learning about where it lands). There were also signs up all over teaching kids how to say "hello" in a variety of languages! Of course I loved that! All that was missing was Little Pim himself.

Does your child's school or daycare have an "international night" or activity? if it did, would you attend?

The iPad -- is it good for your kids?

David Pogue’s son is six years old. He’s a musician, an amateur filmmaker and loves brainteasers. It’s not that he’s a genius, it’s just that he loves the iPad. In fact, according to his father, he’s addicted!

This was the subject of a recent blog post on the NYTimes.com, and like any self-respecting parent, Pogue (tech columnist for the NY Times) is somewhat concerned by his youngest child’s newfound infatuation with his father’s toy. He’s concerned, yes, but he’s not worried.

Pogue makes a critical point: his child uses the iPad mainly for learning purposes. He plays mostly educational and creative apps: a program that lets children create animated short movies, write their own songs, or solve challenging spatial awareness puzzles. To parents who remember a world before computers, this may admittedly feel a little foreign. But the technological devices can be an invaluable tool for educational entertainment when used in conjunction with other, non-screen activities.

There’s good TV and bad TV, so why shouldn’t electronics be the same? There’s little doubt that technology like the iPad can be interactive and collaborative, and actively encourage children to think, learn and create.

Poll: What are your rules for electronics or TV?

Toy Fair 2011: From Bubbles to Blocks to Floating Fish!

We had a great time at Toy Fair last week. It was fun to reconnect with owners of some of the 800 book, toy and gift stores that carry Little Pim and make new friends and partners. Read on to see some of the cool new products we found this year. Little Pim’s Booth:

And our team (including our French distributor, Jean-Bernard Tanqueray, on left).

Why didn’t I think of this? Kids love silly hats and these new “Air Hedz” take the cake. Pirates, frogs and nurses… and great for water gun fights! Here I am as a pop star, complete with microphone.

Crocodile Creek has come out with new lightweight travel “pouch puzzles.” I especially like the World one, great for young global citizens!

Who doesn’t love bubbles? Who doesn’t hate the mess? Finally a bubble machine that doesn’t leak. In fact, it whirls and emits bubbles in a 360 degree spin. Wish I had this at my son’s third birthday party last week! Ours made a gooey spill that was a slip hazard, but the kids had a blast popping them so it was worth it.

Haba’s new “Animal Upon Animal” game is for kids four and up, and reinforces hand eye coordination, fine motor skills and just plain old silly fun of seeing cute wooden animals come tumbling down! Plus the game rules come in 6 languages! (English, Spanish, German, Dutch, Italian, French).

This new “Clock” from Zazoo Kids tells your toddler when it’s ok to get up … long before they know how to tell time! Invented by a mom, of course. It’s also nice that its 7" LCD screen turns into a digital picture frame once you get past that particularly unpleasant stage where your kids wake up before six am (I wish I could say we are past it in my house). You can program your own customized image for your child (it can even be his or her picture). I got one of these for my three year old.

A remote control fish swimming around the Toy Fair (actually a remote helium balloon). A great party trick!