LITTLE PIM BLOG
The Little Pim Kickstarter is Live!
Aaaand we're live! We've only got 30 days to make our goal, so let's make 'em count. We can't do this without your amazing support so click below to learn a little more about the Little Pim ebook Kickstarter, make your pledge, and share with your friends!
What Is Kickstarter?
- It’s a website where anyone can pitch a creative project. So we’re pitching our ebook!
- If you think it’s a good idea, you can back the project. Donations of ALL sizes are welcome
- If you back a project with a donation, you get a reward! Our rewards, which would make great holiday gifts, include pre-orders of the ebook, getting your child drawn in as a character, and lots of other surprises in between…
- If we reach our goal, we get the funds we need to make the ebook and you get your rewards!
- If we don’t make our goal, we get nothing and you don’t get a reward. You also won’t be charged. It’s all or nothing on Kickstarter.
The Portuguese Complete Set is Finally Here!
Almost... ...but you won't have to wait for it that much longer! Portuguese DVDs and flashcards are set to hit the warehouse any day now, and we're as excited as you are. So, starting this week, Little Pim will be accepting pre-orders on the Portuguese Complete Set:
Orders will start shipping on October 15th, but if you've been waiting for this day, why wait any longer? Before you know it, your kids could be asking, "Outra Vez!" Each Portuguese Complete Set includes the first volume of Little Pim DVDs ("eating and drinking," "wake up smiling," and "playtime"), the brand new Portuguese flashcards, a colorful multi-lingual poster, and the classic, soft Little Pim plush. To start a little smaller with your child's learning, the Discovery Set is also available for pre-order in Portuguese.
This is a magical time for new products, so stay tuned for more exciting announcements!
Little Pim Is Making an Ebook!
Leaves may be starting to fall, but it’s still somehow hard to believe that the holiday season is nearly upon us again. As you know, giving your kids the gift of a foreign language early will have a positive impact for years to come… and so will introducing your kids to the cultures and countries that speak those languages. This holiday season Little Pim is making an ebook that will feature beautiful illustrations of our favorite panda visiting his friends in Mexico, France, Brazil, and China! …Maybe.
Unfortunately, airfare for pandas can be prohibitively expensive. That’s why we’ve decided to launch a Kickstarter to produce our first ever holiday ebook! The amazing rewards make perfect holiday gifts. Here’s a sneak peek at a few of our favorites:
- Pre-orders of the ebook! (Delivered in time for the holidays, naturally.)
- A special thank you included in every copy of the book!
- A copy of the ebook plus your child gets drawn in as a character! Wow!
- And lots of other surprises…
The campaign should be going live next week, so please keep your eyes peeled for updates… and tell your friends! We'll be sharing more links and information in the coming weeks.
Looking back at some of our old blog posts, you can see that Little Pim has grown tremendously over the last few years, and your continued support will help us make our next big leap… over the ocean!
New Release: A Second Set of Flash Cards!
You might notice something new when you shop Spanish, French, or Chinese today. Okay, go down… up… a little to the right… there! Our second volume of flash cards is out! Do you see them?
This beautiful set of cards is chock-full of brand new images of Little Pim ready to teach kids some of the new words that appear in the second volume of Little Pim videos. They can be used on their own or along with the videos ("at home," "feelings," and "let's count!") to teach and reinforce words related to mealtime, playtime, and emotions.
And by the way, the first volume of flash cards is coming soon in Arabic and Portuguese!
Make a Peace Crane for International World Peace Day
Learning a new language makes the world feel like a smaller place: being able to communicate in a foreign language helps kids make new friends both when they’re traveling and here at home while giving them insight into cultures around the globe. These basic principles are the heart of the International Day of Peace created by the United Nation and held every September 21, the fall equinox. With “Education as Peace” as their motto, the United Nation's Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says, “Education has to cultivate mutual respect for others and the world in which we live, and help people forge more just, inclusive and peaceful societies."
A fun and easy way to participate in this World Peace Day is to create a “Peace Crane” with your children. Directions are below:
Make a Peace Crane Project
1. Find a piece of paper (any type of paper can work, but lighter weight ones will fold more easily)
2. Cut the paper into a perfect square.
3. Write words of peace on one side of the paper. Here are a few ways to say “peace” in Little Pim languages: Paz (Spanish), Paix (French), Frieden (German), Shalom (Hebrew), Pace (Italian), Salam (Arabic)
4. Create an image of peace on the other side of your paper square. (Markers, crayons, or colored pencils will work best, allowing the paper to be folded without smudging or cracking)
5. Fold your paper into an origami crane following the detailed folding instructions here.
6. Exchange your Peace Crane with friends, or give them to a member of your community. Or send a picture of Peace Crane to PeaceCraneProject.org and they’ll add you to their map.
(Instructions courtesy of PeaceCraneProject.org)
4 Eye-opening Articles on Foreign Language Learning
Every week we find ourselves geeking out over all the amazing new information about foreign language learning that we find on the internet. If you’re like us (and we think you might be since… well… here you are), you might sometimes find this wealth of information a little overwhelming. Not to worry, friends! Little Pim is here to help! Each week, we’ll cull the internet for our favorite language (and panda) related articles. This week, for your reading pleasure, four articles about the way language works inside the human brain:
- Your Mind on Language: How Bilingualism Boosts Your Brain. The title of this HuffPo blog post might say it all, but it’s a great read for anyone who wants to read about the science of language without having to wade through all the science-ese. Dan Roitman defines common scientific vocabulary associated with the study of language and also breaks down the way the brain processes language.
- Does Your Language Shape How You Think? You might have seen this piece in the New York Times Magazine! As it turns out, our first language may affect the way we formulate thoughts.
- EastEnders Effect: Watching TV Can Change Your Accent. A curious phenomenon, indeed! The cockney accent (‘ello guvna!) that features prominently in the UK soap opera EastEnders has been slowly sculpting and altering the way the Scottish accent sounds.
- Bilingualism Is Yoga for the Brain. A quick recap on the importance of starting early!
Until next time, read on!
New School Year Resolutions: 5 Smart Ways to Start the School Year
September is the time to make New Year’s resolutions, new year of school resolutions that is. You’re starting with a clean slate, literally, so jump on the chance to start the semester off right with our 5 tips to a more productive year.
- Routine Rules – Kids thrive on routine--- knowing when to get up, what time to do homework, when dinner is-- helps them build a schedule that gets them through their day with ease. Be sure to include reading with your children (including looking at pictures and talking about them) as part of your routine. Children learn more vocabulary and do better in school when their parents read with them regularly (US Department of Education).
- Resolve to Learn a Foreign Language – It’s never too early to start teaching children a second language. Not only is it easier for babies and preschoolers to master accents and absorb foreign languages, but later in life, multilingual adults “are better at reasoning, at multitasking, at grasping and reconciling conflicting ideas” (Time Magazine).
- Choose to win – With as many activities as there are Legos in a bin, the choice of how to spend after-school time can become overwhelming – when you’re stuck, childhood experts say choose quality over quantity: Limit young children to one or two after school classes a week, and choose what will make the most impact down the line and give your child the best start in life, such as a language they’ll be able to use for the rest of their lives.
- Get More Zzzzzs – The National Sleep Foundation recommends a minimum of 10 hours of sleep every night for grade schoolers, 11 hours for preschoolers, and 12 hours for 1 to 3 year olds. Plus, studies show that children who have consistent bed times scored better on cognitive tests throughout grade school. The old adage about “early to bed” making you “wise” really was right!
- Accentuate the positive – When you talk about school, make sure to make it sound like a treat --- a special place where kids get to make new friends, have fun new experiences, and learn amazing new things – and they’ll think of it that way, too!
Dance Party: Little Pim + Baby Loves Disco
Attention New York families! If lazy Sundays aren't your thing, come down to (le) poisson rouge in Greenwich Village this Sunday (9/15) from noon to 3pm! Little Pim will be joining Baby Loves Disco at for an all-out, baby-centric dance party. With classic tunes from the 70s and 80s that mom and dad may remember, plus a chill-out room full of books, puzzles, and other surprises, this will definitely be a party the whole family can enjoy. For more information about ticketing and the location, click here. We'll be waiting for you in the chill-out room.
Panda News: It’s a Girl!
We’re very fond of pandas here at Little Pim and always keep an eye out for news about our favorite bear. So it was especially exciting to hear about the new panda cub born at the National Zoo in Washington, DC, in August. And now, after a two week wait, we’ve just found out is a bouncing baby girl. Congrats to new parents Mei Xiang and Tian Tian! (In case you were wondering, their names mean “beautiful fragrance” and “more and more.”)
As far as the name of the baby panda, we’ll have to wait for now; the National Zoo folks haven’t found the perfect moniker quite yet.
Read more about the National Zoo’s baby girl panda, here: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/default.cfm#update
Little Pim at the Babies R Us Learning Center - Saturday 9/7
It's Grand Opening weekend at the Babies R Us Learning Center, and Little Pim will be there with bells on! Swing by the Union Square Babies R Us sometime tomorrow, Saturday, September 7, between noon and 3:00pm to visit the Little Pim table and discover some other amazing educational toys for your little ones.
Don't forget to say hi – you could win a French Deluxe Gift Set!
