Kids learn best when they are having fun. I have found that my toddler is most excited to learn Gujarati when I associate the letters with fun activities or stories. That’s why each week we feature a Gujarati letter of the week, where we share activities and stories that are based on that letter. This week’s letter is ઠ.
Creating Corner:
First up is ઠ for ઠંડુ (cold)!
Here are a few activities to do with ice-- it might be ઠંડુ (cold) but the learning is sure to heat you up!
Count with ice!
Get some pieces of ice out of your fridge.
Line up five cups on a table.
Next to each cup write a different number (1-5/ ૧-૫).
Have your kid place the appropriate number of ice pieces into each cup.
Now step it up! It's time to get really ઠંડુ (cold).
Hold a piece of ice in your hand and count as fast as you can in Gujarati. Keep going until the ice melts or it is too cold and you have to drop the ice. You can make this a competition and race with your kid to see who can count to the highest number.
Repeat the game with English numbers!
Next up is ઠ for ઠળિયો (pit of a stone fruit)!
First, let's raid the fridge!
Open up the fridge and pantry and line up all the different fruits in your house.
Ask your kid which fruits have a ઠળિયો and which do not. If you get confused, you can turn learning time into snack time and learn first hand (and mouth) which have a ઠળિયો and which don't by eating!
If you really want to get in the weeds, then take this time to discuss a little bit more about fruits. In particular, teach your kid the difference between stone fruits and other fruits. Make sure you mention the difference between a ઠળિયો and a seed (બીજ). The ઠળિયો protects the seed (બીજ)! Here is a cool website that helps break all of this down: https://kids.kiddle.co/Stone_fruit
Now, it's time to go grocery shopping.
Put a circle in the middle of a paper and label it ઠળિયો.
Scour the house for those newspaper grocery ads. Give your kid a pair of kid-friendly scissors and have them cut out pictures of different fruits from the ads.
Have your kid separate which fruits have a ઠળિયો and which do not. Then glue all the fruits with a ઠળિયો to the middle of the circle and the ones without a ઠળિયો to the outside of the circle.
Storytime:
My kid LOVES stories. I have found that relating Gujarati letters to specific stories helps her associate the letter with more words and helps her practice saying the letter out loud. For the letter ઠ, share the story of the Brahman and the three thugs (બ્રાહ્મણ અને ત્રણ ઠગ) . You can read this story (and more) under the “Gujarati stories” tab on our website.
Word Salad:
The best way to learn another language is to hear as many words as possible. Here are just
a few extra words to practice during the week that start with ઠ.
ઠ for ઠગ (thug)
ઠ for ઠંડુ (thandu, cool)
ઠ for ઠપકો (thapko, rebuke)
ઠ for ઠોકર (thokar, stumble)
ઠ for ઠીક (theek, okay)
ઠ for ઠેકેદાર (thekedar, contractor)
ઠ for ઠેકડો (thekado, sneeze)
ઠ for ઠેકડી (thekadi, mockery)
ઠ for ઠીંગણું (thinganum, midget)
ઠ for ઠીકરું (thikarum, shards)
ઠ for ઠળિયો (thariyo, pit of a stone fruit)
ઠ for ઠસોઠસ (thasothas, jam packed)
Question of the week
Take a break from learning about ઠ and stretch your mind (as well as your legs) with the question of the week
Q: When you jump, why do you come back to the ground instead of just flying in the air? Or why do leaves fall to the ground?
A: The simple answer is Gravity! But let't be honest--that's a simple word for a very complicated concept. Here is a blog I found that helps break down gravity in a cool way: https://stayathomeeducator.com/gravity-drop-a-preschool-science-investigation/
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