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 day we feature a Gujarati letter of the day, where we share activities and stories that are based on that letter. Today's letter is જ.
Creating Corner:
First up is જ for Jaadu (Magic). You can't just learn about જ, you have to experience it! Here are a few easy magic tricks that you can do with your kid to help make જ come to life. Each time you do a different magic trick, make sure your kid practices saying and writing the letter જ.
* The Magic Finger Trick
Place 1- 2 tablespoons water in a white plate.
Add enough black pepper to create a pepper coat over the water.
Have your kid try to put their finger in the water to see what happens. Spoiler alert-- nothing will happen!
Put some soap on your finger and then put your finger back in the water. The black pepper should separate. Tadaa. Jaadu! (This happens because the soap molecules mess with the bonds that are holding the water together. As the water molecules move apart, the pepper moves with it)!
* The Rubber Band Trick
Check out this youtube link for an easy description of the trick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeIiMN5RTyo
* The Magic Tube Trick
Check out this youtube link for an easy description of the trick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGadtjCZCDI
Next up its a word game! Now that we have done some real magic, let's do some mental magic and play વિરોધી શબ્દો (Opposites).
Say the words below and have your kids guess the word that starts with જ that is the opposite of each word.
ધીમી (slow)-------જલ્દી (quick)
પાતળી (thin)-------જાડી (fat)
ઊંઘવું (to sleep)------જાગવું (to wake)
સાચું કહેવું (to say the truth)------જુઠું બોલવું (to lie)
Gametime:
Now for some real fun. Let's play જાનકી કહે (Janki Says)! This game is essentially Simon Says, but its a good, fun way to help your kid practice the જ sound and also practice directions.
** Make sure you use the Gujarati words for right (જમણી) and left (ડાબી) so your kid can practice directions.
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. You can help the letter જ jump out of the page with the story about Jaambuvan and Hanuman. Check out 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 જ.
જ for Jaanvar (beast, જાનવર)
જ for Jahaaj (ship, જહાજ)
જ for Jamphal (guava, જામફર)
જ for Jeeb (tongue, જીબ)
જ for Jaamli (purple, જામલી)