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 ભ.
Creating Corner:
First up is ભ for ભમરો (bhamaro, bumble bee).
Make a bumble bee ring for our first project!
Make the ring base using either construction paper or a pipe cleaner. A pipe cleaner will be sturdier and last longer, so, if you can, go with that!
Make a bumble bee out of construction paper. Cut out a yellow oval for the body, 2 white ovals for the wings, a black circle for the head, and 2 small black rectangles for the antenna. Don't forget to draw some black stripes on the body of the bee. Glue them together as noted in the picture in order to make a fully fledged bumble bee!
Tape or glue the bumble bee onto the base of the ring.
Next up is ભ for ભમરડા (bhamradaa, spinning top)
Check out this awesome blog for instructions on how to make homemade spinning tops:
**Once you make these tops you can use them to teach your kid about primary colors!
Activity time:
Let's kick this off with ભ for ભારત (Bharat, India).
Based on the age of your kid, they may be able to draw India just fine on their own. However, if your kid is young, like mine, then they will need some help!
Tell your kid to draw an M on the top of the page and a sideways M on left side of the page (drawn in purple in the prototype to the right). Then draw a big V on the bottom of the page (drawn in green on the prototype). Then draw a W on the right side of the V (drawn in pink on the prototype). Then draw a backwards C on the right side of the W, followed by a wide U on the right side of the backwards C (drawn in yellow and blue on the prototype).
Connect all of these letters together to make India!
**Alternatively, you can cut out a map of India with different states and have your kid put it back together like a puzzle!
Now its time for ભ for ભજન (bhajan, devotional song) and ભ for ભગવાન (Bhagavan, God).
Sit down with your kid and think of all the different hymes and bhajans you know about Bhagavan. Sing some of your favorite!
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 ભ share the story of ભીમ અને હનુમાન (Bheema and Hanuman) or the story of ભસ્માસુર (Bhasmasur Rakshash). You can read these stories (and more) under the “Gujarati stories” tab on our website.
Character/Quality Corner:
While learning letters is super important, learning character is even more important. So why not do both simultaneously? Associating letters with characters and qualities helps pique my kid’s interest in great historical figures while also allowing her to practice saying the letter out loud.
Characters:
ભીમ (Bheema)
ભીષ્મ (Bhisma)
ભરત (Bharat)
ભવાની માતા (Bhavani Mata)
Quality:
ભક્તિ (bhakti, devotion)
Sing-A-Long: The best way to learn a letter is to sing it! For the letter બ, check out the following songs!
Haathi bhai to jaada (હાથી ભાઈ તો જાડા) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4ZqC1pYSIo
Bhai Bhai (ભાઈ ભાઈ- Garba Song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GVaT-O4zCE
Bhaago re bhai bhaago (ભાગો રે ભાઈ ભાગો) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfKGpojD7gw
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 ભ!
ભ for ભાઈ (bhaai, brother)
ભ for ભાગ (bhaag, piece)
ભ for ભાવ (bhaav, price)
ભ for ભાગવાનું (bhaagvaanu, to escape)
ભ for ભૂંડ (bhund, boar)
ભ for ભાષા (bhaashaa, language)
ભ for ભૂખ (bhook, hunger)
ભ for ભિક (bheek, beg)
ભ for ભમેળો (bhamedo, blend)
ભ for ભમર (bhamar, eyebrow)
ભ for ભરતી (bharti, tide)
ભ for ભોળો (bolo, naive)
ભ for ભાખરી (bhaakri, type of bread)
ભ for ભાત (bhaat, rice)
ભ for ભાજી (bhaaji, vegetables)
ભ for ભીંડા (bhindaa, lady finger)
ભ for ભજીયા (bhajiyaa)
ભ for ભવિષ્ય (bhavishya, future)
ભ for ભૂતકાળ (bhootkaal, past)
ભ for ભારે (bhaare, heavy)
ભ for ભિત (bheet, wall)
ભ for ભૂખરો (bhukaro, grey color)
ભ for ભૂલ (bhool, mistake)
ભ for ભોજન (bhojan, meal)
ભ for ભારત (Bharat, India)
ભ for ભજન (bhajan, hymns)
ભ for ભસ્મ (bhasma, ashes)
ભ for ભેટ (bheta, gift and hug)
Question of the Week: Take a break from learning about બ and stretch your mind with the question of the week! Q: How did India get the name of Bharat? A: Bharat is named for 3 famous Bharats in our history.
Bharat (Lord Rama's brother who teaches us about selflessness)
Bharat (the son of Dushyant and Shakantula who counted the teeth of a lion cub as a child and teaches us about bravery)
Jad Bharat (the king turned ascetic through many lifetimes, who teaches us that we can always improve)
**If you want us to write up stories about any of these 3 Bharats, let us know in the comments below!