My Children's Favorite French iPad Game Apps

April 19, 2016 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, French Resources

My husband gave me an iPad mini for Christmas several years ago, and the first apps I downloaded to it were games in French for my four-year-old. That daughter is now seven, and she and her four-year-old brother love any opportunity to play on our iPad. They only get iPad time once or twice per month for an hour or so, but of course they can't take their eyes off it when they get the chance to play these games! The following are their top five favorite French game apps. These apps are designed for children who already have a decent grasp of French, though four of these apps are available in English as noted. (The prices are listed in dollars but will be in Euros if you buy from the French iTunes store.)

A Day in Our French Homeschooling Life: Ages 1, 4, & 7

April 05, 2016 by Michele Cherie in Education, French Language Learning, French Resources, Home Management, Learning Resources

This is our second year of homeschooling if you consider that my oldest child is now seven, but our "education at home" lifestyle has been gaining momentum since that daughter was young and we first decided to take this path. This year we've found a definite rhythm, but that's not to say that we follow a set schedule. With my children's young ages and with my belief in the importance of play at this stage, certain days are far less orderly than others--but here's a typical homeschooling day for us:

Library Visits in France & the Children's Books We Loved There

March 01, 2016 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, French Resources, Travel

Bonjour! The rain is pouring down, but spring is whispering from around the corner here in Oregon--there are little purple crocuses blooming in our front yard and yellow forsythia blossoms beckoning from the backyard. Nonetheless, today I'm taking you back to our summer travels in France to share about the library books my children enjoyed during our stay there. (I'll link to them on Amazon so you can obtain them if you're in the U.S. or Canada.) We visited libraries everywhere we traveled in France, and we were thrilled to obtain a library card in Lyon during the last two months of our France stay. (I simply needed to sign a form swearing to our address in France, however temporary it was.)

An Interview with Kim Horton Levesque, Author of Paris with Children (plus a book giveaway!)

August 11, 2015 by Michele Cherie in French Resources, Travel, Parenting Books, French Culture

Les amis, I'm delighted to share this interview featuring Kim Horton Levesque, whose sweet and informative guidebook Paris with Children was published in 2013. Actually, the full title is The Little Bookroom Guide to Paris with Children: Play, Eat, Shop, Stay. A dear friend sent me this book before our current stay in France, and I couldn't have been more thrilled! Kim's informative, pocket-sized guide is a mama's dream guide to Paris, listing kid-friendly cafés, children's shops, favorite family parks, and more. Even better, you can win a signed copy of her book by leaving a comment on this blog post (details below). Without further ado, here's my interview with Kim:

A Review of Storyplayr, a Digital Library of Childrens eBooks in French

June 15, 2015 by Michele Cherie in Education, French Language Learning, French Resources, Teaching French

As a parent, I'm glad to live in the Internet Age--particularly when my children ask me questions about the world that I can't sufficiently answer. And as a parent trying to raise bilingual and biliterate children, I'm grateful that technology provides a convenient way to supplement our language learning. We recently signed up for a free two-week trial of Storyplayr, a subscription site featuring hundreds of quality children's ebooks in French, and I was truly surprised by the richness of this site. If you're looking for more French books for your children, read on.

Review of Bayam, the Online French Educational Game Site for Children

April 15, 2015 by Michele Cherie in Education, French Language Learning, French Resources, Learning Resources

Bonjour les amis! If you're interested in a French educational game site for children, you'll want to know about Bayam. My six-year-old daughter enjoys playing on Bayam once or twice a week because it's a fun and educational French resource. Here's how it works:

An Interview with Marie Gervais of Marygold Books on eBay

April 06, 2015 by Michele Cherie in French Resources, Learning Resources, Teaching French

If you've ever searched eBay for children's books in French, you have probably come across titles listed by Marygoldbooks. Marie Gervais is the seller behind that handle, and she's been selling children's books in French on eBay since 2002. She's sold over 6,000 items and yet she has virtually perfect feedback ratings from buyers. Want to know where she finds all those French books? Keep reading--here's my interview with Marie in English along with her French responses:

Catching Up: le premier avril

April 01, 2015 by Michele Cherie in French Culture, French Resources, Teaching French

Bonjour les amis! I've missed you! Je m'excuse--I'm sorry I didn't write more last month. I've been planning our summer séjour in France, with a 5-day stopover in another country on the way (any guesses as to which country? I'll give you a few hints as our departure approaches!).

Today is le premier avril (April 1st). In France and some francophone countries (as well as Italy), today is known as April fish day because children try to tape paper fish on the backs of unsuspecting people. When their prank is discovered, they cry, "Poisson d'avril!" (April fish!) If you'd like to know more about April Fool's Day in France, Geraldine from Comme Une Française has made a brief video in English about it: