In addition to the learning application, Moomin Language School includes play-based group games and activities that you can play with your child group. These activities help children use English in real-life situations while nurturing skills such as problem-solving, creativity, and social-emotional skills.
If you feel a bit unsure about how to get started with foreign language games, don't worry; we've got your back. In this blog post, we'll share some tips on how to incorporate Moomin Language School's group games into your daily teaching routine.
Option 1: One Longer Session
Each topic in our learning application comes with a group play session filled with 4-7 games, taking about 45 minutes in total. Each session consists of a circle time, a theme, and a goodbye section. The session plans include a handy list of all the materials so you can easily prepare the games.
You can run the games as one longer session every week, or even more frequently if you'd like to reinforce the learning. This approach is great for language clubs and older children in kindergartens and primary schools. For your younger learners, you might want to leave 1-2 activities out to adjust the session length.
When is the best time to schedule these sessions? Well, that depends on your group. Some may shine in the morning, while others might be more attentive in the afternoon. Feel free to experiment with different timings to discover what works best for your crew. Also, it's a good idea for the children to have played a few games related to the same topic in the application beforehand. This way, they'll be familiar with the language content and can dive right into the fun of playing together.
Option 2: A Few Shorter Sessions
If your schedule doesn't allow for a full session, no problem! You can pick one or two games from the session plan whenever you have a bit of free time. Each activity in the session plan comes with an estimated time and a list of materials, making it easy to select the right game. Singing a song during your morning circle or enjoying a movement game when you head outdoors are fantastic ways to sprinkle English into your daily routine. Many of our picture card games can be adapted for any topic; just swap out the picture cards, and you're good to go!
By incorporating foreign language activities throughout the week, you'll boost children's language awareness and make English a natural part of their lives. You can even introduce a special prop, like a hat or a soft toy, exclusively for these activities. Kids will learn to associate the prop with the new language, making language switching during the game a breeze.
Start Simple
Even if your aim is to run full sessions eventually, you can take it one step at a time. Begin with something simple, like the goodbye rhyme, and get a feel for it. Once you and the children feel confident, you can introduce another activity and gradually add more games throughout the week. It's all about taking small, joyful steps toward your goal.
If you're new to running language games or feeling a bit shaky about your language skills, we’ve got your back. Many educators using Moomin Language School aren’t language teachers, so our session plans include recordings of relevant words and sentences to help with pronunciation. Plus, you'll find pedagogy explanations and tips on modifying games if needed.
Our free online teacher training helps you to kickstart your journey, and for those who want to delve deeper into early language learning and teaching, we've partnered with Learning Scoop to create a certification course.
Finally, remember that we're always here for you! If you have any questions or need support, shoot us a message. Let's make learning English a fantastic adventure for you and your students together!
Moomin Language School is a play-based early language learning program for learning organizations. Would you like to try it out for yourself? Apply for a free trial month here:
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