My aunt came back (children repeat each line)
From Japan
And brought me back
A paper fan. (Hold up your right hand and wave it back and forth like a fan.
You will continue doing this through the rest of the song.)
My aunt came back
From Holland, too,
And brought me back
A wooden shoe. (Begin tapping your left foot.)
My aunt came back
From Algiers
And brought me back
A pair of shears. (Hold up left hand and open and close index and
middle fingers like a pair of scissors.)
My aunt came back
From Belgium
And brought me back
Some bubblegum. (Start smacking your lips as if chewing gum.)
My aunt came back
From Chile
And brought me back
An itchy flea. (Wiggle all over.)
My aunt came back
From the city zoo
And brought me back
Some nuts like you! (Point your finger at everyone!)
Activities:
• Invite children to bring in souvenirs that they got on a trip or that someone has given them. Locate where they are from on a map of the world.
• Ask parents to send in souvenirs that are safe for children to play with. Set up a souvenir shop in your classroom. Let children put prices on the items and take turns being storekeepers and tourists.
• Cut out pictures of homes from different countries and make a book for the block center called “All Kinds of Homes.” Children can look at the different homes and then try to construct them with blocks. How are all homes alike? How are they different?
• Bring in coins and currency from other countries. Compare with the coins of the US. How are they alike? How are they different? Let children make rubbings of the coins.
• Look for children’s books printed in different languages. Can the children tell a story from the pictures even if they can’t read the words?
• Teach the children folk songs and dances from different cultures.
• Encourage parents and friends who have visited or lived in other countries to be guest speakers in your classroom. Remind them that pictures and real objects are always interesting to children. Help children generate a list of question that they are curious about before your guests arrive.
• Plan an International Fair where each child brings a food from a different culture to share with her classmates. It might be a fruit, bread, dessert, or entrée.
• For homework, have children interview their parents to see where their ancestors came from. How long has their family been living in the United States?
• Make a paper suitcase by folding construction paper in half. Attach a pipe cleaner for a handle. If children could visit any place in the world, where would they like to go? Have them pack their suitcase with the things they would need. Write imaginary stories about their travels.
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