At Pine Village, we love any idea to grow and expand your child’s horizon, whether introducing them to different cultures or growing their Spanish language skills. The holidays are a perfect time to expand on what they are learning in school and give them language-themed gifts. With the pandemic hitting small businesses around the Boston area, we are also doing our best to shop locally. Most of the shops where we found these treasures offer online ordering or curbside pickup, so please consider buying locally when you can!
Travel the World Maze Book
Explore new cultures including Spain, Latin America and more in this adorable Around the World Maze book, which you can find locally in Boing! Toy Shop right in Jamaica Plain! Kids will love finding their way through the mazes while exploring different cultures and themes around the world.
A Spanish/English book
Give the gift of reading! There are so many wonderful Spanish/English books out there that foster bilingual education! Here’s one we like, Caroline’s Color Dreams, which showcases beautiful colors while learning language and colors. Another way to shop for books is to browse through Babl Book authors, a Boston-native company started by two Harvard students who realized the great need for bilingual content in the U.S. and across the globe. You can also browse around local Boston bookstores with plenty of selections, such as one of our favorites, Brookline Booksmith.
Spanish Bingo or Other Board Games
Gift your little ones board games where they can immerse themselves in the Spanish language, such as this Spanish Bingo set. Even better, buy local, such at this Boston-based chain, Magic Beans, which has a bunch of options for parents, infants, toddlers and preschoolers to get you through this holiday season. Shop more.
Spanish Cooking Classes
What better way to immerse your little one in the Spanish culture then through food. There are several cooking class options you can choose depending on the age of your child and how involved you want to be. Outschool, a virtual program, has a weekly Spanish Tapas class for kids, while Raddish is a monthly culinary club, which can feature Spanish-themed meal kids you create yourself at home. Another options to support a local business is Taste Buds Kitchen, which has two Boston area locations. Their Spanish-themed dinners are mostly for adults (Spanish Paella, anyone??), while the kid-aged classes stick to the basics and other fun ideas.
Cultural Subscription Box
Kids travel-related subscription boxes are taking off, but we’ve found one goes beyond a normal travel box. The Little Global Citizen box makes multicultural education the core and foundation of their product, teaching little ones about becoming a global citizen while fostering a love of travel. We love their mission for fostering open mindedness, compassion and global awareness!
Clothes with a Spanish Twist
While kids may not put clothes on their holiday list, it’s a great idea to tell Grandparents or others to add. We’ve even found a way that you can shop local and buy threads from everyone’s favorite brand from Spain! Tiny Hanger has two locations in Brookline and Wellesley and also offer shipping locally. Kids will enjoy the fact that they may be wearing the same outfit as another child in Spain! Shop now.
Spanish-Speaking Cash Register
There are so many really cool bilingual toys that either speak or cover both Spanish and English, such as this talking cash register which you can buy locally at one of our favorite stores, Henry Bear Park! We also love this Wordy EnSALADa playset as an option that younger kids would enjoy playing with.
Get Crafty with the Amazon Rain Forest
Talking to kids about nature in different areas of the world is a wonderful art project! Enjoy these Melissa & Doug Stamp-a-Scene Rain Forest, which you can buy locally in Boston’s Tadpole Shop as you and your little ones learn about the Amazon, which spans across Spanish-speaking countries like Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru.
