Shakespeare for Kids (Folger Shakespeare Library, www.folger.edu): this great site has lots of fun activities for Shakespeare lovers of all ages, including crossword and jigsaw puzzles, jumbles, wordfinders, colouring pages, matching characters to lines and lines to plays, fun facts about Shakespeare and his time, scripts for kids, an exposure to theatrical careers (costume designer, director, museum curator, etc.) and a collection of Shakespearean insults! There are also lesson plans for more structured activities from elementary through high school grades; we had a lot of fun with the Stomp and Romp, an exploration of different poetic metres with a group march 'round the house, chanting excerpts from Macbeth and Love's Labours Lost all the while!-Sylvia I.
First Nations Language Archives (www.firstvoices.com): Twenty-one First Nations from across Canada maintain an audio archive of their languages at this Victoria-based site, presenting a unique opportunity to learn about other cultures, and a chance to talk to your children about the importance of language as a preserver of culture. Each language is written in its own transliterated alphabet; while you view a phrase and its English translation, a recording of an elder saying that phrase is heard. Some languages, such as Nisga'a, have a grammar "textbook" attached also. We have mostly explored Kwakwala and Skidegate Haida so far, and have been struck by the vividness of some of the imagery ("give me a hug" in Skidegate Haida is literally "pull your small self to me", while to feel lonesome is described in that language as "looking out and seeing only crows"). There are also some recently-added games for young children, including Concentration, Flash Cards, and Hangman, which we've not yet tried, but that look like fun.-Sylvia I.
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