Let's Learn About ક્ષ!

Kids learn best when they are having fun. I have found that my toddler is most excited to learn Gujarati when I associate the letters with fun activities or stories. That’s why each week we feature a Gujarati letter of the week, where we share activities and stories that are based on that letter. This week’s letter is ક્ષ.

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Creating Corner:

First up, let's put the ક્ષ in ક્ષત્રિય (kshatriya, warrior) and વૃક્ષ (vruksha, tree) by making a family tree! .

This isn't just any family tree-- its a family tree to celebrate kshatriyas. You can pick any famous warrior in Indian history and make a family tree for his/her family. We chose to do Rama, in honor of his birthday which is this week.

1. Cut out a piece of paper in the shape of a tree. Color the branches and trunk brown and the leaves green.

2. Cut out small leaf-shaped pieces of paper. Write the names of different family members on each paper.

3. Glue the leaves on the tree to create a family tree!

*** You can also just create a family tree with your own family's lineage so your kid can learn about his/her ancestors!

Now, let's put the ક્ષ in પક્ષી (pakshi, bird).

Bring birds to life with this fun craft where you can make a bird out of a seashell.

Check out detailed instructions on this blog:

https://happyhooligans.ca/bird-seashell-ornaments/

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Activity time:

First up, let's put the ક્ષ in લક્ષ (laksha, target).

1. Put a bucket on the floor. This will be your target.

2. Grab some balls and see how many balls your kid can throw into the bucket in a minute.

3. Repeat step 2 with all of the other members of your family.

4. Make a graph with Gujarati numbers on the x-axis and names of your and your family on the y-axis. Graph how many balls each person put in.

**This is a great activity that combines some hand-eye coordination with some math!

Last up, its time for ક્ષ for ક્ષેત્ર (kshetra, field).

Take a stroll around your garden and teach your kid about gardening. Grab any kind of seed from your local grocery store, and plant that seed with your kid so they can get some hands on experience with plants! We chose to grow some methi in our backyard!

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Storytime:

My kid LOVES stories. I have found that relating Gujarati letters to specific stories helps her associate the letter with more words and helps her practice saying the letter out loud. For the letter ક્ષ share the story of Arjun and the Bird. While the title of this story doesn't have the letter "ક્ષ", the story is all about લક્ષ/laksha/target, so it still works! You can read this story (and more) under the “Gujarati stories” tab on our website.

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Character/Quality Corner: While learning letters is super important, learning character is even more important. So why not do both simultaneously? Associating letters with characters and qualities helps pique my kid’s interest in great historical figures while also allowing her to practice saying the letter out loud.

Characters:

1. લક્ષ્મણ (Lakshman)

2. યક્ષ (Yaksh)-- You can use this week to tell your kid the story of Yaksh and Yudishtir

Qualities:

1. ક્ષમા (kshamaa, forgiveness)

2. દક્ષતા (dakshataa, deftness)

Festivals:

1. રક્ષા બંધન (Raksha Bandhan)

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Word Salad: The best way to learn another language is to hear as many words as possible. For the letter ક્ષ, check out these words. While they may not start with ક્ષ, they will still help your kid practice the sound!

1. દ્રાક્ષ (draaksha, grapes)

2. અક્ષત (akshat, whole)

3. સંરક્ષણ (sanrakshan, defense)

4. નક્ષત્રો (nakshatro, constellations )