Mandarin mum baby playgroup SW London

neon · Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 14

Hi, I am a mum of a 4 month old baby, looking to start/join a mandarin speaking playgroup in SW London for mums to meet other mums and to practise chinese and eat chinese food! The point is that the babies will get exposure to listening and learning chinese. Please get in touch.
Thanks

coopergreen2 · Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

Have you found or created a playgroup?

neon · Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 14

Hi there, yes, we started the playgroup and carried on for a while, but now we have stopped. Sadly there are not enough mandarin mums and babies out there. And also I kept getting enquiries about teaching mandarin, which I am afraid I don't do.
However, the Chinese mums now meet up regularly just for a drink or for lunch, so that the babies can still listen in. It's now more like a mums meet up.

coopergreen2 · Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

Hi,
That's a shame that the group is not meeting anymore. I wanted to suggest that you have a look at the Culture Cubs DVDs for the group. Here's a link for one of the promos for the series. There are more on Youtube as well:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2VblSSVOi7o
Let me know what you think.
I have 2 kids learning Mandarin in London, but they are older. It's very hard to find a group for older kids, or even a class for more advanced children.

neon · Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 14

Wonderful. Thanks for the link. As I said, a few of us Chinese mums in SW London are meeting up anyway.
For the playgroup, I used to put a lot into it. The emphasis was music and I performed to the children in Mandarin.
I did puppet shows, stories, songs and percussion instruments.
I have written a CD of bilingual music that I am producing myself - I have recorded a few songs already - a project in the pipeline!!! Laughing

I am a fully qualified professional musician, I used to have a band, see www.satsumamusic.com. There are songs and vids of my band performing.
I am very used to entertaining crowds of the young and the young at heart! A shame that most mums including myself work, and therefore, the only day left for the playgroup was on Sat, which was THE day that people are SO busy with the other things in their lives. Very Happy

Anyway, nuff said.

coopergreen2 · Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

Wow! That's amazing! I'll have a look at your web site.

neon · Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 14

Thanks for your support. That's great. Here are a couple of Youtube vids of our gigs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3rhH1T_Ndo
And
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBtAsbU5EM4
Laughing

Well that was the old life - Pre Baby!!!

coopergreen2 · Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

Very cool. I'm nowhere near that cool. We started Culture Cubs in Hong Kong and produced it specifically for young kids who are learning Mandarin or whose parents want to expose them to Mandarin and East/West culture. When my kids started learning, there just wasn't anything good on the market - nothing that appealed to their more Western sensibilities. I've now moved to London and am beginning to market them here.
Here's our web site:
www.culturecubs.com
As a musician, you might recognize Joyce Lee's voice in our theme song which plays when you open the site.

Do you think the mothers you meet up with might be interested in getting them for their kids? I hope so.

neon · Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 14

Very impressive animations. Did you do them yourself? my project is still in the construction stage, nowhere as realised as yours. I think it would appeal to the mums. I will let them know.
Very Happy

coopergreen2 · Joined: 15 Sep 2008 Posts: 5

Thanks so much! It's all done professionally. The animations are done by an animator in China who was so much fun to work with. The director is Crystal Kwok. She's a film director/ writer/celebrity/actress in HK. You may recognize her from some Jacky Chan movies.
It was so much fun to make. We've made arrangements with schools and playgroups to offer a discount if they order all together.
I'd be so happy if you would pass this on to your friends.
I'd also love to hear more about your project Very Happy

.

hsin · Joined: 17 Feb 2009 Posts: 1

Hi, I'm really interested in your Mandarin speaking mums group. Are you still meeting up regularly? Would you welcome a new joiner? I live in West London. I'm Malaysian, and speak Mandarin when possible, to my 2 year old little boy. It would be really nice for him to meet some other mums and kids who speak Mandarin too!

bandeauchen · Joined: 01 Feb 2009 Posts: 7

mei lin · Joined: 22 Dec 2008 Posts: 14 Location: UK

THis is such a useful thread!
I can barely string more than 3 words together in Mandarin, in Cantonese, maybe 5 words - and don't live in London! But my husband and I are currently waiting to be matched for adoption with a child in China and the Culture Cubs resource sounds great. I'm going to send on the link to other families with little ones if that's okay!

neon · Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 14

We are pleased to confirm that the Mandarin Playgroup inaugural session has kicked off successfully!

Date: Saturdays
Time: 10:00 to 10:45am
Place: Putney (email or ring to confirm exact venue as we are still finalising numbers)

Cost: £6 for the first child, £3 for the second child of the same family.

We will have songs, puppets and games, in Mandarin, taught by fully qualified, native Chinese language teacher, Jun Wang. Parents are required to stay with your child/children the whole time. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Looking forward to seeing everyone.
Thank you.

Ivy Ngeow
饶艾薇
Organiser
My ph0ne number: 0789 981 2055

neon · Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 14

[quote="sallylily"]That sounds so nice. Language shall be taught as early as possible.[/quote]
Best time is between 0 and 3 years old. I noticed that with slightly older toddlers, eg over 2 years, there is already a resistance put up to a new language. They already recognise the dominant culture and dominant language, being English. don't forget - we are the minority here, not the majority! Chinese will always be a second language. Idea

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