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It’s my pleasure to write the introductory post about Tonga for our series Global Learning for Kids. If you have posts about this country and its culture, please link them up at the end of this post.
Last week, I talked to my children about Tonga. For my son, who is in first grade, I made a Tonga fact sheet. It’s a free printable you can download and use with your children or students. You will find all the basic facts you need to talk about this archipelago of 177 islands, located in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean.
Download An introduction to Tonga for kids here.
I also found these videos, and my children enjoyed watching them. We exchanged our impressions on the landscapes, the fact that it’s a country made of islands, the food, and the culture.
I have never set foot outside of Europe except for Tunisia, but travelling to the Pacific is on my (always growing) list of places to visit with the family. Tonga would be one of my top choices in Oceania! I’m not sure my husband would be happy with all the sea food, though. The beaches and the lagoons would certainly be an attraction, however! I would taste all the fruits and vegetables I have never eaten.
I would also enjoy the music and the dances. Some 9 years ago a student from Tahiti taught me a bit of Polynesian dance. I regret to say that I don’t remember the exact choreography, but some of the moves have stayed in my memory.
During the next few days, I will show my kids Tongan traditional dances. I’m a little apprehensive about my son’s reaction to the mako: it’s a fast-spaced dance where young men perform wild gestures. I’m not sure what my neighbours will think of his enthusiasm.
Hopefully, my daughter will be more taken with a Tauʻolunga, a girl’s dance using primarily hand movements. Well, these next days will be interesting!
This post is part of our new series Global Learning for Kids. Each month we will feature a country and host a link party to collect posts about teaching kids about that country–crafts, books, lessons, recipes, etc. It will create a one-stop place full of information about the country.
This month we are learning all about Tonga, so link up below any old or new posts designed to teach kids about Tonga–crafts, books, lessons, recipes, music and more!
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