Category: Camps
Fun French summer resources
Every summer, students look forward to taking a break from schoolwork…but there are many ways for your child to keep up their French over the summer in fun, less structured ways, here are some ideas from CPF BC & Yukon!
http://bc-yk.cpf.ca/blog/whats-new/fun-french-summer-resources/
French over the Summer Break
Every summer, students look forward to taking a break from schoolwork…but there are many ways for your child to keep up their French over the summer in fun, less structured ways! Here are some ideas!
| • Summer French Camps | • Community |
| • Movies | • Television |
| • Libraries | • Workbooks and Magazines |
| • Games | • Online activities |
| • Music | • Other cool sites |
French summer camps offer opportunities for children to practice their French while engaging in all kinds of exciting activities. Teachers often notice that children are more willing to speak in French if they have attended a camp in French over the summer.
- Find French Summer Camps in BC and Yukon
- Find French Summer Camps across Canada
French-languages services & Francophone history in BC:
- Interactive Mapping Tool for French-language businesses in BC
- Self-Guided History of Francophonie tours: Thompson-Okanagan and Fraser River
- CJFCB (Francophone Youth Council of British Columbia)
- La Francophonie au Canada (Discovery game)
Watching French movies at home is a fun way to enrich French studies in a relaxed environment.
Several Canadian channels offer a wide variety of French children’s shows to watch online:
- Radio-Canada Jeunesse
- Radio-Canada Tou.Tv Jeunesse
- TFO (Télévision française de l’Ontario)
- UnisTV
Most local libraries offer a variety of French language resources.
- Summer Reading Clubs… ask your librarian for a list of French books for your child’s Reading Record!
- Check out French e-books in the Tumblebooks online library – many libraries offer free access
- Borrow French films on DVD, such as Ernest et Celestine, Belle et Sebastien, Louis Cyr, Le Coq de St Victor. Or watch any animated English-language with French subtitles or dubbing!
Here are some fun ways to practice French as well as some entertaining educational magazines.
- Je révise en vacances Workbook specially designed for summer enrichment
- Foule de mots
- Cahier grammaire jeunesse
- Kayak magazine (Canadian history presented in a comic-book style)
- Les Débrouillards magazine (fun science magazine for younger kids)
- GéoAdo (fun science magazine for teens)
Here are some fun traditional games and challenges:
- Origami Game (Make French a part of your life)
- 30 Day Challenge from French for the Future
- Mille Bornes (classic French card game)
- Ti-Joe Connaissant parcourt le monde
Or play word and number games you already own – Scrabble, Bananagrams, Uno, Boggle etc – en français!
And here some great online games and apps:
- Zone Jeunesse Radio-Canada’s interactive youth website
- Spend the Summer with MiniTFO (list of interactive and educational French programming)
- Le Petit Champlain a free app for little explorers to learn about Samuel de Champlain’s life in a fun way
- BrainPop
- Les Jeux de Lulu
Learning songs in French will help children expand their vocabulary, learn new expressions and develop confidence.
- Ici Musique (Radio-Canada)Scroll down for the Coin des Petits “webradio”
- Dans l’air du tempsLearn about popular French-Canadian music over the decades
- Chanter avec Mini (Karaoke style!)
- Chansons traditionelles (iPad app)
- Older kids can check out popular French-Canadian bands like Malajube, Karkwa, Les Cowboys Fringants and many more!
Here’s a collection of fun websites from Québec and France:
- Québec Original A compelling and feature-packed website showcasing Québec culture and geography
- La Tablette de Champlain What if Samuel de Champlain had access to a digital tablet?
- OffQc | Quebec French Guide For lovers of French and diehard fans of all things québécois!
- Google Night Walk In Marseille Explore the sounds, streets and soul of Marseille on this immersive digital night walk
- Parc Astérix Check out this theme park based on the classic comic strip!
Summer All-Member 2015 newsletter from CPF BC & Yukon
Check out the latest All-Member Newsletter from CPF BC & Yukon! It’s chock full of information about French camps, festivals and other fun ways to keep learning in French throughout the summer!
Click here to read the web version.
Edu-inter: A true French Immersion Camp!
Planning a trip out East this summer? Consider this French camp for your young French-language learner(s)!
Edu-inter, a very unique summer French camp is found in Quebec City within the campus of College Mérici abutting the Plains of Abrahams! Located in the cradle of French civilization in North America, Quebec City is the only major city in Canada that offers a 100% French speaking environment. The camp operates entirely in French, both in and out of classes and during all activities for maximum learning impact. Staff constantly monitor the students to ensure that French is the spoken language at all times. From beginners to advanced, all levels of French speakers are welcome at Edu-inter.
Edu-Inter offers different programs/activities to meet a variety of student interests. All programs combine French language classes in the morning with a themed afternoon. Length of stay can vary from one week to multiple weeks and afternoon options are pre-selected on a weekly basis (a student can chose to pre-register for the same or for a different afternoon program every week). A choice of lodging of either on-campus residence or home stay (for a more personal experience of Quebec family living and culture) is available. And weekly pedagogical reports are sent to parents.
The French and Arts program (Music, Drama, Cinema, Circus, Cooking or Crafts) and the French and Sports program (Tennis, Figure Skating, Equestrian, Hockey or Soccer) are mostly offered in collaboration with local partners and provide students with an opportunity to mix with local teenagers and further experience French language and culture.
The Multi-activity program is operated directly by the Edu-inter team and offers a variety of cultural and sport activities led by our dedicated counselors. To offer a wide variety of interests to multi-week campers, the list of activities varies from week to week.
During summer camp, evening activity(ies) as well as weekend activities are organized by Edu-inter for the benefit of all participants. Common evening activities for both homestay and residence campers include Imax Cinema, Le Festival d’été de Québec (Quebec Summer Festival), Ghost walking tour, and “Capitales de Québec” Baseball game.
Weekend activities are mandatory for participants in both homestay and in residence and include excursions to Montreal to visit La Ronde theme park, the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, or Le Cirque du Soleil; Whale-Watching at Tadoussac, the Sugar Shack experience, Festivent Hot Air Ballon Festival and more. Please consult the activity programs for complete details and weekend dates of the different activities.
June 2015 Chapter Update
Click here to view the June 2015 Chapter Update from CPF BC/Yukon. Chapter Updates are a way for CPF BC/Yukon to connect with CPF chapter volunteers on a monthly basis but they also contain useful information that is relevant to anyone with a connection to children learning French in British Columbia!
And North Vancouver gets a nod in Chapter Happenings, click on the image below to have a look!
French Summer Camps 2015
French Summer Camps are an ideal way to immerse your child in the French language while they enjoy a variety of fun activities en français!
Here are just a few day and overnight French-language camps in the Lower Mainland area and across the country. Find more on CPF BC & Yukon’s Camps page, and on CPF National’s 2015 Camps Listings.
LOWER MAINLAND
Capilano University Serious Fun Camps: French for Kids (10-12 Years)
Immerse yourself in French culture while using your French language skills over the summer. This camp is ideal if you’re a student in French immersion and want to listen to modern music, create your own songs, prepare French treats, study French visual artists and create your own artistic pieces. Oh la, la! More info
Camp Jubilee
CPF Tri-Cities Chapter has organized a fun-filled summer weekend, where parents and children relax, have fun and get ready for another year of French language school. Camp Jubilee is located in North Vancouver, a short boat ride from Deep Cove. Children will play and use their French in a wonderful outdoor setting, while adults connect with other French Immersion parents. Families stay in rustic cabins and all meals are provided. More info
Maillardville French Summer Camp
Société francophone de Maillardville in Coquitlam and CPF Tri-cities organize this day-camp which runs for most of July and August. Activities have a focus on French culture and a weekly fieldtrip is planned to places such as the Bridal Falls Waterpark or Fort Langley. The camp is intended for children ages 6-12 with at least one year of French Immersion. More info
Faly Academy
A joint offering of linguistic, cultural and sports camps with the French International School Cousteau (3657 Fromme Road, North Vancouver). More info
Burns Bog French Day Camps Delta, BC
The Burns Bog Conservation Society’s French summer day camps are carefully planned so that your child will have fun learning about aspects of nature. Activities include crafts, experiments, demonstrations, games & team-building activities. More info
Camp Virgule
A fantastic opportunity for children from 6 to 12 years of age to practice their French while having fun. A special program will be built up around entertaining activities, including games, sports, outdoor excursions, visits to the beach and to museums, for a summer that is full of francophone adventures! More info
French Circus Summer School
The Circus Camps are held twice a year during Spring Break and summer. These camps offer professional circus training at beginner and intermediate levels in various disciplines including acrobatics, tightrope, juggling, stilts and more. The camp are in French, but instructions are also given in English. More info
UBC French for Teens Only
Offered through UBC Continuing Studies, teens 15-18 years old can become acquainted with classroom study in a university environment. Week-long intensive French language programs are available to those looking for a pre-university experience without the stress of admission requirements. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn in a short timeframe – and how much fun university can be! More info
BRITISH COLUMBIA
British Columbia Family French Camp
This is a camp suited to the whole family, whether or not the parents speak French. Bring your own tent and take part in the organized activities, including sing-along campfires. Camps are held in three locations around the province. Suitable for children from pre-kindergarten to teen, the camp also offers a counsellor-in-training program. More info
Thompson Rivers University Sports Camps
TRU has been running these successful camps for years. A week-long day camp that offers children the chance to use their French while playing all kinds of sports and games, including a trip to the pool. They are intended for children entering grades 1 to 8 in September and all instruction is in French. Every camper must be a CPF member, as the cost is subsidized by the Kamloops Chapter. More info
QUEBEC
Edu-Inter — A true French Immersion Camp!
Edu-inter, a very unique summer French camp can be found in Quebec City within the campus of College Mérici abutting the Plains of Abrahams! Located in the cradle of French civilization in North America, Quebec City is the only major city in Canada that offers a 100% French speaking environment. The camp operates entirely in French, both in and out of classes and during all activities for maximum learning impact. Staff constantly monitor the students to ensure that French is the spoken language at all times. Edu-Inter offers different programs/activities to meet a variety of student interests. All programs combine French language classes in the morning with a themed afternoon. Length of stay can vary from one week to multiple weeks and afternoon options are pre-selected on a weekly basis (a student can chose to pre-register for the same or for a different afternoon program every week). A choice of lodging of either on-campus residence or home stay (for a more personal experience of Quebec family living and culture) is available. And weekly pedagogical reports are sent to parents! More info
