Age Range: 4-6

Skills/Subjects

• Cultural Awareness & Appreciation
• Language and Literacy

Related Episode

• #139: Step by Step

Played in Puerto Rico

Play a Puerto Rican playground game.

Materials

• None

Directions

You and your kids can practice counting in Spanish as you play "Puedo o No Puedo?" a Puerto Rican version of "Mother, May I?" Players line up on a starting line facing the leader (Mamá or Papá), who is standing some distance away. Mamá (or Papá) gives directions to one player at a time: "Laurie, you may take cuatro (four) mouse steps." That player must say: "Mamá, puedo o no puedo?" (PWAY-doh oh no PWAY-doh?), meaning "May I or may I not?" Mamá will answer: "Puedes." (PWAY-dayss) meaning "You may." If a player moves without asking the question, he or she must return to the starting line. The leader continues to tell players, one by one, how to move, naming a number and a special kind of animal step. "Take dos (two) frog steps." "Take cinco (five) pigeon steps." Here is how to say numbers in Spanish up to six:

The first player to get close enough to tag the leader become the next Mamá or Papá. This game and other songs, games, and stories from Puerto Rico are described in "Shake It, Morena!" by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand (2002: The Millbrook Press, Inc. Brookfield, CT).

Talk About It

Hartford, Connecticut is city with many ethnic communities. In this episode, Buster visits a Puerto Rican neighborhood. With your child, talk about some of the things that make Katerina's community special. Draw connections to your own community. What ethnic neighborhoods does your community have? What special things can you find there?

Related Books

• Aunt Elaine Does the Dance from Spain by Leah Komaiko
• Let's Dance by George Ancona
• Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman