CA For Kids

Learning German for Kids in Southern California -NEWS

March 22, 2015 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

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German Immersion Outdoor Camp – July 26 to August 1, 2015

It’s that time of the year again to start thinking about summer camps. In three more months the children will be out of school and summer vacation will have started! If you plan on having your child expand on his or her German language skills, there is exciting news.

GASA (German American School Association of SoCal) offers its German Immersion Outdoor Camp again. This year the camp will take place at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Orange, Southern California and promises fun for everyone! Seven days and six nights full of adventure, with special activities like zip lining, swimming a 136ft. water slide and archery are on the itinerary. Activities will all be conducted in GERMAN and include fishing, sports, crafting, baking, nature hikes and more. This year children will also experience the thrills of a planetary walk.

WHAT: German Immersion Outdoor Camp WHEN: July 26-August 1, 2015 WHERE: Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Orange COST: $650 For children ages 7 to 16. For more info refer to www.germanschool4kids.org .

NEW German Flag Program at Theodore Roosevelt Middle School, Glendale

Middle School students within the Glendale school district can now continue their studies of the German language beyond elementary school. With Franklin Magnet School of Glendale having offered a bilingual immersion program in German from Kindergarten on for the last few years, graduating six-graders can now move on with their studies in German by attending Theodore Roosevelt Middle School in Glendale.

Theodore Roosevelt Middle School in Glendale, CA is excited to welcome the GERMAN FLAG program to the school next year! The school is one of the oldest schools in Glendale and recently underwent an expansive modernization of the campus. The school has an extensive partnership with JPL/NASA and has been named the first NASA Explorer School in the Glendale school district in 2007. “With our new school bell schedule adding 7 periods to each child’s daily schedule, all students will be able to take an exciting elective in addition to their GERMAN Language Arts class!” says Mary Mason, the middle school’s principal. The students have progressed in the district’s GERMAN FLAG program since kindergarten, and can continue now into middle school here at Roosevelt.

For more information on the school and its program, please contact the school at (818) 242-6845 or mmason(at)gusd.net.

Images: GASA & Thedodore Roosevelt Middle School, Gendale

Fall 2015 Enrollment for Tivoli Rainbow Kindergarten in L.A. is starting now

December 29, 2014 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

2015 Enrollment for Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool has started!

The L.A. school offers a play-based and developmentally oriented environment where children are able to explore who they are and what they can do according to their own capabilities.

Besides nature outdoor play, children will be involved in seasonal stories and poems, singing, crafts, cooking, gardening, painting, music, and movement.
Small class sizes, and four to one teacher ratio allow the teachers to spend high quality time with each child.

Bi-lingualism is one component of the school’s daily rhythm. Tivoli incorporates bilingualism and makes it easy for children to learn through activities in their daily routine. The school’s vision is to create a platform for German speaking families to sustain their heritage within the next generation by teaching their children the German language and culture in a playful environment.

Find out more about Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool at www.tivolikindergartenla.com or send an email to TivoliRainbowGarden@gmail.com

Die Einschreibung fuer Herbst 2015 der Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool hat begonnen!

Wir sind ein auf Spiel basierender, entwicklungsorientier Kindergarten, angelehnt an die Waldorf Philosophie. Wir bieten den Kindern eine naturnahe und liebevolle Umgebung, in der sie lernen Konflikte untereinander gewaltfrei zu lösen.
Ueber das Jahr verteilt feiern wir traditionelle deutsche und englische Feste fuer die ganze Familie.

Tivoli liegt entfernt der grossen Strassen zwischen West LA und Santa Monica.

Noch haben wir Plaetze fuer den Herbst 2015, sowohl im Vormittags als auch im Nachmittags Programm. Schauen Sie fuer eine Tour vorbei.

Fuer mehr Information besuchen Sie bitte unsere Website www.TivoliKindergartenLA.com

Um eine Besichtigung zu vereinbaren schreiben Sie uns bitte unter TivoliRainbowGarden@gmail.com

Enchanted Halloween and Lantern Parade for children in L.A.

October 21, 2014 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Holiday celebrations are approaching slowly and we know that the year is coming to an end whether we like it or not.

The countdown starts out with the American celebration of Halloween on October 31, which is a much more fun way to start into November than the observation of our German holidays Allerseelen and Allerheiligen on November 1 and 2.

Shortly after, children in Germany are looking forward to celebrate Saint Martin’s Day. Highlight of that special day on November 11 is the traditional Lantern parade when kids present their often hand crafted lanterns to their friends while walking the neighborhood and singing lantern songs.

Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool in Los Angeles has these two events covered for you and your children.

If you are looking for some Halloween Party for your youngsters with a little German touch, then this might be for you.

ENCHANTED HALLOWEEN in Los Angeles

Meet the Queen of Fairies in the Sparkling Garden of Lights and get enchanted with her magic! All children ages one to seven are welcome. Come in your favorite costumes, but please no scary ones.

Please RSVP to TivoliRainbowGarden@gmail.com

WHEN: Sunday, October 26th at 6:45pm

WHERE: Tivoli Rainbow Garden School , 3170 Stoner Ave, Mar Vista, CA 90066

LATERNENUMZUG – Lantern Parade in West L.A.

Walk your lantern with other children in West L.A. at the Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool!

WHEN: Wednesday, 12. November 2014

WHERE: Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool, 3170 Stoner Ave , Mar Vista, CA 90066

INFO: www.tivolikindergartenla.com

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"KinderTag" with the German American School Association

September 19, 2014 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

The German American School Association of Southern California (GASA) is celebrating Deuscher Kindertag 2014 (German Children’s Day) and invites to a fun-filled afternoon. There will be music, dance, arts and crafts as well as other activities to celebrate German Children’s Day. Refreshments will be offered as well.

As part of the fun children can learn to dance and play the spoons, enjoy sing-alongs and make music with Livia Wielath, do arts & crafts and can take part in a book raffle.

WHEN: Sunday, September 28, 2014, 1-4 PM

WHERE: Los Angeles Turner Center, 8946 Sepulveda Eastway, Los Angeles, CA 90045

ADMISSION: This event is FREE, but reservations are required due to limited seating.

RSVP by September 25 by email to cordelia.zastrow@gasaschool.org or by calling 562-693-0223.

"O'zapft is" in California- Oktoberfest 2014 is Calling

September 10, 2014 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

O’zapft is !

Yes, its time again for Oktoberfest! But it’s only September you may say…

That’s correct. And originally Oktoberfest had actually been in October, precisely on October 17, 1810. On that day the royal Bavarian newlyweds, crown prince Ludwig von Bayern and princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, got honored with a royal horse race on the “Wiesn” (Munich’s Theresienwiese). This horse race was also the highlight of the weeklong wedding festivities .

From that time on the horse race event turned into a yearly “Volksfest”, a public festival, which eventually got moved to late September instead of October. Over the years the event became bigger, and eateries and fun rides were added. The duration of the event got extended as well, from one day to several days to the now two weeks of Oktoberfest.

Custom is, that the last week of the two-week Oktoberfest is still in October!

Today Munich’s Oktoberfest is the biggest “Volksfest” (public festival) in the world and attracts about six million visitors yearly!

Oktoberfest in California

Celebrating Oktoberfest doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be in Munich. One can find some kind of Oktoberfest version almost anywhere these days. This is also the case for California, where Oktoberfest festivities are happening up and down the State.

Here are some suggestions, that were brought to our attention. An extensive listing of Oktoberfest sites can be found here.

Now get out your Dirndl and Lederhosen and …auf geht’s!

The GACC Oktoberfest in San Francisco

The German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) will bring Germany’s most famous fest to the Bay Area again this year – September 25, 2014!
Join in for an authentic evening with delicious German food and Hofbräu beer provided by San Francisco’s restaurant Speisekammer. The Oktoberfest bands Blow Music! and Bayern Maiden will rock the house again!

You can buy Schmankerl Tickets for $55 that will treat you to Pretzel, Schweinebraten (Roasted pork in beer sauce) or Bratwurst with Sauerkraut and potato salad. One litre of beer is included, and you can keep the Masskrug (1l beer mug) as a souvenir !
The other option is a beer ticket admission for $25, that will treat you to 0.5 l of beer including the mug to take home.

WHEN: September 25, 2014 | 5 – 10 pm
WHERE: Fort Mason, Conference Center (Building A)
TICKETS: Available on the GACC website, or click here

Los Angeles OKTOBERFEST

Los Angeles Oktoberfest ® will open its doors again this year for a two-day event, October 4 & 5 at the Beverley Hills Country Club.
Enjoy live entertainment from Bavarian Dancers to a Stein Holding Contest and much more. Traditional food and beer will be available for purchase while lively tunes and leading sing-along’s of old time drinking songs will keep you going.

At the opening ceremony city officials will welcome everyone with the traditional Tapping of the Keg. This Bavarian custom will officially tap the first keg of German beer by hammering a wooden mallet with a bronze spout into the keg — and then…”O’zapft is!”

General Admission is $35 per person ( 1liter glass stein, and 1 fill up with your favorite beer)

Tickets to this event are available here. All monies raised will benefit local charities Vista Del Mar & Chill Los Angeles.

WHEN: October 4th & 5th, 2014
WHERE: Beverly Hills Country Club, 3084 Motor Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90064
TICKETS: Available at LAoktoberfest.com or click here

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Oakland Nature Friends & Tourist Club Oktoberfest

Oakland Nature Friends and Tourist Club hosts its Oktoberfest, Sunday October 5th, from 12-6pm.
This is a fabulous family event. In addition to all the fun, food, drink, live music, and dancing of Oktoberfest, there will also be hikes, horseshoes and yodeling this year, and additional games, dances, and other activities especially for our younger members and guests.

There is something for everyone of all ages at the Oakland Nature Friends’ Oktoberfest!

Tickets to the event are sold on the Club’s website and are $10 ( plus $0.75 online processing fee) for adults. Children under 14 are FREE.

WHEN: Sunday, October 5, 2014 • 12pm – 6pm
WHERE: 3115 Butters Drive, Oakland, California
TICKETS: Available at the Club’s website or click here

Photos: München.de, GACC, LaOktoberfest, Oakland Nature Friends & Tourist Club

Summer in California – Let the Adventure Begin

June 26, 2014 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Cool Places to Stay to Make this Summer Special

Summer vacation has started for so many families in California! School is out and summer is rolling in. Are you ready for the fun?

Make it a Californian vacation if you are not traveling overseas to visit family and friends. There is so much to see and do right here, and summer especially is the perfect time to go and experience California inside-out.

Take your family on the spectacular scenic route along the coast, on the famous Highway 1, covering San Francisco all the way to Santa Barbara or even San Diego. Along the way take in not only the stunning views but also some history, and visit some of California’s historical treasures, the early missions. The “Queen of the Missions” you’ll find in Santa Barbara, but don’t miss the one in Carmel, which was the 2nd California mission built in Moorish design in 1770, and the one in San Luis Obispo, which has a rare collection of early California photographs.
Along the way stop in one of the following quite unusual lodgings. They are for sure not your typical hotel, but you will undoubtedly add character to your trip!

Live The Life Of The Wild West

Would you like to go back in time and experience living like the Indians or does the life of an early American settler during the Gold Rush appeal more to you? Along the Coast you can settle in for some great adventurous overnight stays, and choose between staying in furnished tepees at Ventura Ranch KOA in Santa Paula or having a camp out in covered Gold Rush wagons arranged around camp fire pits at Rancho Oso Guest Ranch & Resort .

If this is too rustic for you and you would rather have it a bit more luxurious, give Flying Flags RV Resort a try. Vintage Airstream trailers still give you the feeling you are camping, but you can enjoy all the amenities of our modern times. In these glamorously restored and updated vintage Airstream models you’ll get the latest in technology like an iPad bar, and you can enjoy a 21st century camping vacation in an iconic setting.

Staying Aboard But Not In The Open Ocean

Okay, early California life is not for you, but you have always dreamed of owning your own vessel, and you wish nothing more than to be rocked to sleep softly by the waves . Dockside Boat & Bed in Long Beach offers you just that. Feel like a captain for a night. The quite different Bed & Breakfast Inn offers a variety of boat types to chooses from, from luxurious to cozy. Located near the Convention Center many Long Beach attractions can be reached on foot.

The queenly neighbor of Dockside Boat & Bed Inn is just around the corner. Queen Mary, historic ocean liner gone hotel, let’s you step back in time. Originally built in 1936 the luxury liner did 1001 transatlantic crossings and is now berthed in Long Beach. Book one of the historic staterooms for a night and feel like going on a transatlantic voyage during the 1940’s. The location is prime, close to the Aquarium of the Pacific, Shoreline Village and the revamped downtown of Long Beach. The Queen Mary Hotel offers an all-round experience, so while you are aboard make sure to check out the various tours that bring alive the glamorous history of this majestic ocean liner. It might give you a glimpse into why the Queen Mary has been voted one of the Top 10 Most Haunted Places in America!

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Photos: Tepee by Ventura Ranch Koa; Queen Mary by Twentieth Century Ocean Liners

Mayfaire and Sommerfest – Celebrate with German Schools in SoCal and NoCal

May 23, 2014 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Summer and the end of the school year is near. This means outdoor celebrations, open houses, parties and more. What a fun way to find out about some German Schools that are out here in California! Attending an Open house is a great way to get a feel for an institution’s vibe.

If you are interested in a particular German school in California (many of them are listed under “Resources” on our website), call them up and see if they have an end of year celebration or other community event.

Here are some events coming up in SoCal and NoCal:

Annual MAYFAIRE at Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool

Tivoli Rainbow Garden Preschool in Los Angeles holds its annual Mayfaire. Having moved to a new location over the past year, the school is inviting to its new location to join in on the fun.

Lots of entertainment, delicious food, fairies, a bazaar and for the fist time there will be a “Kasperle Theater” this year! Besides there will be performances by the Tivoli children, and musical entertainment will be provided by the very own Tivoli house band! The fun begins on May 31st, 2014, from 11am-2pm at 3170 Stoner Ave., Los Angeles, CA 9006

SOMMERFEST and 25th BIRTHDAY of GAIS – the German-American International School

A school that is celebrating a major milestone this year is the German-American International School (GAIS) in Menlo Park up in Northern California. They are celebrating their 25th year this June! Happy Birthday!

If you want to join them for their Sommerfest and 25th Birthday Carnival, then mark the date: Saturday, June 14th, 2014, from 2pm-5pm.

A fun day awaits you with Magic Show, Clowns, Games, Surprises, good food and so much more. For more information please call GAIS at +1 650 324 8617 or visit www.gais.org. The Sommerfest will be on the school grounds located at 275 Elliott Drive, Menlo Park CA 94025

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Photos:

German Summer Camps in Southern California – 2014

May 16, 2014 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Summer Camps 2014 – Plan in some German Immersion

Have you planned out your summer yet? If you are looking for some entertaining camp, where children not only have fun but can also improve their German language skills, then please read on.

Two new German immersion schools, which opened doors just last year, are offering some fun and engaging summer camps for kids to stay cool in the sun this year.

Ute’s Kinderschule located on beautiful South Lake in Irvine, Orange County, serves children ages 3-6, and German Pacific School in San Diego is geared towards children from ages 2 1/2 all the way up to teenagers and beyond.

Ute’s Kinderschule

Here parents can sign up for nine different week-long camps that start June 30th, 2014, and conclude with a camp that starts the last week of August. Every week has a different theme: from German Cooking to German Games to discovering Science through Art Experiments and much more. Camps are offered half day (8am-12:30pm) or full day (8am-4pm), and a fresh organic home cooked lunch will be provided daily.

For more information please contact the school directly at UtesKinderSchule@gmail.com or www.UtesKinderSchule.com or call (949)786-3877 .

German Pacific School San Diego

Located on the Clairmont Campus in San Diego the school offers four different half-day and full-day camps. Every week there are various camps to choose from which are geared to different age groups. Perfect for siblings, who all can attend camp at the same time, but learn among their own age group.

A variety of camps is planned out to engage children from ages 4 to 7, and ages 8 to 10 and up. The German immersion camps cover topics such as “Strategy, Logic and Board Game Design” as well as “Architecture and Construction” for the older kids, and “Camp Märchenland” and “Puppet Building” for the younger children.

The highlight of the four different camp sessions will be the last week of camp, called “Balboa Park Safari”, which will take place at the “German Cottage” in Balboa Park, made possible by House of Germany. The “German Cottage” will serve as the base for this week-long camp of museums’ excursions! After visiting a museum the campers will retreat to the cottage to discuss and write about their day, and this all in German !

Check out the different camps on the school’s website, or contact the school at germanpacificschool@gmail.com or call (858)461-9118 .

Photo: Ute’s Kinderschule

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German Immersion Outdoor Science Camp from June 29-July 4, 2014

A Walk through Elizabethan England in California – Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale

May 2, 2014 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Even if it’s just for a day, but wouldn’t it be fun to escape into a different time period just to get a feeling for how life might have been back then? That’s exactly what the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale seeks to do; to have you experience Shakespearean times, to be more precise.

Already in the parking lot you might come across some people, who appear to just have popped out of Elizabethan England, but they are in fact serious Renaissance fair visitors ready to have some fun in “their” century. As soon as you have crossed the entrance to the fair, your time travel has begun. You are being greeted in old English, you can witness how different trades are doing their work with authentic tools, and dance along to the music of the various minstrels.

You can stock up on swords, magic wands, medieval cooking ware and such, and of course find new additions to your medieval wardrobe. The renaissance experience stops when it comes to food. Even though set in an old market scene the food vendors are selling food one encounters at every American fair. Most authentic among gyros, hamburgers, pasta and such seems here the ‘oh so familiar’ smoked turkey leg and grilled corn on the cob.

If you have been to some European medieval festivals, and expect to see the same authenticity here in Irwindale you might find it a bit disappointing, but walking through this California Renaissance fair unbiased can make for a very fun and quite different entertaining outing. Our pictures below are proof!

The Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale is still open for three more fun-filled weekends, until May18th, 2014, form 10am-7pm.

Location: Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area – Irwindale, CA 15501 East Arrow Highway, Irwindale, CA (15 miles East of Los Angeles, 35 miles West of San Bernardino, 35 miles North of Long Beach)

Tickets: www.renfair.com

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German Immersion Outdoor Science Camp from June 29-July 4, 2014

February 28, 2014 by Cornelia 1 Comment

It might seem a bit early to think of summer just yet. But hey, we are already at the end of February and I remember 2014 just having started!!

For everyone planning for summer 2014, and especially looking into summer activities for their children, here is a great camp for kids. Organized by The German American School Association of SoCal this year’s camp will be at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Orange. Having taken place in Big Bear last year, this camp has become very popular since its inception three years ago. For 6 days and 5 nights the children will be immersed in a complete German language environment. They will visit a geode, gold and coal mine under the guidance of a geologist; can experience special activities such as zip lining and archery, or just swim and slide down a 136 ft. water slide!

Activities such as crafting, baking, fishing and nature hikes will all be conducted in German. So if you don’t plan on going to visit family in Germany, Austria or Switzerland this year, have your children participate in a German Immersion Camp instead, and let them make German friends over cosy campfires right here in California.

The GASA German Immersion Outdoor Science Camp is for ages 7-16 and will take place at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Orange, CA, from June 29-July4, 2014.

Cost for the Camp is $575.00. Sign up by March 15, to receive an early bird discount!

To sign up or find out more about it please call the GASA office at (562) 693-0223 or email at office@GASAschool.org

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Photo: GASA German American School Association

German Camp in Big Bear: http://californiagermans.com/2013/09/24/memories-of-a-fun-german-summer-camp-at-big-bear-lake/

German Summer Camps in 2013: http://californiagermans.com/2013/05/27/german-immersion-summer-camps-in-california-for-summer-2013/