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Teaching your child about other cultures is a fun and engaging way to get them thinking outside the box. It also prepares them for life in an increasingly globalized and diverse world! Why not take the opportunity this October 23rd to celebrate Hungarian Republic Day with your child?
Hungarian Republic Day commemorates both the Hungarian people’s revolt against the Soviet Union in 1956, and the creation of Hungary in 1989. Your kids might be surprised to learn that Hungary wasn’t even considered a country until very recently, 32 years ago. You can teach them a lot about Hungarian culture, history, and heritage through these fun resources, recipes, and crafts!
Hungarian Republic Day Learning Activities
Here are a handful of useful online resources to help teach your child about Hungary and the Hungarian Revolution.
National Today has a simple, concise summary of the Hungarian Revolution on their page about Hungarian Republic Day. They also recommend some more advanced reads on the history of Hungary, and suggest a few ways to celebrate.
Let your kid browse DLTK kids’ informational webpage on Hungary. This amusing and simple guide to fun facts about Hungary also includes printable Hungarian crafts!
Or, you can have your child enjoy creating a Hungarian history and culture presentation board with info from this fact sheet by Leaders Connecting Leaders! They also offer a free printable Hungary bingo game that is both fun and educational.
This Virtual Hungarian Tour from Local Passport Family contains a multitude of online learning resources, including a video that teaches basic Hungarian phrases in just 20 minutes, a free printable Hungarian flag coloring page, fun facts, and more!
Hungarian Recipes to Make with your Kids
Cooking with your child is an enriching activity for both of you on any day of the year! You strengthen your bond with your child and get to watch them learn and grow, and your child learns to follow instructions, stimulates their senses, and increases their number skills, plus so much more! Take advantage of Hungarian Republic Day to teach your child about Hungarian history and culture while getting all the benefits of cooking, with these exciting, kid-friendly Hungarian recipes!
Hungarian Goulash
This recipe from Easy Science for Kids comes with an explanation of the origins of the dish, related vocabulary words, and lots of informative fun facts!
Nudli
These delicious fried potato dumplings will entice even the pickiest eaters. I mean, who doesn’t want fried mashed potatoes? Grab the recipe from Budapest Cooking SchooL and share endless sensory fun mashing potatoes and mixing them into dumpling dough!
Aranygaluska
Hungarian is known as one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn, and the name of this delicious baked desert will no-doubt trip up your kid’s tongue! Regardless, it’s a delicious pull-apart bread for the whole family featuring apricot jam and walnut filling. Your child will be asking for more even if they don’t know how to! Check out the recipe on Kosher.com.
Hungarian Arts and Crafts for Kids
Crafting is so much more than just a great way to improve your child’s fine motor skills and creativity at the same time, it’s also a core aspect of Hungarian culture. Hungarian folk art and handicrafts are renowned worldwide for their quality and intricacy. Just some of the handcrafted items Hungarian craftspeople pride themselves on include leather goods, handwoven articles, and even ornaments crafted from horsehair and animal horns! In the absence of those specific crafting materials, try some of these handicrafts to get into the spirit of Hungarian Republic Day.
Hand-Painted Wooden Tulip Pendants
These pendants feature Hungary’s national flower, the tulip! Most people think Holland when they think of tulips, but Hungary also honors this attractive bloom. Also featured are other flower designs which are reminiscent of traditional Hungarian folk art. Adorn yourself with these beautiful wooden pendants with instructions and easy-to-follow printable patterns from Craft Paper Scissors.
Hand-Woven Crafts
Weaving is one of the arts and crafts at which Hungarians have historically excelled. It is foundational to their tradition of handcrafting. Weaving also greatly improves kids’ hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. So why not break out some yarn and try some of these easy and accessible beginner weaving crafts from Happy Hooligans with your child?
Basic Leatherworking Crafts
Leather crafting is also very traditional to Hungary. It requires manual strength and dexterity, and involves some sharp implements that should be handled with adult help or close supervision, but that doesn’t mean kids can’t craft with leather! In fact, Artists Helping Children has created a parent’s guide to leather crafting with kids that will teach you and your child the basics of leather crafting safely. They also have a selection of easy-to-execute leather crafts for kids, to practice your new skills on.
Hungarian Games and Activities for Kids
One of these traditional Hungarian games might just become your child’s new favorite activities!
Fun with Forfeits
There are many classic Hungarian children’s games which utilize song and dance in a specific, unique way. These games are generally known as forfeits, and involve songs with specific movements coordinated to the lyrics. A group of children perform the song and movements together in a circle, and if someone makes a mistake, they have to leave the circle. As the circle narrows and the competition gets more exciting! The last child not eliminated is declared the winner.
Here’s an Americanized example you can try at home. Get everyone together in a circle, and pull up chairs for everyone. Sing My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean together, but every time you sing a word that starts with the letter B, move from standing to sitting or from sitting to standing. It’s harder than you’d think! If (or rather, when) someone goofs, narrow down the circle until you have a winner!
Hungarian Hopscotch
For kids in Hungary, Hopscotch has a few extra rules which make it more engaging and challenging. When you throw the stone (or bean-bag or ball if you’re playing indoor hopscotch) and you get to the square where it landed, you have to balance it on your head or your fingertip before throwing it again! This presents an added motor challenge to make the traditional game a little tougher.
If you’ve enjoyed these suggestions on how to enrich your child’s life by exposing them to other cultures, keep checking the Wondrfly Blog for updates on what you can do to celebrate all kids of holidays and occasions!
Looking for ways to occupy your little one all throughout the year? Search Wondrfly for the best kids’ activities in Jersey City and online!
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