How Do Kids Play Around the World? Merida, Mexico

We’re getting together with bloggers from around the world to share their ideas on what “playing” means in our countries, and how kids play around the world. Here’s how we’ve been playing this summer in Merida, Mexico!

Playful Learning Questions:

Where do you live?

We are Tonito, Viviana, Maya, and Ricky, and we’re spending the summer in Merida, Mexico! It is on the Yucatan Peninsula, which is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Merida is inland though, about a half an hour from the beach (which we take the bus to!).

What season is it there now?

It is SUMMER, and very, very hot and humid. Because we are in the rainy/hurricane season, it usually rains a bit in the afternoons. Most places to not have air conditioning, but many houses have high ceilings with fans to keep cool.

What is your favorite way to play?

There are so many fun things to do in and around Merida! We love to go to the main plaza, especially at night when the temperature is a little more comfortable. Kids run around and chase each other, play tag, or play hand games. There are also many parks and plazas and we like to play on the playgrounds. When we go to the beach, we play in the waves or make sandcastles. Sometimes we look for shells or pretty rocks. We love to swim and cool off! We also love to play soccer, but when we don’t have a soccer ball we just use the cap of a water bottle on the pavement.

What do you like most about learning with friends?

Learning with friends is fun- sometimes we go on little field trips to the zoo or museums to learn more about the culture or new vocabulary. When our friends come with we don’t even realize we are learning and practicing our Spanish:).

Since we are learning about how kids play around the world, can you tell us something special or different about where you live or games you play?

Here are a couple of games we play; both start with a song. In the first game, we have to freeze at the end of the clapping game. The first person who moves has to run away and we all try to catch him. In the second game, one person is the wolf (lobo). We sing a song asking him if he is coming, but he keeps answering that he is getting ready (he’s just waking up, or brushing his teeth, or getting dressed). Finally he says he’s coming to get us and we all have to run away. These are both games our Spanish teach taught us and we LOVE to play them!