How to: The Snacks & Kitchen Box

From my teenager to my three-year-old, our family is using German together.Ā 


– Elizabeth Klemm –

My kids spoke Italian to their Nonno (Grandpa). He was shocked at first and then teary-eyed as none of his grandchildren have ever spoken Italian.

– Kimberly Toti –Ā 

My kids are having actual conversations around the kitchen tableā€¦ in Hebrew!

– Judy Rich-

Challenge 1: Snack Time


Are you ready to talk together in another language?! šŸ„³ Starting today, youā€™ll use full sentences togetherā€”going beyond memorizing vocabulary words because… you’ll be using vocabulary in grammatically correct sentences! All while snacking. Easy and yummy. šŸ¤¤

Using phrases from the beginning to the end of snack time will increase your recall, prompt you to use the language whenever youā€™re snacking (aka all the time), and allow you to hold a conversation in another language. And most phrases are transferable to mealtime. šŸ’šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø So letā€™s start whining, ā€œIā€™m hungry,ā€ in another language! šŸ¤—

Working through the Challenge

  • Start with the replies to questions in different sections. Then work on the questions. Add additional phrases from there.
  • Older children: Ask your parent if they want a snack whenever you get yourself one.
  • Younger children: Itā€™s okay to start by saying a word or two as you learn.

Talking to one person vs. two or more people changes how you say a phrase. Start by addressing one person at a time.

We recommend starting with honorific phrases. Many Korean families teach their children to talk this way.

When to move on to the Next Challenge

According to your pacing, spend 1 – 4 weeks in this challenge completing as many practice sessions as comfortable for your family. When your time is up, move on to the next challenge. See more details here.

Challenge 2: The Snack Chart


Not only does this challenge have fun illustrations for you to quickly find the snacks you want to eat and share, but youā€™ll distinctly see the different parts of sentences as you build them. šŸ‘·šŸ¼ā€ā™€ļø Plus, tasty snacks = more talking! šŸ¤©

Youā€™ll feel your confidence grow as you easily use phrases you already know with new vocabulary and expand on the vocabulary you already know with new phrases. šŸ¤øšŸ¾ā€ā™‚ļø

As you snack, youā€™ll naturally familiarize yourself with patterns and exceptions, which are foundational for fluently (easily and accurately) building your own sentences! šŸ‘øšŸ½šŸ¤“šŸ¼

Working through the Challenge

  • Start with foods you have and stock up on some of your childā€™s favorite snacks so they can ask for them.
  • Older children: Ask your parent if they want snacks that you know arenā€™t their favorite. 
  • Younger children: Nod or shake your head as your parent brushes your teeth at night and asks if you ate certain foods today.

In gendered languages where the article  ā€œaā€ changes to match the gender of the item, use your phrases so often that you naturally know which word to useā€”just like a native speaker.

Youā€™ll notice that ā€œappleā€ and ā€œapplesā€ are the same word. Food items donā€™t have both singular and plural forms. Like, popcorn and broccoli in English!

When to move on to the Next Challenge

According to your pacing, spend 1 – 4 weeks in this challenge completing as many practice sessions as comfortable for your family. When your time is up, move on to the next challenge. See more details here.

Challenge 3: Kitchen Label Cards


The requests, questions, and responses on these label cards transform using common kitchen items into powerful experiences that make the phrases second natureā€”trumping rote memorization. šŸ¤“ Youā€™ll gain an ear for diverse grammatical patterns and be able to use these sentence structures outside the kitchen! šŸ„šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø

With over 40 cards, you choose what works for your kitchen and put your current cards next to the items, which reminds you to use your phrases! ā° All of these phrases require action or visible information, fast-tracking the connection between whatā€™s being said and what it means. āš”ļø

Working through the Challenge

  • Only work on one to a few cards at a time. 
  • Start with a phrase that is similar across a couple of cards. Then work on the next phrase for those cards. As you build confidence, work on more varied phrases.
  • Kids: Choose one person to be the ā€œchore boss.ā€ The boss says the phrase and someone else does the chore. Rotate chore boss.

Kitchens have historically been unfitted (the pieces arenā€™t built into the room) and are still evolving to fitted kitchens in many countries, so words like ā€œcounterā€ and ā€œpantryā€ are also evolving.

The kitchen is an intimate gathering place for a family, so the names of kitchen items sometimes vary from one household to another.

When to move on to the Next Box

According to your pacing, spend 1 – 4 weeks in this challenge completing as many practice sessions as comfortable for your family. When your time is up, move on to the next box. See more details here.