INTRODUCING LES PETITS LASCARS

We’re a group of volunteer parents who get together to offer children under the age of 6 a stimulating and fun French-speaking environment. Founded in 1992, and subsidised by the New Zealand Ministry of Education, we offer weekly playgroup sessions in three centres around Auckland.

The sessions are semi-structured, offering both free play time, and adult-directed activity time. Each term we have a theme around which our activities are planned. We use French exclusively at Petits Lascars, but acknowledge that each child is at a different stage in their language-learning journey. Each accompanying adult must be French-speaking (native or as a second language).

We apply the principals of the ‘Te Whaariki’ early childhood education curriculum, and offer a variety of activities including craft, songs and group play, all in French.

We think that this environment helps the process of learning the French language. The interaction between different children, and between children and adults allows them to use French outside of the family context, demonstrating that the language is a living part of the wider community. All our activities, amongst other objectives, aim to reinforce the children’s cultural identity by exposing them to customs in different French-speaking countries.

Above all, we have a lot of fun together!

WHO WE ARE

Petits Lascars is managed by a central committee, made up of volunteer parents who run the organisation. The committee meets at least twice a year, and all parents are invited to these meetings, which aim to ensure the good management of the group.

The committee is supported by a team in each centre, which looks after the running of each session, activities, materials required, the centre itself and outings.

The ability of a group like Petits Lascars to function is dependent on the help and dedication of everyone involved. We each invest in the group with the aim of creating a friendly, fun, family environment which supports the process of language-learning for all children present.

OUR SESSIONS

Petits Lascars takes place in three centres each week.

Please note: Each centre closes one day per term for an outing. You can see dates of the next outing for each centre here.

Our group is ideal for children who are already French-speaking, and the aim of the session is to speak French. The accompanying adult must express themselves in French. Please note that les Petits Lascars sessions are reserved for children under the age of 6.

For other options for learning the French language in Auckland, please see here.

WHAT TO BRING

We ask each family to bring a piece of fruit to each session, which will be used for the fruit salad around 10:30am. In each centre, we have a dedicated space for nappy-changing.

Don’t forget your hat, sunscreen and coat, depending on the season!

Come ready to take part in our activities, and if you like, you can bring your lunch to eat together at midday.

THE COST

When you sign-up to Petits Lascars, we ask each family for a sign-up fee of $20. This is a one-off payment per family, no matter how many children in that family take part.

The contribution per term is then payable before the third week of the term, and the same fee applies no matter how many children attend from your family. Term fees are:

• $15 per term per family for the Sunday sessions,

• $25 per term per family for one weekday session per week (for one or more children), or

• $35 per term per family for as many Petits Lascars sessions per week as you like, including Sunday sessions, for one or more children, or

We encourage families to pay by bank deposit to simplify our administration and optimise the Playgroup’s cashflow.

Bank transfers can be made to the Petits Lascars account: 

06-0241-0956441-04

A TYPICAL SESSION (approximately)

9/9:30 – 10:15: Everyone arrives, we prepare the fruit salad (each adult preparing their own fruit), free play for the children

10:15 – 10:30: Welcome song, other songs and nursery rhymes

10:30: Fruit salad for the children

10:45: Activity or free play

11:30/11:45: Tidy up begins

Then: We have lunch together on-site if we like

EXCURSIONS

Each Petits Lascars centre has an outing once per term. Outings are organised by each centre, the details of which are communicated by email. The outing dates for this term can be found here.

WEEKEND CATCH-UPS

In addition to the Sunday playgroup sessions at the Takapuna centre, “Les Lascars du Weekend” usually meets once per term in the weekend. Picnics, museum visits, luging adventures, hiking, and train trips are just some examples of past outings.

While “Les Lascars du Weekend” is a bilingual event, targeting French-speaking families in Auckland, we do ask that at least one person in the family speaks French fluently. These events are open to children of all ages.

To stay up to date on details of the next outing, please sign-up to join our mailing list.

WOULD YOU LIKE MORE INFO?

Please get in touch!