Playgroup for Yoruba-speaking bilingual families
Our aim with Yoruba Stars Play is to cultivate and celebrate bilingualism, and to help foster friendships and a community of like-minded Yoruba language custodians. Our playgroups are completely volunteer-led and free to attend with no strings attached. It is open to families with children from 0 – 12 years old. During our playdates, adults model peer-to-peer Yoruba conversation, children bond over finding language commonalities, and overall, bilingualism is normalised and ultimately celebrated. We use these playdates as a way to show our children Yoruba in a wider context; outside the home and outside their Yoruba language classes. We want children to see that Yoruba is used by more families than just their own and can be used to have FUN!
For Parents & Children
It’s important to state that Yoruba Stars Play is as much for the parents as it is for the children. Bilingual parenting is hard, and we all need a support system if we’re going to stick with it! While the children play and form friendships at our play dates, the parents can chat about both the challenges and triumphs that come with bilingual parenting, and this can serve as the encouragement a parent needs to stick it out during the tough times.
What does a typical Yoruba Stars Play meet-up look like?
Yoruba Stars Play playdates are meant to provide a fun, laid-back atmosphere where children feel free to play and interact with each other, and parents feel comfortable to chat and make authentic connections. We always meet somewhere where the children will be entertained (a playroom, a playground, a park, etc.) and where the parents will be able to congregate to watch the kids and still be able to enjoy their time together.
Yoruba Stars Play meets every LAST Saturday of the month. On a case-by-case basis, a meet-up may be moved to a different Saturday.
Want a Yoruba Stars Play in your area?
If you’re thinking “Wow, THIS is exactly what my family needs!” then we invite you to fill out this form. We are actively looking to expand around the world based on the areas submitted by YOU!
Priority for new groups will be given to areas that:
- Have one leader or two co-leaders committed to leading
- Have at least two families in that area (besides the leader) who are interested
- Don’t have another group meeting within one hour away (right now as we are being strategic about launches, we need to band together! Why create two tiny groups, when we could have one big thriving community? Once Yoruba Stars Play is well-established all over, we can start doubling up in areas.)
Interested in leading a Yoruba Stars Play?
If you’re a fluent Yoruba speaking Mum or Dad who aligns with our mission and would be able to host regular family play dates, then you might be a great candidate to lead a Yoruba Stars Play in your local area.
The responsibilities of a Yoruba Stars Play Leader are as follows:
- Organising and hosting a Yoruba Stars Play playdate once a month during term time and (optimally) twice a month during summer vacation.
- Making sure the local bilingual community knows when and where you are meeting.
- Staying on-mission and on-brand with the CultureTree philosophy of cultivating and celebrating bilingualism.
- Being a local advocate for bilingualism for all, i.e. welcoming and inclusive.
- Using Yoruba as the predominant language of your group.
Who should not lead the group?
Those who are hoping to use the group for their own financial gain should not lead a Yoruba Stars Play. As a Yoruba Stars Play leader, you would become an extension of the CultureTree brand and what it stands for. Keep in mind that this is a voluntary position, as it is a not-a-for-profit endeavour on our behalf too. All in all, we are looking for individuals who are passionate about Yoruba, bilingualism and know that their own family would benefit from building community around the minority language, and know that other families would as well.