The World Cup is almost here… Are you ready for Fútbol fever?

Fútbol, as it is called in Spanish, has been a part of my life since forever.  I remember my dad watching it on TV and I remember the first time he explained it to me “You can only use your feet, no hands. Only the goal keeper can use his hands.” Growing up when I spent summers in Guayaquil, it was always soccer fever when the local teams played.

Now that I’m married and a mom, soccer is still very much part of my life. Having married a Frenchman, I can tell you… there’s a whole lot of soccer-watching in our home… and we want our little boy to love the sport as well.

If you follow me on Instagram (Pause… OF COURSE you follow me on Instagram, how silly to even ask…) you know that I have been counting down to the World Cup. I’m SO excited. First of all, unlike the Super Bowl or the NBA Finals or the Stanley Cup (all sports we don’t follow at home) the FIFA World Cup comes once every four years. Second, it isn’t about a team… it’s about a country. You support your country, even if you know that it doesn’t have much chance of winning. Even if your country isn’t among the favorites, going to the World Cup is still a big deal. Over 180 countries in the world, and only 32 go.

If you don’t know what teams are playing, here are the groups:

The World Cup is a great opportunity to talk to your kids about the world, to introduce your kids to different cultures! I’m delighted to be part of the Multicultural Kids Blogs World Cup Kids’ Project.

What does the project entail?  Bloggers from all over the world have joined together to share with us information on each country participating in the World Cup. As each team plays, a blogger will share a post about that country. It’s a great way to incorporate learning into the fun of the World Cup!  Since I came late to the game, (no pun intended), I was too late to get France, Ecuador or USA… I will be sharing Argentina with you. 

For the meantime, let me share some great links to get you started, and don’t forget to check out all the fab bloggers working on this project!

Soccer books:  Soccer Themed Books for Kids

Open Wide the World’s Facebook page: Free Downloads! 

Multicultural Kids Blogs Pinterest Page has TONS of cool stuff!