How To Draw The Spanish Flag Symbol

Don't forget to print and give boarding passes

Today we discover the vibrant Spain!

SPAIN

Geography

Have the kids find Spain on the map (click to enlarge)

Compare your country's size with Spain's. Click on the map below to get to the website. You can compare with any other countries.

Have your children try to guess how much bigger -or smaller- is Spain to their own country (one time, two times, ten times).

If your child is older, it is a good occasion to have them write down large numbers that you give them, like population or surface.

While comparing different countries, your kids may notice that some countries have similar sizes, yet very different population numbers. You can explain them the notion of density.

While they draw the flag, explain to them the symbols of this flag:

The colors of the Spanish flag don't have symbolic meaning. They have been chosen to be bright and recognizable. Indeed, in the 18th century, different Bourbon families were reigning in France, Spain and Italy. Back then, they were using white flags with their respective coats of arms on their ships.

However, in 1875, two spanish ships were attacked by allied English ships, thinking they were French (ennemies).

This dramatic event was a scandal in Spain and led King Carlos III to request a new flag.

The King chose a very bright and distinguishable flag and even requested the yellow stripe to be twice as big as the reds for improved visibility!

This flag, initially meant for naval operations, became the national flag a few years later.

picture-signification-espagnol-origine-d

The emblem on the flag is made of 2 columns, with the motto "PLUS ULTRA", that are a reference to Hercules Columns (the detroit of Gibraltar for the ancient Greeks). The crown above the shield symbolises the monarchy.

The coats of arms on the shield represent the historical reigning kingdoms in Spain:

The kingdom of Castile on top left (golden castle).
The kingdom of León on top right (lion on white background)
The kingdom of Aragon on bottom left (red stripes)
The kingdom of Navarre (golden chain with an emerald)
The kingdom of Granada (pomegranate with two green leaves)
The heritage of the Bourbons (fleur-de-lis in the middle)

Next, have them draw the Flag of Spain. It is one of the activities with every country, so have them draw it in a notebook or a binder so they can collect them all in the same place.

Music

Today, we will discover a typical dance and music from Spain, el Flamenco.

Now let's have the kids stand up to learn the basic steps:

Art

Picasso

The most famous artist in the world was born in Spain: Pablo Picasso.

Here is a brief presentation of his life and work:

Now, for your kids to become little Picasso's, let play a little game!

The game is named Roll-a-Picasso. You can play with either of the below graphics.

Roll the dice to chose the head shape, then roll again for the first eyes, etc..until you have a full face. You can then color it. Fell free to add a body shape and some accessories like a hat.

A very fun game, with great results!

TA-DA!

Stella's second try came up really nice:

Gaudi

Gaudi was a spanish architect, who had a huge impact on the landscape of the city Barcelona.

Here is a brief introduction of his work:

Gastronomy

For the lunch, you can do a Tortilla de Patata, a thick spanish omelette with potato.

Mix it with some Spanish cold cut and you get a delicious meal!

Culture

La Corrida (bullfight)

WARNING. This is a controversial subject.

Whether you are pro or against bullfight, la corrida is one of Spain's most iconic traditions.

We have decided not to put a video of a corrida since we were not able to find a "soft" one suitable for younger kids.

We have shown some images to Stella (8) and Zoe (6) and explained to them what was happening and what was a tradition.

It led to a very interesting discussion between them and their mother. Stella seemed to value tradition and the importance of respecting other cultures while Zoé put animal welfare above all.

It is up to you to go ahead and cover this subject or not.

<- Zoe's love message to the Spanish bulls!!

Don't forget to add the Spain stamp to the passport to close the day!