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Learning notes
Language objective
Organising playdates for your children
How to ask for a playdate
- What about we set up a playdate for the kids this Saturday?
- They can hang out at ours.
- Perhaps you are available to join us?
- What about we pencil in 2pm?
- My son is having a sleepover this weekend.
- We’ll be checking in on them.
- Would he like to come?
Ways to accept a playdate invitation
- I can drop him off at 1pm.
- I’ll pick him up at 3pm.
- I can drive him to yours.
- Appreciate it!
- What time should we meet up?
- See you then!
Ways to decline a playdate invitation
- Thank you for the invite, but we can’t make it. Sorry!
- Weekdays have been hectic, so we are trying to keep weekends for family time.
- Thank you though!
- Maybe next time!
Vocabulary:
Settle into – to start to feel comfortable
Non-stop – all the time
Set up something – make a specific time for something/schedule
Playdate – a time that is arranged for children to play together
Hang out – to spend time with someone
Drop off – to take someone or something to a particular place, usually by car
Pick up – to go somewhere to collect someone, usually by car
Let’s go to yours – let’s go to your house
Let’s go to ours – let’s go to our house
Acquaintance – someone you know only a little
Skateboarding – a popular sport in which a person rides a board with four wheels
Sleepover – a night that children spend at a friend's house
Movie night – a night on which friends watch movies together
To check in with someone – to make contact with someone to find out how they are
To decline – a formal way to say no or to refuse
Hectic – busy
Family time – time that is spent with family
To socialise – to mix with other people
Colloquial expressions:
How ya goin’? is an expression used to ask someone how they are. It is often used informally instead of hello.
To pencil in means to put someone or something in a schedule, to agree to do something.
Saying see you is a way of saying goodbye to someone. It can be used whether or not you are going to meet each other soon.
To be in the same boat means to be in the same difficult situation as other people.
Cultural information:
Playdates are times when children meet and play. They are usually organised by their parents. Usually, at least one parent is present during the playdate.
The kind of playdates parents arrange varies. Playdates can be at home, in a park or in other places where children can do activities and spend time together.
Sleepovers are a kind of playdate where children spend the night in their friend’s home.
Playdates are good for children because they help them to develop language, social skills and problem-solving skills. They also help build friendships, and of course, they’re a lot of fun!
