H is for Hungary: Hungary For Kids Virtual Tour

Welcome to H is for Hungary for the Global Children’s Book Club! Today we’ll be going on a virtual tour of Hungary for kids. Get ready for a fun and inspiring Hungary virtual field trip – perfect for global education at home or for a Hungary homeschooling unit.

You can find the full list of countries for the book club right HERE. Be sure to sign up for the email list to get all the information in advance and to receive fun extras!

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Here’s the 2020 Global Children’s Book Club discussion schedule!

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H is for Hungary: Hungary Virtual Tour for Kids

Featured Hungary Book

Roses in the Snow by Dessi Jackson (Author), Lydia Grace Kadar-Kallen (Illustrator)

Author Read Aloud

Roses in the Snow Picture Book Discussion Questions

• What were some Hungarian cultural traditions you noticed in the book? Foods?
• Have you ever moved to a new place? How did you or how would you meet new people and make new friends?
• Have you ever had a situation when someone didn’t like you, maybe even a family member? How did you handle the situation?

Other Hungary Books for Kids

Hungary Facts

• The capital of Hungary is Budapest.
• The official name is the Republic of Hungary.
• János Áder is the current President of Hungary.
• Hungary is located in Central Europe.
• Hungary borders 7 countries.
• Hungarian is the official language of Hungary. 98% of the population speaks it!
• Though Hungary is a member of the European Union, it does not use the Euro. The currency in Hungary is the forint. $1 USD ~ 309 Hungarian forint.
• Hungary tends to have fairly warm and dry summers and fairly cold winters.
• Hungary does not have an official religion, and does have freedom of religion. Christianity is the main religion practiced.
• The primary industries are mining, metallurgy, construction, and tourism.
• The life expectancy in Hungary is about 76 years old.
• Buda and Pest were two different cities on opposite sides of the river. They joined in 1873.
• Because Hungary has a number of natural hot springs, there are around 1500 thermal spas and public baths!
• The Rubik’s cube was invented in Hungary!
• Harry Houdini was born in Hungary.
• The spice paprika is very valuable and used to be used as currency.
• The Dohany Street Synagogue is the largest in Europe and 2nd largest in the world! It seats 3,000 people.

Color in Hungary on this map of Europe!

Hungary for Kids: Flag Activity

Flag from HERE

HERE is a fun printable Hungary flag coloring sheet!

Hungary Virtual Tour to a Featured Landmark: Fishermen’s Bastion & Buda Castle

Fisherman’s Bastion is located in the Buda Castle, on the Buda side of the city. It has beautiful lookout terraces with seven stone towers. The towers represent the seven chieftains of the Hungarians who founded Hungary in 895. A guild of fishermen supposedly protected that part of the castle walls in the Middle Ages.

Featured Hungarian Artist: Franz Liszt

Liszt was a Hungarian composer who also was a pianist, organist, and conductor. He grew up in Hungary with a father who was very musical. Unfortunately, Liszt’s father died when he was 15. After that, he moved to Paris with his mother. He worked hard and long hours teaching piano lessons to make ends meet. He eventually became who many consider to the greatest pianist of all time.

When Liszt was 20 years old, he saw Niccolo Paganini playing at a charity concert in Paris. After that concert, Liszt decided he wanted to become as good of a virtuoso on the piano as Paganini was on the violin. After becoming a virtuoso composer and performer himself, he gave away much of his proceeds to charity throughout his life. Liszt’s most famous works are those for the piano.

Featured Important Hungarian Person: Judit Polgár

Many consider Judit the strongest female chess player of all time. She was born in Budapest to Jewish Hungarian parents. Judit became a chess Grandmaster when she was 15 years old, which, at the time, was the youngest to achieve it. She was the youngest player ever to break into the top 100 players list, ranking at number 55 at the age of 12!

Featured Hungarian Food: Hungarian Recipes for Kids

Hungary has a rich and varied food culture. Paprika is the most common spice and Hungarians use it in many foods. Hungarian paprika is often strong, spicy, and smoky. Here are some fun recipes for Hungarian foods to try at home!

• Goulash is one of the most famous Hungarian dishes. It is a hearty stew with meat, vegetables, and paprika. Here’s a traditional goulash recipe, or here’s a vegetarian version.
• Lángos is another very popular Hungarian dish akin to a deep-fried savory doughnut. It often has garlicky, cheesy, creamy toppings. Here’s a traditional recipe for lángos.
• Töltött Káposzta, or stuffed cabbage leaves, are extremely common in central and eastern Europe, and Hungary is no exception. Here’s a family recipe that uses ground meat and rice.
• Dobos torte is a beautiful layered sponge cake with chocolate buttercream. Here’s a delicious-looking recipe. It was also featured on the Great British Bake Off!
• Kürtös Kalács, or chimney cake, is another quintessential Hungarian street snack. It’s a long, spiral raised pastry that is filled with cream or other sweet toppings. It’s best purchased fresh at a market, but here’s a recipe if you want to try it out at home!

Hungary Craft & Culture Activity for Kids:

Here’s a wonderful site to learn about some folk arts and crafts in Hungary.

Hungarian Embroidery Project for Kids

Embroidery is a long-standing tradition in Hungarian culture. People originally used it to reinforce hemlines, and then later for decoration. Flowers, leaves, and birds were all common designs. The designs vary from region to region, and were used on pillowcases, sheets, and clothing. Here are some examples of Hungarian embroidery.

Try creating your own design of a flower. Here’s a kid-friendly embroidery kit with all the materials you need.

Paper Bag Turul Craft from Hungarian Mythology

The Turul is a divine messenger from Hungarian mythology. It sits on top of a tree with the spirits of unborn children in the form of birds. Here’s a fun and simple craft to learn about the Turul!

Other Hungary Kids Activities

Hungarian is supposed to be one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn. See how well you do!

Hungary Movement Activities

Traditional Hungarian Folk Dance

Sports in Hungary

Water polo is the national sport of Hungary! Football (soccer) is also very popular.

Hungary Conversations with a Local: Culture, History, & Food Discussion Video

Hungary for Kids Discussion Questions

• If you lived in Buda or Pest, would you want your cities to be combined?
• Liszt was inspired by another musician. Who is someone who inspires you in your hobby?
• If you joined the European Union, would you want to use the Euro? Or would you keep your own currency?
• Hungarian tends to be a very difficult language to learn. Why do you think it’s important to keep languages alive?
• Paprika used to be used as currency. What is something you value today that you would use as currency?

Thanks for Taking a Virtual Visit to Hungary With Us!

We’ve loved putting together this resource to virtually visit Hungary. We’d love to hear if you do any of these activities for a homeschooling Hungary unit, or if you visit in person!

We hope to inspire curiosity and connection through exploring and learning, and we hope this guide helps you and your families. Please share any activities you do with us over on our Instagram. And we’d be delighted if you passed this Hungary for kids virtual tour and homeschooling resource along to others, as well!

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