Welcome to D is for the Dominican Republic for the Global Children’s Book Club! Today we’ll be going on a virtual tour of the Dominican Republic for kids. Get ready for a fun and inspiring Dominican Republic virtual field trip – perfect for global education at home or for a DR 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!
This Dominican Republic virtual tour contains affiliate links, but all opinions are 100% my own. That means I earn a small commission if you purchase through my link, but doesn’t change your price.
D is for Dominican Republic: Dominican Republic For Kids Virtual Tour
Featured Dominican Republic Book
Islandborn by Junot Díaz (Author), Leo Espinosa (Illustrator)
Author Read Aloud
Islandborn Picture Book Discussion Questions
- If you were to describe your hometown or country, what would you say?
- What impressions do you have of your ancestors’ or your place of origin?
- What do you think the “monster” was in the book? Are there any “monsters” in your life?
- The author talks about a “heartland,” or a place your heart loves. Do you have a heartland?
- Do you think the people and places around you or from your background make up who you are?
Other Dominican Republic Books for Kids
Dominican Republic Facts
- The capital of the DR is Santo Domingo.
- The Dominican Republic is a country in the Caribbean Sea.The DR is on an island. It shares the island with the country of Haiti.
- Spanish is the official language of the Dominican Republic.
- The currency is the Dominican peso.
- The DR has a tropical climate.
- Danilo Medina is the current president of the Dominican Republic.
- The DR is the only country to have a picture of the Bible on its flag!
- Sugar processing is a big industry in the DR, along with coffee, tobacco, and tourism. It’s the most popular tourist destination in the Caribbean!
- It has many beautiful beaches and golf courses, which is part of makes it so popular.
- People in the DR tend to practice their predominantly Christian faith ardently. It’s common to see the statement, “God has blessed this business.” Catholicism is the state-sponsored religion.
- Spain used the DR as its capital of all its Spanish colonies in the Americas.
- The Dominican Republic became independent from Haiti in 1844.
- The Taino people were indigenous to the Caribbean. They inhabited the Dominican Republic when it was colonized by Spain.
Color in the Dominican Republic on this map of the Caribbean and Central America!
Dominican Republic for Kids: Flag Activity
Flag from HERE
HERE is a fun printable Dominican Republic flag coloring sheet!
Dominican Republic Virtual Tour to a Featured Landmark
The Haitises National Park
This is a national park in the northeast of the Dominican Republic. It is a limestone plateau and has caves and hills. There is also a mangrove forest there! Many kinds of plants and animals that live there, including some endemic animals. Some of the caverns also have petroglyphs (ancient rock art)!
Featured Dominican Artist: Oscar de la Renta
Oscar de la Renta is a Dominican fashion designer. Fashion design was not a very popular career for most boys born in the DR in 1934. Oscar de la Renta had 6 older sisters, no brothers, and an incredibly supportive mother.
He originally wanted to become an abstract artist. He studied painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid but then became interested in fashion design. Since he was a talented illustrator, he was able to get an apprenticeship. Later on, he designed for Elizabeth Arden, which helped launch his career.
Featured Important Dominican Person: Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa is a Dominican American former professional baseball player. He mostly played for the Chicago Cubs. He was the 5th player in history to reach 600 career home runs.
Featured Dominican Food: Dominican Recipes for Kids
A lot of Dominican foods have African, Taino (indigenous Caribbean), and Spanish influences. Rice is a staple in Dominican food.
La Bandera Dominicana (or “the Dominican flag”) is a very popular Dominican meal. It is stewed meat over white rice and beans with fried plantains and salad. This is usually eaten for lunch. The different colors in the Dominican flag are represented by the foods in the meal. Here’s a recipe for la bandera!
Dominican Craft & Culture Activity for Kids
Dress Design Activity
Browse Oscar de la Renta’s site. Design your own dress using markers, pieces of fabric, or any supplies you have at home!
Baseball Pennant Activity
Another option is to design your own baseball pennant, or flag! Baseball is very popular in the Dominican Republic and it is the national sport. (Dominicans call it “beisbol.”) The DR has the second-largest number of baseball players in the MLB in the world. Design your own pennant for your family or city team!
Dominican Music & Dance
Merengue is a form of dance originating in the Dominican Republic. It has become very popular throughout Latin America as well as in the United States! Here is a video of some people dancing merengue in the Dominican Republic.
Here are some popular styles of music in the Dominican Republic – it is a very fun listen!
Other Dominican Republic for Kids Facts & Activities
Dominican Republic Conversations with a Local: Culture, History, & Food Discussion Video
Dominican Republic for Kids Discussion Questions
- What do you think it would’ve been like being some of the first Dominican baseball players in the MLB?
- Tourism provides jobs and builds the economy, but it can also hurt the local resources and environment. What measures should be taken to protect the natural resources?
- How do you think you would have felt as the Taino people when the Spanish arrived?
- What do you think it would be like sharing an island with another country?
- Learn how to say “hello” in Spanish! (“hola”)
Thanks for Taking a Virtual Visit to the Dominican Republic with Kids With Us!
We’ve loved putting together this resource to virtually visit the Dominican Republic with kids. We’d love to hear if you do any of these activities for a homeschooling DR 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 Dominican Republic for kids virtual tour and homeschooling resource along to others, as well!
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