Experience the Best of Kumusta Pusa

Simple, screen-free ways to bring Filipino culture, language, and kindness into your home — inspired by Kumusta Pusa books, music, and Kaibigan friends.

🏠 Parent & Guardian Guide

🖨️ Print / Save as PDF

Getting Started

Reading Together

Bedtime Routine

Tagalog at Home

Crafts & Activities

Character Values

Weekly Calendar

FAQ

👋

Getting Started

Kumustapusa was created to help every child feel seen — to celebrate Filipino culture, build kindness, and spark joy through stories. This guide gives you simple, practical ways to extend the magic of the books into everyday moments at home.

You don't need to be an expert in Filipino culture to use these activities. Every activity is designed for busy families — most take 5–15 minutes and use things you already have at home.

💡 Start Here

Pick one book, one Tagalog word, and one activity from this guide. That's it! You can build from there as your child grows more curious.

📖

Reading Together at Home

How to make the most of each Kumustapusa book during family reading time.

🌈 Reading "Kumusta Pusa Loves Rainbows"

⏱️ 15 MIN

AGES 3–7

Before reading: Ask your child, "What colors do you see outside today? Which one makes you feel happy?"

During reading: Pause at each color and ask your child to find something that color in the room.

After reading: "If you were a color on Kumusta Pusa's rainbow, which color would you be and why?"

🏠 Home Activity

Go on a "rainbow hunt" — find one object for each color of the rainbow in your home or neighborhood.

💛 Reading "Kumusta Pusa Loves Kindness"

⏱️ 15 MIN

AGES 4–8

Before reading: "What is something kind someone did for you recently? How did it make you feel?"

During reading: Each time you see an act of kindness in the story, give a thumbs up together.

After reading: "Let's think of one kind thing we can do for someone in our family tomorrow."

🏠 Home Activity

Create a "Kindness Jar" — each family member writes or draws a kind act they did or received. Read them together at the end of the week.

🧶 Reading "Kumusta Pusa Loves Malong"

⏱️ 20 MIN

AGES 5–8

Before reading: "Does our family have special clothes for celebrations? Tell me about them."

During reading: Point out the patterns on the malong. Ask: "What shapes and colors do you see?"

After reading: "A malong can be worn many different ways. If we had one, how would you wear it?"

🏠 Home Activity

Use a scarf, blanket, or towel to pretend it's a malong. Try wrapping it different ways and take photos of each "look."

🐾 Reading "Kumusta, Kaibigan?"

⏱️ 20 MIN

AGES 4–8

Before reading: "Kaibigan means friend in Tagalog. Who is your kaibigan?"

During reading: Each time you meet a new character, ask: "What kind of animal is this? Have you ever seen one?"

After reading: "Which Kaibigan is most like you? Which one would you want as a friend?"

🏠 Home Activity

Pick your child's favorite Kaibigan and look up a short video or photo of the real animal online. Talk about what's the same and different from the character.

🌙

Kumustapusa Bedtime Routine

A gentle 20-minute wind-down routine using books, music, and Tagalog words.

MINUTE 0–3 · GREETING

"Kumusta, kaibigan?"

Snuggle up and greet each other in Tagalog. Ask: "Kumusta ang araw mo?" (How was your day?) Let your child answer in any language.

MINUTE 3–10 · STORY TIME

Read one Kumustapusa book together

Pick any book. Let your child turn the pages. If they're too young to read, let them describe what they see in the pictures.

MINUTE 10–15 · GENTLE MUSIC

Play "Stories" or "Love and Kindness"

Play a soft Kumustapusa track while your child lies down. Let them close their eyes and imagine the story continuing.

MINUTE 15–18 · ONE TAGALOG WORD

Tonight's word is ___

Choose one Tagalog word from the book you read. Say it together 3 times. Tomorrow morning, try to use it once during the day.

MINUTE 18–20 · GOODNIGHT

"Magandang gabi, kaibigan"

Say goodnight in Tagalog: "Magandang gabi" (beautiful night). One hug, one kiss, one "Salamat" for the day.

💡 Tip

You don't have to do all 5 steps every night. Pick 2–3 that work for your family and rotate them.

🔤

Tagalog at Home — Flashcards

Print these and cut into cards. Try learning one new word each day together!

Kumusta

koo-MOOS-tah

Hello! How are you?

"Kumusta, kaibigan?"

Kaibigan

kah-ee-BEE-gahn

Friend

"Ikaw ang aking kaibigan."

Pusa

POO-sah

Cat

"Ang pusa ay malambot."

Salamat

sah-LAH-maht

Thank you

"Salamat, Nanay!"

Araw

AH-rahw

Sun / Day

"Ang araw ay mainit."

Masaya

mah-SAH-yah

Happy / Fun

"Masaya tayo!"

Mabait

mah-BAH-eet

Kind

"Mabait ka."

Gabi

GAH-bee

Night

"Magandang gabi."

Tara

TAH-rah

Let's go!

"Tara na!"

Nanay

nah-NAHY

Mommy

"Mahal kita, Nanay."

Tatay

tah-TAHY

Daddy

"Mahal kita, Tatay."

Mahal

mah-HAHL

Love

"Mahal kita!"

💡 Game Idea

Play "Tagalog Charades" — pick a card, act out the word, and have your child guess in either language!

🎨

At-Home Crafts & Activities

Screen-free activities using items you already have. Most take 10–20 minutes.

🌈 Rainbow Handprint Banner

⏱️ 20 MIN

🎨 ART

AGES 2–7

Paint your child's hand in rainbow colors and stamp onto paper. Write one thing that makes your child special under each handprint. Hang it up as a family banner.

🐾 Make Your Own Kaibigan

⏱️ 25 MIN

✂️ CRAFT

AGES 4–8

Using paper plates, construction paper, and markers, your child creates their own new Kaibigan character. What Filipino animal is it? What's its name? What's its special trait? Give it a Tagalog quote!

🧶 Malong Pattern Art

⏱️ 15 MIN

🎨 ART

AGES 3–8

Cut paper into a long strip (like a malong). Let your child create patterns using stamps (dipped fingers, cotton swabs, or cut vegetables). Talk about the shapes and colors they chose.

💛 Kindness Crown

⏱️ 15 MIN

✂️ CRAFT

AGES 3–7

Cut a crown from paper. Each time your child does something kind, add a sticker or stamp to the crown. By the end of the week, they have a "Kindness Crown" to wear proudly!

🎵 Filipino Dance Party

⏱️ 10 MIN

💃 MOVEMENT

AGES 2–8

Play "Budots I" or "Puspin Anthem" from the Kumustapusa music playlist. Make up dance moves together. Take turns being the "dance leader" — everyone copies the leader's moves.

🗺️ Kaibigan Map Adventure

⏱️ 15 MIN

🔍 DISCOVERY

AGES 5–8

Print a simple map of the Philippines. Help your child place each Kaibigan character on their hometown. Look up one fun fact about each region together.

🧡

Character-Inspired Value Lessons

Use each Kaibigan's personality to teach values at home through simple conversations and activities.

🐃

Laki

Hard Work & Helping

"Strong as the land, gentle as the rain." Laki shows that being strong also means being gentle.

Ask: "What's one big job we can do together today?"

🦅

Lang-Lang

Courage & Vision

"The higher the flight, the clearer the path." Sometimes looking at things from a new perspective helps.

Ask: "What do you see from up high? What about from down low?"

🐈

Masi

Quiet Bravery

"I'm quiet, but I'm here to help." You don't have to be loud to be brave and make a difference.

Ask: "What's one quiet way you helped someone this week?"

🐗

Boy

Looking Beyond Appearance

"I might be muddy, but my heart is clean!" What's inside matters more than how things look outside.

Ask: "Tell me about a time you discovered something wonderful about someone new."

🔭

Tara

Curiosity & Adventure

"Tara na! Let's go!" Being curious and trying new things is how we grow.

Ask: "What's something new you want to try this week?"

🐓

King Ran

Tradition & Responsibility

"Wake up with purpose, lead with heart." Honoring where we come from helps us move forward.

Ask: "What's a family tradition you want to keep when you grow up?"

🦎

Tiki

Creative Problem-Solving

"There's always a solution for every situation!" Sometimes you just need to look at it differently.

Ask: "What's a problem you solved by thinking about it in a new way?"

🌙

Maritess (Gabi)

Quiet Kindness

"True kindness is quiet, but powerful." The best things we do are often the ones nobody notices.

Ask: "What's one kind thing you can do secretly for someone today?"

📅

A Week of Kumustapusa at Home

A sample weekly rhythm — mix and match to fit your family's schedule.

MONDAY

📖

Read "Loves Rainbows" + Rainbow Hunt

TUESDAY

🔤

Learn 1 Tagalog word + use it 3 times

WEDNESDAY

🎨

Craft: Make Your Own Kaibigan

THURSDAY

💛

Read "Loves Kindness" + Kindness Jar

FRIDAY

🎵

Filipino Dance Party with music

SATURDAY

🐾

Read "Kaibigan?" + explore a real Filipino animal

SUNDAY

🌙

Family Bedtime Routine + Kindness Crown celebration

❓

Frequently Asked Questions

I don't speak Tagalog. Can I still use these resources?

Absolutely! The vocabulary sheets include pronunciation guides, and the activities are designed for families of all backgrounds. Learning together with your child is part of the fun — it shows them that grown-ups are always learning too.

My child is very young (2–3). Which activities work best?

Focus on the music, coloring, and simple crafts. The bedtime routine, dance parties, and "Rainbow Handprint Banner" are all perfect for toddlers. Keep reading sessions short (5 minutes) and let them explore the pictures.

How do I get the books and music?

Books are available at kumustapusa.com/shop. Free coloring pages are also available on the website. Music can be found on the Kumustapusa YouTube channel.

What does "A Book Purchased, A Book Donated" mean?

For every book purchased, Kumustapusa donates a book to a child in need. Over 1,000 books have been donated to communities so far. It's a wonderful way to teach your child about giving back — you can mention this when you read together!

Can I use these activities even if we're not Filipino?

Yes! Kumustapusa was created to help every child feel seen and to celebrate Filipino culture with everyone. These resources are for any family that wants to explore kindness, diversity, and a new culture together.

How often should we do these activities?

There's no right answer. Some families do one activity a week; others do something small every day. The goal is connection and joy, not a checklist. Even 5 minutes a day of reading or one Tagalog word makes a difference.

KUMUSTAPUSA 🐾 — Filipino Stories That Help Every Child Feel Seen

A Book Purchased, A Book Donated · Kumusta Pusa™ / Arawko, LLC™

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