Join Hugo as he discovers that there is much more to mealtimes than simply sitting down and eating! From helping his mum prepare for dinner at home to choosing what to eat in a busy restaurant, Hugo learns about food, table setting, good manners and the many different ways people enjoy meals around the world.
 
The story begins at home, where Hugo is asked to lay the table for dinner. He finds the salt, pepper, ketchup and mustard, arranges the glasses and carefully places the cutlery in the correct position. As the family sits down to eat, however, Hugo discovers that there is rather more to remember! He forgets his table manners, eats enthusiastically, talks with his mouth full and struggles to finish his vegetables when he begins to feel full.
 
The following day, Hugo and his family visit a restaurant, where they meet Charlotte and her aunt. They look at the menu, choose their meals and order their drinks before settling down to enjoy their food in a busy and lively restaurant. Hugo chooses pizza, while the other members of the family choose a variety of different dishes. Through the story, children encounter useful language connected with food, meals, drinks, table setting, ordering in a restaurant and everyday family life.
 
The story provides a rich context for developing French vocabulary and phrases around food, eating, cooking, cutlery, table manners, restaurants, meals and everyday activities. The accompanying song gives children another enjoyable way to hear and practise the language, with a playful restaurant conversation in which the characters choose what they would like to eat.
 
But this is much more than a story about dinner. At the Table encourages children to think about the routines and responsibilities that surround mealtimes, from helping at home and sharing the household workload to planning meals and considering where food comes from. Hugo's experiences also introduce children to the importance of good manners and the reasons behind different rules at the dinner table.
 
The workbook takes the theme further by exploring food and dining traditions from around the world. Children discover that table manners and eating customs can be very different from one country to another, with examples from Thailand, Japan, Mexico, Chile, the Middle East, India, Africa, Italy and China. They can compare these customs with their own experiences and discover how culture influences the way we eat.
 
The workbook also encourages children to think about their own eating habits. They can consider how often they eat home-cooked meals, what is involved in planning and preparing food, how often families eat out and what makes a balanced and enjoyable meal. The activities encourage discussion and observation rather than simply learning lists of vocabulary.
 
The Dive Deeper section takes the learning beyond the story with opportunities to investigate helping at home, meal planning, eating habits, food around the world and table manners. Children are also encouraged to look at the differences between English and French speech marks and try writing their own dialogue in both languages.
 
Inside the workbook:
📖 The complete At the Table story in French and English
🎵 Bilingual At the Table song lyrics
🍽️ French vocabulary activities linked to the story
✏️ 10 worksheets, providing progressive language-learning activities
🥄 Activities exploring table setting, cutlery and mealtimes
🍕 Vocabulary and activities connected with food, meals and drinks
🏠 Activities exploring helping at home and sharing household responsibilities
👨‍🍳 Opportunities to think about cooking, meal planning and eating habits
🌍 Activities exploring food and dining customs from around the world
🍴 A look at table manners and cultural differences in eating
💬 Activities involving conversation and dialogue
💭 Dive Deeper discussion, research and thinking activities
👩‍🏫 A suggested lesson plan
📈 A progress card to help track learning
 
The workbook is designed to be used alongside the Les Puces videos and online resources, allowing children to hear the language, join in with the song, follow Hugo's experiences at home and in the restaurant and then reinforce what they have learned through the workbook activities.
 
A complete Les Puces learning journey — combining story, song, vocabulary, worksheets, creativity and discovery to help children learn French naturally while exploring food, family life, good manners and the fascinating ways people eat around the world.