Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Columbus, OH

You may not know that today is a holiday in France. Just as we have our national celebration of the Fourth of July, the French celebrate Bastille Day - the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789 that ushered in the French Revolution and the First Republic.

You also may not know that here in Columbus we have two French immersion schools. A second language is always a benefit, and most experts say that starting a new language between 2-6 years old is the ideal time for maximum learning. There's a reason Dora the Explorer is so popular - if it wasn't for exposing kids to a new language, I think most parents would ban that loud, obnoxious character from their TVs. And with Canada's second language being French (or first language if you're in Quebec), a knowledge of French would be a benefit to any child.

If you're looking for a French immersion preschool, Ecole Francais, located in northwest Columbus, is the place to go. A private school offering preschool through grade 5, Ecole Francais teaches classes in French, with very little English spoken. Children learn the language by being exposed to it daily, a method proven to speed understanding, and the longer children are in the program, the more they understand without needing visual cues. For preschool, they have choices of 2-day, 3-day, or full-time preschool. Their elementary school has a traditional curriculum of English, math, science, arts, etc., along with French as the primary language of instruction. Admission to this school is by application.

Those living in the Columbus Public Schools district have another choice for kindergarten and elementary school. Ecole Kenwood is one of the district's alternative schools, and this school offers French immersion for kindergarten through grade 8. The school's website explains that starting in kindergarten, children are taught entirely in French, and then by grade 2, English is worked back into the curriculum to teach reading skills and other more challenging topics, still never reaching more than 50% English instruction. The school's library is stocked with over 15,000 French books, English books, and multimedia resources. Admission to this school is available only to those in the Columbus school district, and only by participating in the alternative schools lottery.

I know families who have enrolled their children in these programs, and they absolutely love them. Not only do kids learn a new language, but both schools have a reputation for academic excellence. In our family, my daughters get to hear a little French when they're around their grandfather - French is his first language. And someday they may get to sample his signature breakfast dish: French toast.

Does your child speak a second language? Tell me which one!