French, gently: one lesson a week, even if you don't speak it yourself.
Learning French, playfully, from age 3.
Made in Tokyo for children growing up between two languages.
How it works
For a session of about one hour:
1. We say hello and introduce ourselves
Every session starts the same way, gently.
2. Our 3 traditional questions
Always the same ones, so they become a habit:
3. The theme of the week
Then we start the theme of the week, chosen according to the season and the month!
EXAMPLE: The house, the bathroom
A complete pack to learn the first words about washing and the body.
- "Tap, washbasin, soap, washcloth…"
- An activity to put each object back in the picture
- A page to colour LaFuransu taking a bath
On screen or printed
What this is
LaFuransu and me is a set of French resources for young children and complete beginners. It started with families in Japan, and has grown from there to anyone taking their first steps in French.
Simple pictures, printable worksheets, cut-out games. Children play with sounds, words and gestures, and the words stick on their own. No lists to learn by heart.
Everything is built around LaFuransu, a small pear who keeps the child company through their first discoveries.
You do not need to speak French yourself. Every word is illustrated, and the instructions come in French, English and Japanese.
Who makes this?
Hello! I'm Cédric, a graphic designer by training and a father in a French-Japanese family.
I live in Tokyo. To teach my child French, I started drawing my own materials: the alphabet, printable sheets, small games. Little by little it turned into a project.
LaFuransu and me is what I wish I had: simple, playful, and made for children living between two languages and cultures.
Who is it for?
Families
You want to introduce your child to French at home, without pressure. This is what I made to teach my own child in Japan.
Try it for freeSee the pricingFrom $60
Teachers
Worksheets and games that fit the cultural calendar and the time you actually have in class. A teacher licence covers your own teaching.
Buy a teacher licenceSee the pricing
Schools
Want to offer a first taste of French at your school? Ready-to-use kits, a licence covering the school, and materials designed for real classroom constraints.
Request a quoteSee the pricingTry it for free
Want to introduce your child to French gently, with pictures and play? Try it first, and see whether our little world speaks to you and to your small learner.
Everything below is already open, no account needed:
- The first 4 lessons of the starter kit (out of 8), on screen and ready to print
- The writing gestures and block capitals of the handwriting workbook
- The first 3 lessons of each season, so 12 lessons across the year
Free, no strings attached. Premium is available now: see the pricing. Leave your email to hear about new lessons and resources.
What's inside
Three sets of materials, all readable on screen and printable at A5.
LaFuransu te guide !
My starter kit
Eight lessons covering the basics: greetings and politeness, introducing yourself, everyday conversation, colours, likes and dislikes, verbs and actions, opposites, and the sounds of French.
Open the starter kit
LaFuransu t'écrit !
My handwriting workbook
Writing gestures, block capitals, cursive lowercase and numbers. Every stroke is shown in order. The typeface is Marelle 2, the one used in French schools.
Open the workbook
Les Lettres de LaFuransu !
My little weekly lessons
One lesson a week for a year, across four seasons of thirteen lessons. Each one runs to eight pages: pictures to cut out, flashcards, the word of the day, counting, dot-to-dot, colouring, and a postcard to close.
Open the seasonsLes Lettres de LaFuransu !
My little weekly lessons
LaFuransu writes you a letter every week for a year!
What you'll find each week…
Illustrated vocabulary
Simple, visual words to learn through play.
Picture cards
With audio, to hear how each word is pronounced.
Playful activities
- We open the theme of the day with a picture
- We cut out the pictures of the day's words
- We collect four flashcards every week, to play memory with
- We write the word of the day
- We count the objects of the week
- We join the dots, by letter or by number, to reveal the picture of the week
- We colour in to end the session gently
- We read LaFuransu's little letter to close the session
Clear instructions
In French, translated into English and Japanese. Written for parents, tutors and teachers.
Free and premium
Free: the first 4 lessons of the starter kit (out of 8), the writing gestures and block capitals of the handwriting workbook, and the first 3 lessons of each season, so 12 lessons across the year.
Premium opens the rest: lessons 5 to 8 of the kit, cursive lowercase, numbers, and the remaining seasonal lessons, with the books yours to keep and a year of site access for families, and a one-year licence for teachers and schools. It comes with audio for the vocabulary and instructions in French, and guide pages with the answers in French, English and Japanese.
From $60
See the pricingGet in touch
A question, an idea, or a licence for your school or classroom? Write to me. I reply within 48 hours, Tokyo time.
ContactThe lessons are in French, with instructions in French, English and Japanese. The rest of this site is in French.
Frequently asked questions
What age is LaFuransu for?
From age 3, with an adult. Pictures, gestures and play carry the activities, so a child who cannot read yet can still follow. The handwriting workbook suits block capitals from age 3, and cursive lowercase from about 4 to 5, or whenever the child's hand feels ready. Parts of the lessons suit absolute beginners too, adults included.
Do I need to speak French myself?
No. The instructions are written for an adult who may not speak French. Every word is illustrated, and you can show the instructions in French, English or Japanese, with every word to listen to in French. I've done my best to make it simple, and to share a moment of discovery together.
Do I have to print, or can we work on screen?
Either. Every page displays on screen and prints at A5, two pages per A4 sheet. Black and white is enough for colouring and tracing; colour helps for the cut-out cards.
What's free and what's premium?
Free: the first 4 lessons of the starter kit (out of 8), the writing gestures and block capitals of the handwriting workbook, and the first 3 lessons of each season, so 12 lessons across the year. Premium opens every resource: families buy the books to keep forever, with a year of site access (audio, updates); teachers and schools get a one-year licence, renewable.
See the pricing →How do I buy premium?
The family offer is bought online on the Pricing page: it gives you the downloadable books to keep forever, and a year of access to the whole site and every resource on it, with audio for the vocabulary and instructions in French, and guide pages with the answers, in French, English and Japanese.
See the pricing →Can I use LaFuransu in a classroom?
Yes, with the right licence. Individual teachers take a teacher licence (private lessons or a group of up to 10 pupils). Schools and educational organisations go through the contact form and receive a quote and an invoice, for a licence covering the school and its pupils.
Teacher and school licences →Does it follow the Japanese or the French calendar?
The lessons follow the four seasons and the French cultural calendar: Grandmothers' Day, Easter, the lily of the valley on 1 May, Mother's Day. Made in Tokyo for children in Japan, they introduce French culture through the year.