Celebrating Cultural Diversity Archives - Early Learning Childhood Education

07/03/201907/03/2019

Everyone Belongs – Harmony Day 2019 in Early Childhood

The message that ‘Everyone Belongs’ is so very true and important, and while any time is a good time to celebrate and share that message, Harmony Day is one in particular… We’re so excited to remind you that Harmony Day is coming up on 21 March 2019, accompanied by Harmony Week from 17 – 23 March. Let’s celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity in a way that reinforces the message that Everyone Belongs!

With almost 50 per cent of the people of Australia born in another country or with a parent who was born overseas, Australia is an incredibly diverse nation – a fact that should make us all very proud! We are so lucky to have the chance to share in the cultures of the world right here in our island country!

Here are just a few things you could try while celebrating Harmony Day along with diversity, inclusivity and belonging in your childcare centre or kindergarten

Sing, sing, sing!

We are BONKERS about singing (of course!), and we know just how engaging this approach is for children. Singing can also be a wonderful way to celebrate other cultures and include or bring joy to others along the way. Does anyone in your centre – families or staff – have a song from their own cultural background they can share? If not, there are many to be found online. We have our very own Bonkers Beat song that is perfect: Let’s Celebrate. Take a look at how you can get children singing and moving (and even doing sign language) here:

Move your body!

Dance is a worldwide form of expression, and many cultures will have their own unique dances or movements for a range of occasions. Ask around your centre’s families and staff and see what everyone has to share. If dancing doesn’t pan out, sports can be another area to explore or even cultural dress – this link shows cultural dress from all over the world.

Get cooking!

There’s something lovely about sharing a meal with others and connecting over a feast, so why not extend that sense of belonging during mealtime by getting multicultural with it. Throughout Harmony Week you could have a new international dish each day for children to enjoy and talk about where it comes from.

For more resources and information about Harmony Day, take a look at their official website here: www.harmony.gov.au.

However you choose to celebrate Harmony Day or Harmony Week, it’s all about celebrating our differences and the things that we have in common too. Sharing and learning, exploring and belonging together as human beings.

21/03/201821/03/2018

Inclusiveness and respect this Harmony Day and beyond

Harmony Day is one of our favourite days of the year. A day that is dedicated to celebrating cultural diversity, inclusiveness, respect for others and ensuring everyone feels they belong.

For many special days throughout the year we plan activities in advance, and while there are certainly many wonderful things you can do in centres in honour of Harmony Day, sometimes the simplest acts can mean the most. This Harmony Day let’s focus on meaningful conversations with children. The Harmony Day website offers a range of discussion topics that are suitable for early childhood. Consider these:

What is diversity? What are some of the ways that people can be different from each other?
All the same: What things make us the same?
What is Harmony Day? What does harmony mean? What are some examples of harmony in nature/in the world?
Family diversity: Who is in your family? Talk about how families are the same and different.
My groups: Talk about all the groups to which you belong eg team, family, friendship group, hobby. What things help you to feel you belong?

Carrying the message of Harmony Day through your centre’s culture

This Harmony Day feels especially timely for us this year, given the news that ACECQA has recognised Bonkers Beat Music Kinder with an Excellence Rating under the National Quality Framework.

ACECQA specifically recognised Bonkers Beat’s “commitment to children that respects, reflects and celebrates culture and diversity, including place of origin, inclusive partnerships with children and families, and its practice and environments that enhance children’s learning and growth”.

Not only can your Harmony Day efforts contribute towards shaping inclusive, respectful and kind attitudes in young people — you can even transform the way your centre approaches early childhood education!

If you’re ready to see how Bonkers Beat’s culture is inspired by the values of Harmony Day, why not come and see for yourself?! We are hosting an Open Day this Saturday 24 March from 10 am until 12 pm at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder. Activities for children at this free event include music, yoga and a jungle treasure hunt plus lots more!

Event: Open Day – Music Show and Yoga with Bonkers the Monkey
Where: Bonkers Beat Music Kinder, 49 Laura Street, Aspendale, Victoria
When: 10am – 12pm

To discover why Bonkers Beat Music Kinder is different, click to watch the video submission to ACECQA.

02/03/201703/03/2017

Everyone Belongs – Celebrating Harmony Day

Harmony Day 2017 takes place on March 21, celebrating cultural diversity throughout Australia and the world.

Nearly half of Australians were born overseas or they have a parent who was born overseas. In fact, in Australia we identify with roughly 300 ancestries! Now that’s cultural diversity!

Today’s young children are the key to embracing and nurturing a culturally diverse future – with so many different cultures between all of us Australians, there’s so much to celebrate!

Encourage family engagement

Families at your centre no doubt have many cultural backgrounds – so encourage them to share a bit about where they came from.

Harmony Day is perfect for exploring the special things that make us all different while acknowledging that we are all so alike as well.

Try getting families, children and even staff to share a bit about themselves including:

Different languages that may be spoken at home
Foods that are unique to certain cultural backgrounds
Special customs that are recognised in different cultures

Harmony Day art and craft

The Harmony Day official website has some simple yet meaningful craft activities to help you bring Harmony Day celebrations and discussions into your centre.

Harmony Day colouring in sheet

Paper Doll Chain

A Harmony Day hand tree is always a beautiful piece of art to create: simply trace around each child’s hand on a piece of paper or card and cut it out. Children can decorate their hand cut out to represent them and all hands can then be attached to the top of a painting or cut out of a tree trunk, making a tree top out of hand prints. Here’s a great example – you can make it as simple as you like though:

Everyone belongs

While we explore our differences, the key message to share with children as we celebrate Harmony Day is that EVERYONE BELONGS.

We are different in many ways, but we are also the same in many ways too – and it is great to celebrate all these things and to share and learn with each other.

Have fun with this special day and we would love to see how you celebrate Harmony Day – share with us on Facebook!

10/03/2016

Strength Through Diversity – Celebrating Harmony Day 2016

In music the definition of ‘harmony’ is: the combination of different musical notes played or sung at the same time to produce a pleasing sound; a pleasing combination or arrangement of different things (Merriam Webster dictionary 2016).

When we think about Harmony Day these very same musical principles come in to play. It’s about different people and different lives coming together and being embraced. It’s about finding a sense of belonging. And like all different musical instruments and singing, when we come together we can do beautiful things!

Harmony Day 2016 is Monday 21 March and this year’s official theme is: our diversity is our strength. Encourage children to talk about their differences, what they have in common and what makes them special as individuals. Help them to understand that it is because they are different that they can each bring something unique and awesome to the table.

At Bonkers Beat we have chosen our own theme for Harmony Day that is closely related: Harmony Every Day. We want to celebrate our diverse and wonderful Bonkers Beat community.

If you’re thinking of celebrating Harmony Day this year in your centre, education is the key in an early childhood setting. Here are some things you could incorporate, as found on the Harmony Day website:

-Explore Harmony Day stories via the Harmony Day app

-Create some DIY Harmony Day materials via the official templates here

– Painting to music: Listen to a diversity of music styles and paint what you hear with different colours and brushstrokes.

-All the same: What things make us the same?

-Diverse mates: Find out the many ways in which your classmates are diverse eg hobbies, favourite colour/food/music/TV program, things they dislike.

Here are some of our own provocations for thinking and possibilities for learning:

-Share educators’ ethnic backgrounds and by using a pin or string connect to countries on a map

-Identify children families’ backgrounds and by using a pin or string connect to countries on a map

-Invite families to share their traditions and culture

-Introduce a variety of songs and dances from around the world

-Engage children in multicultural cooking experiences

-Use multicultural dolls and gender diverse dolls for dramatic play

Have you registered your Harmony Day event yet? It can be anything from a morning tea to a massive community event! Register and you’ll get some great free promotional products to help you celebrate: harmony.gov.au/celebrate/register

One last thing: click here for a special gift for you centred around belonging and togetherness from Bonkers the Monkey.

28/01/201628/01/2016

Chinese New Year – Celebrating the Year of the Monkey in Early Childhood Settings

This year feels extra special to Bonkers and now we know why: it’s the Year of the Monkey!

The Chinese New Year is here on February 8, and 2016 sees us enter the Year of the Monkey (specifically, the Year of the Fire Monkey or Red Monkey).

When the Year of the Monkey arrives, it is said to reflect the character of the animal – cheeky, clever, and inventive. Monkeys are also well-known for being problem solvers and very playful. Sounds like 2016 will be exciting and a lot of fun!

As always, we like to find ways of incorporating the cultural calendar into early childhood settings. While children in your centres won’t have been born in the Year of the Monkey as the last was in 2005, it is still fun to incorporate the animal into your art and craft activities. In fact, you could talk about all 12 of the animals involved in the 12-year cycle Chinese calendar – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (or sheep), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

The Chinese New Year is also a time for feasting with family and celebrating, so you might like to offer some Chinese cuisine. Kidspot has plenty of Chinese food ideas for children.

Activity Village guides you through the following Chinese and Monkey themed craft activities that are perfect to try out:

Want to know which animal you are according to the Chinese Zodiac? Click here to find out and read more about what the Chinese believe the year has in store for you!

It’s also worth noting that International Mother Language Day is coming up on 21 February. Take these opportunities February presents us to get talking about language, culture and diversity with children!

Kung Hei Fat Choy (Happy New Year) everyone!

22/01/201622/01/2016

Top 4 Ways To Mark Australia Day

Barbecues, beach, kangaroos, koalas… there are many things that people think of when they think of Australia. Why not incorporate some Aussie celebration into your centre around Australia Day 2016!

There are four fantastic elements to consider exploring with children to mark the occasion as Australia Day nears. We’ve even included some ideas for activities for educators and/or parents to try.

Four Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Australia Day with Children

Diversity

Australia Day is a great day to talk about diversity and multiculturalism – ask children what they know about Australia and all its unique people. Use this opportunity to discuss the fact that despite us all being so different in so many ways, we are all Australian and there is respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.

Geography

Break out the map of Australia and talk about the different areas across this huge country. Open children’s minds to the big, wide world – or in this case, the big, wide island that is Australia! Maps can be great fun to turn into an art project as children cover the country in different colours and textures – this further represents the diversity and uniqueness of the country and all its people.

Art

Speaking of art, what better way to go about celebrating Australia Day and its people than doing some beautiful cave drawings, inspired by Indigenous Australia. Handprints, finger-painting or dot art depicting kangaroos, boomerangs and the desert landscape can be insightful activities.

Music

The national anthem isn’t the only Aussie song we can break out to mark Australia Day… Kids might prefer the fun of singing classics like Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree or Home Among the Gum Trees (maybe just the chorus as it’s a long one!).

As always, we love to see everyone’s creative ways of incorporating the cultural calendar into your services – please do share your ideas and photos with us on Facebook.

These links are packed with resources to help you plan your Australia Day celebrations:

http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-and-games/australia-day+54.htm

http://www.fleetcare.com.au/news-info/news/fun-facts-about-australia-day.aspx

http://www.australiaday.org.au/events/

P.S.
Don’t forget to incorporate some Aussie food – lamingtons are always a winner!

02/11/201507/11/2015

Celebrating Cultural Diversity

With many of us excited about Christmas coming next month and celebrating with family, there are people of many cultures looking forward to different events and celebrations this time of year. This really got us thinking about the diversity of cultures and how we can celebrate these as well.

Here are just a few big events coming up soon:

Diwali Light Festival– One of the most significant festivals in Indian culture, Diwali, the festival of lights, sees millions attend firework displays, prayers and celebratory events across the world every autumn. The festival is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains for a variety of reasons; although the main theme which runs throughout is the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.

Christmas Day -Christmas Day is celebrated through many countries and regions – more than 2 billion people (over a third of the world’s population) will celebrate the birth of Christ. The most popular customs of the holiday include gift giving, singing carols, exchanging Christmas cards, church services, a special meal and a display of various Christmas decorations. The biggest being Santa, Father Christmas or Saint Nicholas bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season. For many it is a day to reflect at the end of a long year, celebrate with family and to start the New Year in good spirits.

Australia Day – Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at that site by Governor Arthur Phillip. In present-day Australia, celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation, and are marked by community and family events, official community awards, and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into the Australian community

Chinese New Year – This is an important Chinese festival celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. It is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. In 2016 it will be celebrated on Monday, 8 February, and it is the year of the Monkey.

To help children to become involved in these celebrations, have a world map on hand, print out a list of the cultural dates and discuss the various festivities with them. The internet has, as always, plenty of resources, craft ideas, explanations, traditional dress ideas and information about all of these special days. Children enjoy seeing colour and movement, and expanding their mind about other cultures is a fantastic way to teach them. In addition, it is so important for children to be culturally aware and to enjoy other cultures and traditions.

Cultural and religious dates – https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/settlement-and-multicultural-affairs/programs-policy/a-multicultural-australia/government-building-social-cohesion/calendar-of-cultural-and-religious-dates

Christmas Day around the world – http://www.officeholidays.com/countries/global/christmas_day_world.php

Kids craft ideas and how to celebrate diversity – http://www.thecraftycrow.net/cultural/

A handy list on how to Celebrating Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood Services – http://www.resourcingparents.nsw.gov.au/ContentFiles/Files/diversity-in-practice-tipsheet-2.pdf

http://www.resourcingparents.nsw.gov.au/ContentFiles/Files/diversity-in-practice-tipsheet-2.pdf