Celebrating Everyone During The Holidays At Preschool
Preschool opens a wonderful opportunity for learning by eager young minds that are just beginning to explore the world around them. Religious values play an important role in helping young children understand their families' beliefs as they begin to form their own. Exposure to alternate religious beliefs fosters respect and appreciation for diversity, beginning from the preschool age. Special activities can be arranged to encourage children's interest in and understanding of others' religious views.
Schedule age-appropriate lesson plans.
Design a lesson for each diverse holiday that children can readily understand. While they may not fully grasp the significance of a sacrifice-based holiday like the Jewish Passover or the Muslim Ramadan, they can readily comprehend more lighthearted celebrations like Hanukkah, Kwanza, or Diwali. A common theme like light, for example, can be used to illustrate universal threads that tie human beliefs to each other in general ways.
Host a native holiday celebrant.
Try to find a speaker who can share a preschool-oriented presentation about his or her special holiday. Pictures, clothing, and foods might be shared with the children to give them a personal perspective on a little-known holiday celebration.
Let preschoolers celebrate diverse holidays.
Help the children plan a holiday event for some of the "new" holidays they are learning about. They may want to dress up in any special robes used for certain holidays, or they could present a skit or mini-play for parents, along with brief memorized information about the holiday.
Take them to a holiday celebration.
Some religious celebrations are open to the public. Plan a field trip with the parents' help and permission to let preschoolers experience a holiday in progress at a local cultural community center or place of worship. Explain ahead of time what the service or program is about so they know what to expect.
Tolerance begins while kids are still very young. Helping them to respect other beliefs, even if they don't quite understand or agree with it completely, leads them toward a future with less conflict and more mutual appreciation.
