In need of some multicultural ideas for my preschool classroom. Thanks?

Question

In need of some multicultural ideas for my preschool classroom. Thanks?

Answer 1

Something I've done was similar to the activity from photogal...but we extended it.  After finding or mixing the color that matches our skin best then we painted our hands that color and made printed them in form of a big circle.  We added our names underneath our hands and then placed a group picture in the center.

Music is a great way to introduce culture...adding instruments.  Check out the CDs by Harpbeat if you can.  We just attended on of her functions.  Though she is more geared for elementary school she has a great idea of how to incorporate some social studies into the "teaching" and my 2 year old and 5 year old loved it.

Have you invited people from your community or families from you class.  I've seen it where there is a monthly bulletin board where families who are willing provide infor from their culture, pictures, "artifacts" and they are attached to the b.b.  Be sure it is down at the children's eye level!

There are SO many books out there that represent cultures appropiately. Maybe you can have some families recommend them.  Set up a cultural spot in your preschool's library.  Even set up a cultural spot on it's own with art work, books, fabric from that culture, children's games from that culture etc.

Have you incorparated the multicultral families to your block area?  I've used the Discount School Supply families and use them for small group... sorting by attribute and we discuss where these people descended from and found it on the globe/map.

At Xmas time, instead of just doing Christmas or your country's way of celebrating...do Xmas around the world.

Do a cultural snack..ask families or those in the community to help you out there if you don't know exactly what types of food would be appropiate for the culture and for children.  You can have a picture of the country and a family from that country eating.

Whose in my family drawings/artwork...we each have a culture...sometimes Grandma is the head of the family sometimes it's a single mother, etc.  This is more toward the end of the year when you introduce that everyone has their own culture and traditions.

It's fun to do a "homes" theme.  This definately brings in multicultural learning since our houses directly correlate with our culture.

Hope one of those gives you a fresh idea :-)

Answer 2

You could try having activities which reflect on different cultures religious holidays like:

Chinese (Asian) new Year

Ramadan

Buddha's Birthday

Haunakkah

You'd need to research other religions as these are the only ones I can think of and I'm sure that the Sheiks, Hindu's etc have their own religious holidays.

You could also have food from different cultures - at a kinder I was working at 1 mother bought in things from her background for the children and staff to try.

Answer 3

learn to make some origami art projects.

Answer 4

Here are some suggestions, I hope they help. :)

*Listen to music from other cultures! It always annoys me when all that children hear in daycare is the wiggles! I bought an album on iTunes recently called "The Alan Lomax Collection: Carribean Voyage - Brown Girl in the Ring", so i'm looking forward to using that in the future with children.

*Make origami with the children ( www.activityvillage.co.uk has clear step by step instructions with photos too )

*Make sushi (At uni another student did this while on a teaching prac...it looked like a great experience)

*If there is restaurant type play, provide menus that are in different languages as well.

*Read to the children and have books available that include stories about children in other cultures. Traditional stories from other countries would be good too!

*Sing songs from other languages with the children...at a centre that I went to for prac, every morning they would sing a song that included saying good morning/hello in other cultures... I don't know all the words, but it started off as "good morning to you...good morning to you...good morning, good morning, good morning to you. Buon giorno...etc

*Try and incorporate multicultural experiences throughout your programming...not just as an isolated experience/theme for the week.

Answer 5

We sponsor a mission child from Ethiopia and we get letters from him each month and we send him coins - which also helps with identifying our coins.  We have a map hanging up and pictures of our little boy.  He actually gets to attend school because of the coins we send him each month - a lesson in diversity and compassion.

Answer 6

Bring some college student in who can teach the kids how to write their names in Japanese.

Wait. Can preschool kids write their name in English? I can't remember if I could, but nevertheless introduce some language stuff.

Answer 7

I saw this great activity a few years ago, but have never tried it.  Get some Multi-Cultural skin tone tempura paint (maybe at a teacher supply store) and mix the colors to match each child's skin color.  To do this you simply put a little squirt on their arm and mix a few colors to find a match.

In the end you discuss how you are all different skin tones and all special at the same time.

Answer 8

Try having the different countries/ continents cut out on large paper posted around different areas of the room.  You can find tons of pictures  to add to it.  My sons school did an entire theme on different cultures. Ask your children's parents for their input if they do not mind.