Toddler activities which foster inclusive practises or multicultural awareness?

Question

As part of my course I need information on activities that can be provided to toddlers which foster inclusive practises and multicultural awareness. Any ideas on activities would be appreciated, thanks.

Answer 1

Something I like to do with young children is Celebrate a Country a week or even a day. Dress up in some traditional clothing,  learn some greetings, play a traditional game, sing a song, read a story and best of  all make and eat food from that country.

Add it to your daily routine, in the morning when you say goodmorning say it is the language associated with that country, Konichiwa, Hola, Bonjour etc.

If you don't know any traditional songs an easy song to adapt is Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes.



Use Babel Fish Translator to look up the basic words.

http://world.altavista.com/tr

Toddlers who know the songs will think the odd words are funny but they can still dance along.

Answer 2

do different projects on families traditions...make cookies....playdough, etc. Think music also (people singing songs on tape)

Answer 3

Sing Christian and Jewish holiday songs

Answer 4

thats a great question. i am a toddler teacher, and teaching them anything is pretty hard because they are so small, but they absorb things like sponges! the most important thing is keeping them interested. books are a great way to do this. perhaps find a book that talks about different cultures and read it to them.  I also like to use flannel boards, which can be used to teach nearly everything. every year, we have one week that the lesson plan is "children around the world". we show how cultures are different around the world, and do activities that are based around what other children around the world do....

this is always a hard one.... good luck!

Answer 5

At that young of an age just teaching them to 'share' and 'play with' children of differing cultural origin is a grand achievement.  Sadly, many caregivers do not do this at such a young age.  Reading books to them which show children from other lands would be another good way.

Answer 6

Provide dolls with different skin colors, posters with people with different skins colors, books, etc. Provide cultural music, and also do some self awarenes "he has brown hair, I have blonde, you have red" or I'm tallest, he's tell, she's short, shorter" etc.