The diverse community in which we live is one of the most delightful elements of Australian life. Cultural awareness and diversity are vital social skills – and there are so many ways that parents, caregivers and early childhood educators can integrate this into activities and the educational curriculum to promote this from a young age.
Children naturally mix with everyone and anyone – and learning the traditions and backgrounds of other cultures is a fascinating learning journey. The following looks at eight ways that not only embrace the wonderful differences between us, but are a whole lot of fun too…
- The power of dance and music: All children love music. From the moment a toddler first begins to sway or nod to some great sounds, the lure of the beat tempts both the conscious and subconscious mind. The diversity of World Music – from African drums to Brazilian samba – and everything in between, is an incredible landscape to explore with young children.
- Crafty crafting: Learning traditional crafts is something that children love getting hands-on with. Indonesian batik is a great example – and don’t forget our wonderful homegrown Aboriginal art and crafts. The colours, patterns and sheer diversity of shapes and objects to decorate make a wonderful basis for the imagination to flow. Other great crafts to enjoy with little ones include the Japanese flower arranging art of Ikebana, Kenyan Maasai beadwork or the Mexican craft of brightly painting fantastical wooden creatures, known as Alebrijes.
- Explore the world on a globe or map: Games like, Guess the Country (or capital city) bring an awareness of the planet we live on. You can interject it with other natural phenomenon, such as what animals live where, pictures of famous landmarks or watching fun videos about festivals and traditions from around the globe.
- Get cooking: Children adore helping in the kitchen. Double up the fun by introducing different cuisines – and of course, letting little ones help with all the important aspects, such as measuring, mixing and, naturally, the piece de resistance… Tasting!
- Getting in the festive mood: There’s always a celebration going on somewhere in the world – and what better way to build cultural awareness than to bring it into the home or classroom? Dress up in traditional costumes, make and serve meals, listen to songs and music… Even better, find a local celebration and take the children along to enjoy.
- Learn a few words: You’ll be surprised how quickly little ones can pick up simple elements of another language. Learning to say hello in other native tongues, for example, is hugely fun – and they can use it when they meet anyone with such a heritage.
- Discover traditional games from different countries: Most Australian children will be familiar with Skippyroo Kangaroo, but adding in other traditional games from across the globe is a great way to build cultural diversity. Examples include Ounch Neech (a type of tag from Pakistan), Corre, Corre la Guaraca (a catch-me-if-you-can game from Chile) and Ten Ten (a clapping game from Nigeria).
- International story time: Storytelling can be both passive and active – and when you add in traditional children’s tales from around the world it adds a wonderful extra discovery element. Encourage little ones to act out the characters, dress up or add their own imaginative flair to embellish the story.
Evoke Early Learning Centres take full advantage of the wonderful world we live in, with activities that celebrate the incredible diversity around us. Our philosophy is firmly rooted in inclusivity and the values of all – and we know just how much our children love how our educators promote the exploration of different cultures, traditions and languages.
We’d love for you to see us in action. Book a tour today and come and meet us face-to-face.
Discover more about our values and contact our team for a chat today.
Tracey is a highly qualified educator and administrator and brings a strong combination of academic achievement, extensive work experience in the education and business sectors as well as drive and passion to her role as General Manager of Operations at Evoke Early Learning.
Tracey has a Master of Education and an Advanced Diploma of Business and holds VIT Dual Registration to teach in Early Childhood and Primary School settings. She’s also a VIT Trained Mentor Teacher and has worked in ECEC settings as a Director, Educational Leader and as a Victorian Senior Area manager. Her recognition as a state finalist in the recent Director of the Year Awards is testament to her achievements in the early education sector.
Her extensive work experience also included a stint as Head of Curriculum at the Royal Children’s Hospital Education Institute and positions as head of ICT at a number of large primary and secondary schools. Tracey is also experienced in not-for-profit sessional kindergarten settings and long daycare environments, so she has a deep understanding of what’s required to support the needs and expectations of young children, educators, parents and caregivers.
Tracey is responsible for operational management at Evoke Early Learning’s Clayton centre in Oakleigh East and their Albert Park centre in South Melbourne and is deeply committed to leading and driving effective and sustainable service delivery throughout the company.
Tracey is passionate about making a meaningful difference to young children, their parents and the wider community and under her expert guidance, Evoke Early Learning is continuing to raise the bar in quality early education and childcare.
