Respecting All Holiday Traditions This Season Celebrating holidays in schools is familiar to many parents. They may have their own fond memories of decorations, crafts, songs, and classroom parties that they want their own children to experience.
Exploration Fueled Fall Field Trips
But we must remember that our school families can be very diverse, with different beliefs and traditions. Even families that do celebrate the same holidays can do so in very different ways. This poses a challenge to educators, who must work to ensure that all children are respected and represented. To keep from alienating families or children, teachers must think of holidays as a time to learn and share, rather than participate. Teachers can have children share stories and photos, and families can participate in recipe exchanges. Dramatic play centers can be stocked with food boxes and spice tins that are used by families. Different types of music can be played during class. In these ways, children can share with their teachers and friends the things that are meaningful to their families.
Head Start students enjoyed several field trips this fall. Firelands students (above) visited a nearby apple farm to explore and pick apples. Wellington students enjoyed their annual walking trip to the fire station (below) in October while Griswold students had the fire department come to them.
Teachers can also create unique celebrations during traditional holiday seasons. All Head Start directly operated centers will be celebrating Winterfest on December 15th with a planned activity and special snack. If you would like to share your family’s holiday traditions with the class, please speak to your child’s classroom teachers.
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or non-toy gift experiences to create lifelong memories. Great Open-Ended Gift Ideas: X Wooden blocks, Duplos, Legos, Magna Tiles, gears
X Play-Doh
X Mini golf & ice cream
X Art materials (paper, crayons, glue, scissors, etc.)
X Ice or roller skating
X Dress up & role play items (ex. costumes, tea set, doctor’s kit, pretend school or restaurant)
X Lessons for sports, music, art, etc.
X Baby dolls & accessories (ex. stroller, bottle, blankets, etc.)
X Animal figurines
X Wooden doll house with furniture and people
X Musical instruments
X Hot Wheels/Matchbox cars & track to build
X Play fort kits/playhouses Non-gift Experiences: X Zoo, museum or park passes X Afternoon at an arcade
X Sledding & hot cocoa
X Kids cooking class X Trip to bookstore to pick out a special book to read together X Pick out a new board game for family game night X Visit to an indoor/outdoor waterpark.
