Cultural enlightenment for children shapes their growth into open-minded, empathetic and intelligent individuals. From learning about new fashions to songs to cuisines — kids get a beautiful insight into a diverse world where positive interaction is encouraged.
It will help your kids navigate a complex human setting where different ethnicities and ways of life abound. Plus, they will learn that our differences don’t matter, as the world is united by humanity! Here are simple ways you can learn cultural diversity as a family:
-
Encourage World Music
Music deeply resonates with the human mind and is one of the best ways to learn. Be it in the car or in the warm comfort of your home, turn on world music occasionally. You and your kids will instantly teleport to another cultural realm where things are much different than you are used to. Your kids will not just sing along to the lyrics but will learn about fascinating things that exist in another culture.
-
Organize a Multi-cultural Birthday Party
Birthdays provide bonding and learning opportunities. For one, it helps kids develop social interaction skills whilst appreciating the beauty of celebrations. With a multi-cultural-themed birthday party, your kids will get to meet kids that hail from other countries and ethnicities.
Even if kids from other regions aren’t attending the party, you can choose a specific theme that explores a country. For instance, you can throw a Mexican Spanish theme birthday party with papel picado, Mexican banners, Mariachi Chicken Tamales and Horchata!
-
Learn a New Language
Children benefit a lot from learning new languages. Also, in today’s world, being multi-lingual is considered a valuable skill. Thus, it can help them in their future pursuits and endeavours. You can start by buying multilingual storybooks for kids.
By learning a new language, your kids will gain cognitive advantages including creativity, problem-solving and communication skills. It also promotes self-expression and reflection. And they will learn the power of “connotations”.
-
Embrace Family Volunteering
You and your kids can participate in a cause targeted at a specific race or culture. You can also opt to volunteer at the museum or library where you’d get to learn new things. Volunteering breeds strong social and communication skills.
It is highly motivating and would rub off positively on you and your kids. When you volunteer, your kids will pick up the spirit of benevolence while learning about different cultures!
-
Host Cultural Evenings
Every two weeks or once a month (depending on your schedule), bring the family together for a festive evening. Tell cultural stories, listen to world music and spotlight specific cultures — giving room for questions and expression. You can also make your culture the star of the evening.
This is because children find it easier to explore other cultures after learning about theirs. Incorporate cuisines like Russian uzhin, Indian curry or Japanese sushi. Share Scandinavian folktales as you enjoy a sumptuous culture-laced dinner!
In a Nutshell
Learning cultural diversity as a family is a fun and result-driven approach to biodiversity. Your children need to understand that monoculture isn’t realistic, rather biodiversity is what keeps the world going. Additionally, it supports cognitive and emotional development. You can purchase cultural-themed storybooks, puzzles and art from our website for an engaging and productive learning experience.
