How can we sensitize children to the diversity of our world from an early age? The familea daycare center Wasgenring has asked itself precisely this question - and found a wonderful answer with the introduction of cultural days. Based on our concept of language education in daycare, the team implements the guidelines "Use language in a variety of ways" and "Support multilingualism with appreciation" in practice. The first Culture Day focused on Sri Lanka.
The children immersed themselves in the culture, were able to try on traditional costumes, rehearse dances and learn new words and sounds through play. Questions such as: "What do people do in Sri Lanka?", "Which of our children have roots there?", "What does the language sound like?" opened doors to exciting conversations and real exchange.
But why are such experiences so important? Children who come into contact with different cultures and languages at an early age benefit in many ways: 1) they develop open, tolerant attitudes; 2) their linguistic and social skills are promoted; 3) they strengthen empathy and intercultural understanding; 4) they break down prejudices before they arise.
Many thanks to Hosanna-Joy Jaynadan and the team at Wasgenring daycare center for their valuable commitment to bringing cultural diversity to life for children and thus making an important contribution to early childhood education at familea.
