Ideas for activities to fuel cultural discoveries at all ages

To immerse children in different cultural worlds, it is not necessarily necessary to organize large-scale activities. The more opportunities children have to open up to cultural differences and values ​​from elsewhere, the more they will be able to develop their openness and acceptance of difference, while maintaining a curiosity about how people can live their lives elsewhere. Here are some ideas for immersing young and old in the culture of elsewhere :

0-2 years:

Little ones will be interested in what stimulates their senses .

• Play songs in different languages ​​or instruments from different countries (e.g. percussion). It does not have to be music aimed at children.
• For children who walk: add scarves to dance to the rhythm of the music .
• Offer foods from different countries for snacks: let little ones discover them, handle them and taste them if they want.
• Offer animal figurines from different countries to manipulate in a water tray or sandbox so that they can handle them while exploring different textures.
• Find crafts from other countries , such as woven baskets or small handbags in which children can hide toys and explore the act of filling and emptying.
• Use pictures of babies from your chosen country and stick them near their routine areas , such as the changing table. Stick pictures of foods from the country on a plastic tablecloth or directly on the table to liven up mealtimes.
• Use the flags of different countries to play peek-a-boo or to hide different objects to find.

3-5 years:

Preschoolers will enjoy discovering symbols that are key to their cognitive development at this age.

• Teach them a simple nursery rhyme in the language of the country that you can recite very slowly to allow the children to listen to the words in another language.
• Learn one or two words from the language of different countries.
• Make simple puzzles using flags from different countries to piece together.
• Find objects from elsewhere and group them together to play "What object did I hide" (have all the objects observed, then hide one and the children have to find which one). Possibility of using a flag of the country to hide the objects.
• Play a memory game using cards with symbolic objects or foods from another country .

6 years and older:

School-age children will enjoy leading projects and being actively involved in their discoveries .

• Let them choose a food or recipe from elsewhere that they can introduce to family members or prepare with the help of their parents.
• Play “Guess the Taste” with different exotic foods (taste all the new foods, then taste a food again while blindfolded and have to guess what it is).
• Organize a music show using instruments from elsewhere.
• Learn a story or song in a foreign language and share it with family members.

Would you like to have the chance to consult all the content published in the Magazine each month in preview, and to have access to our Toolbox including among other things free downloads as practical as they are fun? Subscribe to Belles Combines Magazine now!