Making the Foreign Familiar: Attending Cultural Festivals & Celebrations

• Jul 10, 2017

Making the Foreign Familiar: Attending Cultural Festivals & Celebrations

This post is another installment of my MTFF series. In this series I share the ways I am making the foreign familiar to my children. My goal is to help them develop a global perspective. My hope is that they realize both that the world is immense with so much to see and explore, filled with people who may look different or may do things differently AND that it's a small world after all -- that we are all human with similar needs and wants.

Please note, this post is written in partnership with Tea Collection and contains affiliate links. 

Another way we strive to make the foreign familiar in our household is by taking a peek into the heart of foreign cultures through their festivals and celebrations. We're pretty lucky living near Seattle because at the Seattle Center there is a festival celebrating a different culture at least once per month. The festivals are part of free cultural programming called Festál, which celebrates 20 years this year.

Here the children are posed in front of a garden artwork that is a sort of representation of the Festál calendar and shows all the cultures represented coming together.

Most recently, my family attended the Black Arts Festival. I know sometimes we think of "foreign" as cultures from other countries, but I think it's also very important for my American children to know and appreciate Black-American culture. At this particular festival, we got to appreciate some soul music, products from small Black-owned local businesses as well as a traveling Black history museum.

One of the most interesting parts of the traveling museum was finding out that some people claim the Olmecs were related to Africans based on these colossal sculptures that depict heads with facial features typically atributed to Africans. (A model of one of the colossal heads is shown above.)

Another highlight was learning about all the gadgets and tools that were invented, pantented, or improved upon by African Americans, such as the cell phone.

This summer is actually packed with lots of cultural events including the Arab Festival, Iranian Festival, BrasilFest, and Tibet Fest. Besides the events held at the Seattle Center, there are numerous other cultural festivals around town (with some events overlapping since event organizers seem to pack them all in during the summer when we actually get a break from the rain). One event I am looking forward to is the Bon Odori festival this coming weekend. It's a Japanese celebration for honoring one's ancestors. 

Probably the best celebration this summer is the one we just attended at our friends' home. They organized a typical "festa junina" with traditional music, food, and decor. I hope to share with you soon some photos of the Brazilian sweets we prepared and took to the party.

Now on to the outfits! Paloma is wearing the Yulara Baby Outfit. (Shop here.) Hunter is wearing the Bugging Out Graphic Tee and Wonga Patch Pocket Shorts. (Shop here and here.)

P.S. Here is a running list of the topics in my series on ways to make the foreign familiar:

1. Create crafts and child-friendly artwork inspired by different cultures from around the world. 

2. Learn about animals from around the world.

3. Expose children to foreign languages. 
4. Attend cultural festivals and celebrations. 

CONTINUE READING

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Making the Foreign Familiar: Exposing Children to Foreign Languages

• Mar 30, 2017

Making the Foreign Familiar: Exposing Children to Foreign Languages

This post is another installment of my MTFF series. In this series I share the ways I am making the foreign familiar to my children. My goal is to help them develop a global perspective. My hope is that they realize both that the world is immense with so much to see and explore, filled with people who may look different or may do things differently AND that it's a small world after all -- that we are all human with similar needs and wants.

Please note, this post is written in partnership with Tea Collection and contains affiliate links. 

Something I am cognizant of in this journey of making the foreign familiar is the fine line between fostering a global perspective and perpetuating cultural stereotypes. It is not my goal to provide superficial exposure to as many cultures as possible and call it a day. For a 1-year-old and 4-year-old, however, I do recognize that the age-appropriate approach is to share snippets of a variety of cultures until my children are old enough to have discussions about how cultures are multi-faceted and that knowing just one facet, or even a handful of facets, doesn't mean we understand the whole. 

I also recognize that playing a song in Farsi or Luganda doesn't mean my children will turn around and learn those languages with ease, but because they are still in what Dr. Montessori explained is a "sensitive period for language," they are indeed absorbing the sounds of foreign languages in a way that our adult brains cannot. If there is a chance that in the future my children want to study foreign languages, I like to believe that pronunciation will come easier to them because of their exposure to such a wide variety of sounds from birth to age 6. Plus, music is fun and triggers memory, so learning nursery rhymes and other songs in a particular target foreign language actually helps all language learners master a new language.    

Other than that, the main reason for exposing our children to foreign languages is to be aware that numerous other languages exist. Although we are a bi-cultural family, we speak English at home. The children sometimes hear Spanish from my Mexican relatives and Portuguese from our friends, but if we are to impart the knowledge that so many wonderful languages exist out there, we simply need to expose them to as many languages as possible. Here is how we do just that:

1. Music

Hunter has his own portable CD player in his room with access to a little CD organizer. Inside we have the usual Raffi and some Lisa Loeb (!), but we also have several Spanish-language CDs we have purchased or received as gifts over the years. More recently we started borrowing foreign language music CDs from the children's section of the library. We have very much enjoyed several of the Putumayo Playground CDs. We have listened to one from Asia, another one from Australia, and another one from Europe. Next on our list is the one from Africa. I also really like one from Germany called "Kinderlieder Aus Deutschland und Europa." We've also borrowed a couple from the "Rough Guide to" series: "World Music for Children" and "World Playtime."

2. Books

Also from the library, we check out books from the "Our World" section, like the one pictured above called Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad. What I love about this book, besides the lovely story, is that Hunter learned not only that Arabic sounds different but that it looks different too. At 4 years old, even though he doesn't yet know how to read, he has enough reading awareness to grasp that we read from left to right and Arabic is read (and written, of course) right to left. 

3. TV & Movies

We haven't watched them in a while, but last year I used to love putting Little Pim on for Hunter, and he did not mind at all to watch the shows in Chinese, French, or Italian. Hunter is a TV fiend, so we often have to take week-long breaks from it because he kind of goes crazy over "just one more," but one thing that I have tried as a compromise is to let him watch his favorite movies in Spanish. He is a little annoyed by it at first, but he doesn't ask me to turn it off, so there you go! (Which reminds me, I need to do that more often...)

I'd love to know of any other ways you expose your children to foreign languages! Please share!

Outfit notes: In the photos, Hunter is wearing the Apollo Bay Pocket Tee in paprika, currently on sale. Paloma is wearing the Cape Otway romper. 

P.S. Here is a running list of the topics in my series on ways to make the foreign familiar:

1. Create crafts and child-friendly artwork inspired by different cultures from around the world. 

2. Learn about animals from around the world.

3. Expose children to foreign languages. 
4. Attend public cultural festivals and celebrations.

CONTINUE READING

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Making the Foreign Familiar: Learning About Animals

• Feb 28, 2017

Making the Foreign Familiar: Learning About Animals

This post is another installment of my MTFF series. In this series I share the ways I am making the foreign familiar to my children. My goal is to help them develop a global perspective. My hope is that they realize both that the world is immense with so much to see and explore, filled with people who may look different or may do things differently AND that it's a small world after all -- that we are all human with similar needs and wants.

Please note, this post is written in partnership with Tea Collection and contains affiliate links. 

What better way for very small children to learn about diversity than to discuss animals from around the world! Like all children, mine are obsessed with animals. They play with figurine animals, read animal books, and make animal sounds, but one of my favorite things about studying animals with Hunter is looking up animal habitats on a world map. Looking at a world map together helps children become familiar with the names of regions, countries, and continents. Pointing out where an animal is from in relation to where we live helps children develop spatial thinking (more on that here).

He may not quite understand how far away Australia is, for example, but he can appreciate that it is very different from where we live. We can talk about seeing elk and bald eagles in our part of the world, but if we were to visit Australia we'd see kangaroos and kookaburras. Of course, we would see some similarities as well like domestic animals, squirrels, and opossums, but learning about so many animals that are endemic to Australia has been a lot of fun. It really makes me want to visit the country to see them in their homeland.

For now, thanks to Tea Collection's recent travels to Australia, we have lots of activities and information to help us learn more about this beautiful country. Tea has partnered with Nat Geo Kids, so visitors to the Tea website can access interesting facts about Australia's animals as well as ready-to-print coloring pages and activities like the koala masks my children are wearing in the photos.

Furthermore, this spring and summer season, the styles at Tea Collection are all inspired by Australian landscapes, animals, and aboriginal art. If you visit the Tea Collection blog, you can learn a bit more about the inspiration behind the styles. My mom and stepdad have been to Australia twice now, and I can see why they want to go back!

P.S. I got a new job as a Montessori teacher and have downloaded all the Australia activities and filed them away for later use ;)

P.P.S. Even though my job doesn't start for a few months, I jumped right in and organized a Tea Collection fundraiser. Use code SDS17LAUREL for 15% off + free shipping on teaschooldays.com and 15% of your order will go to our new (well, new to Hunter, Paloma, and me) school! Hurry, the fundraiser ends March 6th!

Hunter is wearing the Bali Bites Graphic Tee inspired by past travels to Bali.

Paloma is wearing the Sedap Malam Romper also inspired by past travels to Bali.

P.S. Here is a running list of the topics in my series on ways to make the foreign familiar:
1. Create crafts and child-friendly artwork inspired by different cultures from around the world. 
2. Learn about animals from around the world.
3. Expose children to foreign languages. 
4. Attend public cultural festivals and celebrations.

CONTINUE READING

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Making the Foreign Familiar: Creating Artwork and Crafts

• Jan 30, 2017

Making the Foreign Familiar: Creating Artwork and Crafts

(Please note: This post contains affiliate links.)

Something that's hugely important to me is that my children grow up with a global perspective. My hope is that they realize both that the world is immense with so much to see and explore, filled with people who may look different or may do things differently AND that it's a small world after all -- that we are all human with similar needs and wants. I used to think that the only way to foster this perspective would be to live abroad and travel extensively. Since neither of those experiences are on the horizon, I started thinking about how we could help Hunter and Paloma develop a global perspective right now, and I came back to this phrase that I first read on the Tea Collection blog: making the foreign familiar. With that in mind, it is my goal to start a new series here on my blog all about doing just that!

I recently took the children to the Bellevue Arts Museum, a contemporary art museum just outside of Seattle, for their FREE family day. In the forum area of the museum, they hosted multicultural arts and crafts activities for children aged 4-10. Each child picked up a "passport" at the entrance and gathered stamps by completing the various activities inspired by different cultures around the world. The activities were really great, though my only complaint is that the stations did not give any cultural explanations, so I had to look them all up when we got home. In the end it worked out because before bed, I sat down with Hunter at the computer and showed him other examples of the crafts he made that day, explained a little more about the story behind them, and then I pointed out each country of origin on a world map. 

First, we made a little Guatemalan worry doll. We glued colorful felt on a wood doll pin, and I drew a little face. Later we learned that actual worry dolls are tiny -- just 1/2 an inch to 1 inch tall! The idea is that you tell your worries to the worry dolls so they can bear the burden of your worries and you can get a good night's sleep. Read more here.

Then we went to the Ghungroo station. Ghungroos are ankle bells that classical Indian dancers wear to enhance their performances. Hunter got to choose two bells and some colorful beads to string on a piece of elastic. He made it just the right size for Paloma's wrist. Read more here. 

Finally, Hunter created some art inspired by Aboriginal Dot Paintings. He took the eraser end of a pencil, dipped it in paint, and decorated a sea turtle silhouette with dots. After a bit of research we learned that this is a fairly new art form. Read more here.

After we finished with a few arts and crafts activities, we explored the museum's exhibits for a bit. Hunter and Paloma were fascinated with all the sculptures and wanted to touch EVERYTHING. I must have said "no touch" a hundred times. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed watching them take it all in and stare with wonder.

Before heading out, we got to enjoy a short dance performance. Two young ladies shared with the audience some classical dance pieces from South India. Neither of my children could sit still for the whole performance, but at the very least they got a taste of this beautiful art form!

P.S. In case you're curious, Hunter and Paloma are each wearing tops from Tea Collection. These pieces are from their Japan collection and are currently on discount. What I love about Paloma's top is that it's reversible! She wears one print the first day, and even if she dribbles a bit, I just flip it to the reverse side, and she can wear it again the second day. As for Hunter's tee, I love that the cool samurai design has a metallic gold print and the shoulders feature contrast stitching.

P.P.S. Check out this blog post for another way to do aboriginal-inspired art as well as a fun craft activity inspired by sushi!

P.P.P.S. Here is a running list of the topics in my series on ways to make the foreign familiar:
1. Create crafts and child-friendly artwork inspired by different cultures from around the world.
2. Learn about animals from around the world.
3. Expose children to foreign languages.
4. Attend public cultural festivals and celebrations.

CONTINUE READING

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