How We Celebrate
What you need
- a few family photos from winters or special days
- paper and crayons
How to do it
- Sit together and look at a few photos from winters or special days your family has had.
- Talk about what your family does at this time of year: lights, visits, songs, special food, or quiet days together at home.
- Ask your child what they like best, and what they think other families might do.
- Let them draw a picture of their favourite part, and write their words underneath.
- Stick the picture up and let them tell someone else in the family about it later.
Why it matters
Talking about what their own family does, and how others might do it differently, helps them feel they belong and that every family's way is welcome.
What they're learning
- Talking about family
- Telling you what happens at home builds words and memory.
- Other families
- Wondering what other families do is the start of seeing that people do things differently.
- Drawing with meaning
- Drawing their favourite part and telling you about it joins marks and words.
What to look for
Watch for them remembering something from last year and telling you about it in their own words.
A tip
There is no right answer: some families celebrate a festival, some don't, and every way is welcome. A picture book about winter round the world is a lovely extra.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: look at one photo and talk about who is in it
Harder: ring someone in the family and ask what they did in winter when they were little
