To continue learning more about food, we read the book What's That written by Karen Chan, illustrated by Basia Tran. The story is about a child Jax, who discovers that his lunch looks very different from his classmates. While he was embarrassed at first, he finds a new friend where they share the joy of spending time cooking and eating with their families.
After reading this book we extended the literacy experience by inviting the children to explore and create their own meals with all kinds of different food from around the world.
Food plays an integral role in our lives. The food we eat is intertwined with culture/traditions and many of our favorite memories are associated with gathering during special celebrations or simply enjoying food as a meal. By exploring and learning about different foods from around the world children can learn & respect a lot of different cultures.
Since young children learn best through play– a dramatic play invitation allows children to perform/process feelings, gain exposure to new things, learn new concepts/language, and test their own understanding of the world around them without any pressure and honor their imagination.
The more we are inclusive about celebrating and exposing cultures in classrooms or our homes from a young age, the more understanding, respect, acceptance we provide for everyone within our communities. There is so much beauty in the traditions of cultures from around the world and children deserve to experience it.
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