Celebrations – Child
Pre -school aged children love to show they remembered what happened at special times. They are also at a great age to get involved in helping plan and participate in everything from decorating Christmas trees to being involved in cooking.
Sharing family and cultural events helps keep stories alive, pass on important information and gives opportunities to start your own family traditions while your child learns more about their world.
Did you know?
Seasonal celebrations help children mark the passage of time.
Add language
Songs, folklore and dramatising celebration stories develops story language and structure.
Talking about celebrations helps with learning how to order things based on time. Try using specific language to help develop these time concepts e.g. “Your birthday is after Daddy’s birthday” “Christmas Day is in four more sleeps”, “In the morning we …. then at night we have the fireworks” .
Other development
Involving your child in the planning for celebrations helps develop thinking and reasoning skills, as well as fine motor skills if making decorations or preparing food. Being included and ‘helpful’ develops your child’s self-esteem and confidence.
Children are having fun and learning about size, shape, position, colour and patterns while making decorations. Early maths and science knowledge is also being developed while measuring, mixing and shaping during cooking.
Variations
Books about familiar and unfamiliar celebrations are readily available at your local library and fun to share with your child.
Look out for festivals and celebrations occurring in your community. Joining in with these events can help your child and family feel more connected to your community and also helps children develop an understanding of and respect for differences.
Safety
Always supervise your child (Celebrations may involve extra objects that can be safety hazards for young children e.g. candles, sparklers, easily reached small items).
Across the ages
All the activities listed on our “Play Ideas” page can be applied across different age groups. See how celebrations can be fun for babies , toddlers and playgroups.
Activities listed under “child” are suitable for children 3 years and older. Children of this age enjoy more complex activities where they can develop their skills and use their imagination while playing with friends.