Learning about Diverse Cultures through United Nations Day Celebrations

United Nations (UN) Day is celebrated on 24 October every year to mark the official establishment of the United Nations 76 years ago on 24 October, 1945.

Indonesia has been a part of the United Nations since 1950, and as an international preschool, it is important that Kinderland Indonesia observe UN Day every October.

Kinderland’s UN Day celebration aims to provide the opportunity for parents and children to come together to appreciate the different cultures around the world. Learning in our children occurs through sharing on the different cultures within the community and role playing.

This year, all Kinderland Jakarta children and teachers dressed up in costumes from different countries to celebrate UN Day online and in school.  Children dressed in different countries’ costumes showcased how each country has its unique traditional costume representing its cultural identity.

The children also perform dances representing their countries. The children performed dances from Indonesia, Japan, Korea, India, Spain, Hawaii and many other countries. The children were exposed to the different cultural dances from around the world and different song tempos and rhythm that each performance had. Interestingly, they were intrigued by how some traditional dances use props such as fans, drums, lantern, sticks and flowers.

Different countries’ traditional food were also introduced to the preschoolers. They learned that traditional food is passed on through generations and may have a historical precedent. They express the cultural identity of each country. During the respective countries’ special occasion, these traditional food will usually be cooked and consume by its people to preserve the culture.

Through this year’s celebration, our children were exposed to the costumes and dances of different cultures. Through the engagement, Kinderland Jakarta prepares our children for a highly globalized world in the 21^st century.

Even though UN Day was a hybrid event, everyone, including parents, children and teachers, enjoyed the celebrations just as much. Parents and children enjoyed the ‘Sushi making’ the most. They had so much fun making Sushi together, and it was their first experience for many of our children. Here are some sharing from our parents:

“UN day celebration in Kinderland was so fun even though we celebrated it virtually. It was our first time to celebrate UN day celebration”.
~ Mrs Hanny (Bianca’s mom)

“It was a great experience for my son to celebrate UN day celebration with Kinderland. My son enjoyed all the activities so much, especially “Sushi Making” activity. It was also his first experience wearing the costume from Japan and he told me that the costume is called ‘Kimono’.”
~ Mr.Eric (Dominic’s dad)