Integrating multicultural learning into the classroom is important at the preschool age to help broaden a student’s prospective. While it might seem hard to introduce children to different multicultural experiences, there are many fun and easy ways to incorporate those activities into their daily learning and discussion.

• Mix up dinner time! Did you know that in some Japanese and Korean cultures, people sit around short tables and on pillows/on the floor instead of in chairs? Move dinner to your coffee table and grab a pillow. This change of perspective will be fun for your little one and bring about discussion about how other families might eat their meals.
• Stuck eating the same things over and over again? Mix things up with a meal from a different culture. Or does your little one ONLY eat your family cooking? Talk to them about how the foods you make were made when you were little. This can bring about a bigger discussion as to your family’s roots.
• Good morning! ¡Buenos días! Switch up your daily greetings with sayings from other cultures that you might be familiar with.
• Explore the world! Have your little one make their own passport and learn about different countries. “Stamp” their passport everytime they learn about a new location.

In Crème de la Crème’s Second Language Library, we focus on introducing your child to more than just the Mandarin and Spanish language. Students will be exposed to different cultures and their traditions. For Lunar New Year, some of our students celebrated the holiday with songs and parades! Music is a great way to introduce different vocabulary words, teach dances from different cultures, and expose children to new sounds. Even basic vocabulary words bring on a greater discussion for students- learning that “abuela” means “grandma” puts it in perspective for our students that they aren’t the only ones with a grandma!

Another fun way that Crème de la Crème integrates multicultural learning into our programs is through our Culinary Arts program. Whether it is making homemade tortilla chips or simply discussing where certain ingredients originate, our students are exposed to different cultures and countries. While some students are trying foods for the first time, it also provides a great opportunity for other students to share with their classmates what they frequently enjoy in their own families.