Activity: Discover Ethnicity!

Learning tolerance and respect at a young age is so important and necessary for a child's social development. Growing up with a greater understanding and respect for how people's differences make them unique is a big step toward social maturity.

Materials:
Family albums; favorite photos of family and friends; or magazine pictures that reflect diversity and a variety of cultures

Directions:
What is ethnicity? To keep it simple...it refers to someone's ancestry, background, or family bloodline. Take a journey back in time by looking through a family album to discover the ethnicity that makes up your family tree. Share how ethnicity makes everyone unique. Talk about how people from many ethnic backgrounds have found their way to American to live and work together; it's what makes this country one of the world's most sought after places to live.

Take It Further:

• Discover cultural arts and artists from around the world by visiting the local museum.
• Attend cultural events that offer activities for children.
• Listen to music and read books that highlight different cultures.
• Experience cooking and tasting recipes from other cultures.
• Have children's books handy that showcase different cultures around the world
• Use a world globe to build mapping skills and to discover where different cultures are located.

With a Group: Encourage your child to share playtime with new or "different" friends from various ethnic backgrounds by having an "All About Me!" party. Invite friends to bring themselves and something (pictures, fabric, objects, food, music, or even a family member that could share interesting, age-appropriate information) to show-and-tell about their ethnicity, culture, and family traditions.