What are the holidays like in other countries? Kindergartners at Bushnell Elementary recently learned how “the most wonderful time of the year” is celebrated in other parts of the world.
The first-time effort charged students in eight classes to make paper-bag “suitcases,” which they decorated with colored drawings of the flags of the country each class adopted for the project: Africa, Australia, Canada, Germany, Holland, Israel, Mexico and Sweden.
Teacher Robyn Anderson said the pre-holiday break activity was a blend of art, social studies, geography and music.
Over two school days, kindergartners grabbed their suitcases and traveled from classroom to classroom, where teachers shared a holiday story and tradition with the pint-sized globe trotters, who then made a craft from that country they could pack in their suitcases.
In Africa, students learned about Kwanzaa and made bracelets using colors of the country’s flag. In Israel, Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. In Canada, they learned that country’s national anthem.
In teacher Kate Henige’s class — also known as Germany — holiday music played as kindergartners Morgan Lucas and Anaya Jacobs spread green glitter on cut-out pickles.
Wait… pickles? “They hide a pickle on the tree, and the first one to find it gets an extra treat,” Anaya explained.
And what if Mom finds it?
“Then she’s cheating,” Anaya said, “because the game is for kids.”
