Celebrating Family Traditions

As the year winds down, many families lean into seasonal traditions to celebrate the holidays. It’s the perfect time to make new memories and embrace togetherness within our homes and in the community. Spending this quality time together can bring a lot of joy and warmth to our lives.

Each person has their own special way of marking different occasions. It’s influenced by one’s upbringing, culture, family, region, and personal experiences.

When possible, being surrounded by loved ones (whether related or not) and enjoying each other’s company is a great way to build strong relationships and create warm, welcoming spaces.

Children benefit from having a comfortable sense of security and support.

• Create Belonging – By sharing family celebrations and traditions, we share impactful moments and show the importance of community and mutual respect.
• Build Connections – Sharing family traditions and stories allows children to engage in conversations and make connections between peers and caring adults.
• Value Differences – Engaging in conversations about other family’s traditions gives children the opportunity to learn about and understand different cultures and beliefs.

Encourage children to play an active role in your holiday experiences, whether it’s an old tradition still going strong or a new one you want to create together. Here’s a little inspiration:

• Cook a family recipe.
  We all have our favorite seasonal recipes that give us good memories. Include your child and cook it together! Cooking can provide many different learning opportunities from early math concepts to fine motor development.
  

• Read a favorite story.
  Reading books with children provides so many developmental benefits while also encouraging them to think differently and see things from a new perspective. Choose a family favorite to enjoy each year. Some of ours include:
  • Big Planet, Small World: Celebrate, Celebrate! by Dorothea Lee (Ages 0-3)
  • Our Table by Peter H. Reynolds (Ages 3-8)
  • Let’s Celebrate! Special Days Around the World by Kate DePalma (Ages 4-10)
    
• Have a family art night.
  Create something individually or together! Allowing children to engage in open-ended art experiences is a great way to build relationships and encourage creative thinking.

Regardless of what activity you choose, be sure to add something that feels special to your family to make it a unique experience, specific to you. Do you have any traditions you’d like to share with your school community? Tell us about it! We love family engagement.

By celebrating together, we will continue to create safe, warm, and respectful environments within our homes, families, schools, and communities—during the holiday season and all year.