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Talk About it If They Talk About It

by Jennifer Asimow

So what do you do if you are trying really hard to support the Non-Holiday Approach to the holidays and the children in your care want to talk about the holidays?

We do what we always do when the children bring their ideas into the room; we honor them and we support them. If, during free choice time, a child asks if she can create something to hang on her Christmas tree at home, you respond positively and ask her what she needs to get her project rolling. I think of this as a perfect example of “emergent curriculum.” If the ideas emerge from the children themselves, then they are meaningful and important and worth exploring.

Truth be told, I don’t think many children themselves have ideas about holiday projects. They primarily come to child care to play with their friends and have their regular day. Since time is an arbitrary concept and dates are hard to wrap young minds around, they won’t be expecting too many special activities. They may not expect any at all. Try it. You’ll see.

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