Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month activities are educational exercises designed to teach young children about AAPI culture, history, and traditions. Celebrating diversity in your childcare program is a great way to teach young children about tolerance and acceptance.
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is a perfect opportunity to recognize the contributions that Asians and Pacific Islanders have made in the United States and Canada. This article will provide tips on how to incorporate lessons around AAPI Heritage Month into your curriculum and offer some fun, age-appropriate activities to teach children about diverse cultures all year long.
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What is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month?
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is an annual observance celebrated in May to honor the achievements of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and Canadians.
Also known as Asian Heritage Month in Canada, it highlights contributions in medicine, education, politics, the arts, and many other important fields. The month of May was chosen in the United States to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in May 1843 and the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad (an effort largely fueled by Chinese immigrants) in May 1869.
For educators, it's a perfect time to discuss the rich cultures of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. From food and music to books and art, you can incorporate diverse materials and activities into your lessons to help children learn about these groups and the important roles they've played in our nation’s history.
How do you explain Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to preschoolers?
You can explain Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to preschoolers by creating a learning environment that encourages discussion, celebrates differences, and highlights the successes of AAPI individuals.
Teaching young children about Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and AAPI cultures won’t always be easy. Telling an honest account of the history of these groups involves decades of hardships, racism, and injustice. It's important not to completely gloss over these areas when teaching about AAPI history. Like all classroom activities and events that promote values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, you must focus on shared humanity.
Give an honest account of the histories of Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants who came to the United States. Talk about their hardships and how they were mistreated when they arrived. Celebrate the perseverance of the community and share success stories of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in fields like science, education, sports, and politics. Throughout your lessons, continuously reinforce the significance of diversity, equity, and inclusion so your children understand the importance of accepting and respecting others.
To keep your activities organized, you can use a lesson planning tool to schedule and share them with families. For example, with brightwheel’s lesson planning feature, you can create a calendar of your AAPI Heritage Month activities and share it directly with families through the app. This keeps everyone informed and involved in their child’s learning.
How should a childcare program celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month?
A childcare program should celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by doing careful research, avoiding cultural appropriation, and including children and families in the lessons. Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month is a great time to emphasize concepts like open-mindedness and acceptance while teaching about Asian and Pacific Islander culture. Ensure your lessons are both educational and accurate.
Do your research first
If you aren't familiar with AAPI history, study the facts before introducing your lessons. It's important that you have a strong understanding so you can give an honest account of the meaning behind AAPI Heritage Month celebrations. This preparation helps you answer any questions children have truthfully.
Be mindful of cultural appropriation
Before implementing your lessons, avoid stereotypes and understand if anything you say or do will be perceived as harmful to your children, families, or others in the community. For example, understand the cultural significance of any clothing or garments you choose to wear to support your lessons and whether they are disrespectful when worn in the wrong context.
Allow children to be part of the lessons
If you have any children in your childcare program who are of AAPI ethnicity, allow them to share their background and experiences with others. Alternatively, you can expand your lessons to include the backgrounds of all children and let everyone share what makes them special.
Include examples of other cultures
While Asian and Pacific Islander Americans should be the focal point of AAPI Heritage Month lessons, children and their families are likely to identify with many other celebrations and annual observances as well, like Black History Month or Hispanic Heritage Month. Incorporate opportunities to celebrate all forms of diversity with children in your class.
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What are the best Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month activities?
The best Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month activities for young children include reading books with AAPI characters, playing traditional music, trying authentic foods, and exploring world maps. Here are five engaging activities to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in your classroom.
Read books with AAPI characters
Reading books with AAPI characters or books written by AAPI authors is a simple and effective way to incorporate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month activities into your curriculum. This practice shows the value of representing diverse perspectives, traditions, and cultures. According to early education experts, diverse literature helps children build empathy and self-esteem.
You can find many wonderful books by Asian American and Pacific Islander authors that explore themes of family, identity, and tradition.
Here are a few book suggestions to get you started:
- Eyes that Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho
- Watercress by Andrea Wang
- A Different Pond by Bao Phi
Play Asian and Pacific Island music
Exploring music from around the world is a great way to introduce children to sounds from different cultures. Use age-appropriate music from AAPI artists or play instruments that are indigenous to Asian-Pacific countries.
Have fun with snack time
Your children likely eat foods every day that are indigenous to Asian-Pacific countries. Foods like rice, noodles, sweet potatoes, bananas, pineapples, and so many more originated in countries that are celebrated during AAPI Heritage Month. Teach children about these foods and where they come from to make snack time educational.
Explore a map or globe
Take a journey to Asia, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands, showing children the dozens of countries that make up this area. You can use a globe, a wall map, or explore online. Alternatively, you can focus lessons on single countries, discussing foods, music, and other important inventions or discoveries that originated there.
Make simple origami
Origami is a traditional Japanese art of paper folding. It’s a fun, hands-on activity that helps children develop fine motor skills and follow directions. You can start with simple shapes and work your way up to more complex designs.
Here’s how to make a simple paper boat:
- Start with a rectangular piece of paper and fold it in half lengthwise.
- Fold the top two corners down to meet the center crease, forming a triangle.
- Fold the bottom rectangular flaps up on both sides, then pull the center open and flatten it into a square.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How can families participate in Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month activities at home?
A: Families can participate by cooking traditional AAPI recipes together, visiting local cultural museums, and reading AAPI-authored children's books before bedtime.
Q: Why is it important to teach toddlers about AAPI heritage?
A: Teaching toddlers about AAPI heritage builds early foundations of empathy, cultural awareness, and respect for diversity. It helps young children recognize and celebrate differences from an early age.
Q: Are there specific AAPI activities best suited for infants?
A: Yes, infants benefit most from sensory-rich AAPI activities like listening to traditional Pacific Islander lullabies or exploring soft, textured fabrics inspired by Asian art.
Conclusion
Celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is a great way to teach children about AAPI culture and history. Your lessons don't have to stop after May. Find ways to incorporate diverse activities and teachings all year long so that children have a strong foundation for respecting other cultures, valuing each other’s differences, and treating others with respect.
Honor the diversity of your community by acknowledging other important celebrations throughout the year:
- Black History Month
- Hispanic Heritage Month
- Juneteenth
- Native American Heritage Month
- Women's History Month
