India, China, African Countries: A Multi-Cultural Study Week: Homeschool Preschool Week 15 + Other Homeschool Crafts and Activities

This week in homeschool we read a book called, "Prayer for a Child," and it is a small short story in which we rhyme a prayer with a little girl. We are shown different faces of different cultures' children in pictures. It is so important to learn about others. When we learn about others, how we differ, how we think, how we function, we learn how to love others better...even if we don't necessarily agree, we learn to value and love the person for who they are and the fact that God created them. 

I love traveling and I have been blessed to travel quite a good bit. I have been almost completely all over Europe, Uganda, Costa Rica, Canada, Honduras, and Mexico. In all of these travels I have been pushed past comfort zones by trying new cuisine, understanding how to communicate, and finding new comforts in sleep, transportation on the roads, groceries and markets, and just so many many many things. It is such a blessing to travel and experience and I plan to do so all my life. I would love to see so many places. My husband and I have a list of destinations. I am constantly adding to it. I have had multiple friends visit India and China on mission trips and I would be so interested to see these places. 

We noticed in this book the illustrated faces of Asian children and African children, and other beautiful children. My own family is biracial. My brother (brother in law technically but I see him as my own flesh and blood) is a black man. My nieces and nephews are 4 beautiful brown children. It is important to me to educate Ellie on melanin in skin. God created melanin and it varies in people's bodies. It has a beautiful purpose to protect the skin that is more closely and frequently exposed to the sun by making skin darker. Africa is on the equator as a continent. Most African nations are black people. Some, like Egypt, most are brown. In any event, all of them have beautiful, deeply delightfully gorgeous skin that God created and designed based on the region of where these such people live. Asians for example...their bone structure is smaller usually, more petite, different eyes, light skin and dark hair. God created this culture this way and again, so beautiful and purposeful in His design. The differences in our bodies and skin is purposeful and beautifully created. I myself am a true Irish woman. I am white with a lot of pink tones to my skin. My oldest nephew even called his mother, my sister, "pink" at around age 4 as he was noticing himself to be brown and his daddy black. He labeled my sister not "white" but "pink" and this is true. Laughably true! We are true Irish women. My husband is Polish and to his knowledge actually has no Irish in him. His skin is "white" but olive. It is darker than my own, less fair. We all have different beautiful skin, all of us are beautiful in the skin God made for us. We all have variations and unique physical traits. And God has a purpose in all this "science" He Himself created. It is fascinating to notice, love, and respect and study these differences. And we will never stop. I still have much to learn about so many people that God created and it is a pleasure to study. A week is no time to dedicate to any one culture but its a teasing sample that only made me want more and excited Ellie daily as she asked for me to take her to these countries and continents to explore. 

We began our week on Monday with India. I've never visited but had so many wonderful Indian exchange student friends in college that I enjoyed spending time with and learning from. Clemson University even has (when life is normal) a Holi festival. Now, while I don't celebrate any holidays of any religions apart from my Christian faith, I do believe it is a really fun and beautiful festival that one can partake in for the joy of it all. Happiness and love are good things and color and community are always good things. I ordered colored powders to create for Ellie her own Holi Festival with her friend, Sam, in my backyard. We read a children's book about celebrating the Holi festival and how the children made their own colored powders from various flowers. I've done a few "Color runs" and it is the same idea. It was really fun and the kids loved coloring our white dog, Blondie, in so many colors. She got quite the bath before coming inside! We read many Indian children's stories and fables, read about India, found it on the map, wore Indian attire, (my friend brought me home a saree on one of her visits...I have no skills in wrapping it on my body whatsoever) Ellie wore a little Indian girl outfit that she so loves. Indian attire is gorgeous, isn't it?! I so love it and wish I could dance and move like they do! We listened to Indian music and danced in the living room...I tried my best at some moves...I did take belly dancing before I had Ellie so that was fun! Ellie mostly did crazy moves or ballet! Either way, we were feeling it! We made an Indian meal for supper that night. I already so love to use spices and enjoy Turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger constantly, practically daily really as they are so so so good for you. I gathered all the common Indian spices I possessed which was most of them, and let Ellie help me observe their color, scent, and taste as we laid them on a plate for a sense study. When we made dinner that night, we made Aloo Gobi which I actually believe is more of a side dish but as a family of three we eat small suppers as it is and a vegetable dinner is more than enough for us. It consisted of potatoes (I did use sweet potatoes to cut down the starches), cauliflower, garlic, onions, Passata, and many many spices that made my mouth water just cooking the meal! When it was time to eat I could hardly wait! It was really wonderful having this healthy, hearty, warm, spicy dinner on a cold almost winter's night. The spices really are just what made it powerful and I am not sure I'll ever be able to cook without powerful spices again after this week. 

Another day this week we traveled to China! This one was one I had to learn more about than any other as I honestly have never paid it much mind...it's not ever been a desired destination but there are other parts of Asia I find intriguing...the non-city regions...mountain ranges, etc. But, China is really a very massive part of our world literally and it was so interesting to learn more about it this week. It is truly an interesting culture. We hung red Chinese lanterns (as done for Chinese New Year) and began our morning with a trip to a local Asian Supermarket which was an incredible field trip that in and of itself made one feel in a different place entirely. I did not encounter one native American while there and heard so many other languages of which I certainly do not understand. We went for chopsticks and left with some rice cakes and dumplings as well. There were so many things I wanted to take home that I could have likely prepared a feast for the multitudes had I followed my whims. Ellie was intrigued as well and immediately began loading our basket with anything she found interesting. However, we had a budget. I think one of the more interesting things I saw and could understand were these vacuum sealed packages of various dried funguses. If you know me you know I love nature and finding new fungi on a hike and discovering what is edible and the health benefits. There were rows and rows of such things right in front of me; it was so cool. We returned home and while I read to Ellie various Chinese folk tales and facts from our books, she crafted a red Chinese dragon and her own Chinese fan. She wore her Mulan princess dress. We had the most fun learning to prepare our Chinese dinner of Beef Lo Mein (gluten free version). Oh my Chinese Dragons it was SO GOOD! Son. I used more spices than I ever have before. So dang spicy and hot. My lips were on fire, I chugged 48 oz of water with the one meal. But I couldn't get enough. Beef, garlic, carrots, green beans, brown rice gluten free noodles. I was shoveling it in. Ellie enjoyed it too, but mostly preferred her dumpling and rice cake which was peanut flavor. The dumplings were spinach, pork, and shrimp. Pork is the most consumed meat in China. It was a bit of a shift coming from the mostly vegetarian mindset of the India culture. It is interesting to see how two Asian countries can vary so much yet there are still so many similarities. For our Chinese dinner, we ate on the floor and used our chopsticks. We learned how to properly use our chopsticks...though the implementation was still sub-par. For our usual tea time, (which we do Advent during now studying the coming of Christ instead of poetry this season) we enjoyed a chai tea with a cinnamon stick in each cup. I do so wish I had gotten us oolong tea, yet, I was not thinking until to late about it. We used our teapot and enjoyed this nightly tradition with a new Chinese twist in mind. Ellie and I said "Hello" to each other as well by stating, "Ni Hao!" 

Africa was last this week. Africa is most challenging because it is a most massive continent full of more than 50 nations. 50 nations with different terrains, living situations, daily living, homes, cuisine, languages, customs, etc. In our home, we have had since 2014 a room we call the "Africa Room." We decorated it with art, relics, and photos from our time in Uganda as an engaged couple doing mission work in villages with clean water, building structures, and loving on orphans. I left a great piece of my heart in Africa and I'll be back to travel to different countries within the continent. It was such a blessing to have this room full of these things of which I was able to share with Ellie. The faces of these beautiful children in their less than wonderful clothing if any at all, their barely standing structures of homes out in the villages on the coast, the animals, the bota botas (motorcycles), drums, paintings, and the differences in how we live and how they live. We discussed how we have plumbing that gives us clean easy access to fresh water and how everyday these people walk with multiple jugs in their hands and on their heads for many miles to gather dirty water for their drinks and cooking and bathing. And yet they smile and are kind and selfless. Oh to be like these beautiful people. Its a lot to gather at 3 years old but I am never going to stop showing her and teaching her and one day I will take her and show her for her own interactions. Ellie and I watched a couple short performances by "The African Children's Choir" whom we had the pleasure of seeing earlier in the past year in the upstate. I had so hoped to see them again with Ellie for a second time this year but this year was not the time. We will go back to see these precious talented children though when life allows it again. Ellie has her own African giraffe plush made from the hands of these lovely people that I bought her to help support the children when we had attended the concert. We named her Parmella at the time after one of the beautiful children we watched perform and we have never forgotten her. We will at least be donating to them this year since we cannot support in person. Ellie wore a traditional African attire outfit. I wore my African elephant "paper bag" type pants I got when there. We danced with our Ugandan drum, made music with two clean tin cans, and praised Jesus in African song and dance. We studied African masks and the different meanings and purposes of these masks. We have one authentic mask and two animal masks from the good ole' Hobby Lobby. Ellie enjoyed discovering the masks and holding our authentic African wood carving of the continent in which all the countries are labeled. She then made her own African mask out of a paper plate, paint, feathers, rhinestones, glue, and a popsicle stick. She tried to scare the dog with it. I guess her mask wards off "evil spirits." Ha! For dinner this night, we made South African Bobotie and Rice. Very delcious. The recipe calls for lamb and I LOVE lamb meat. Lamb, bell pepper, a granny smith apple, onion, garlic, spices galore, bread, milk, vinegar, and so much else. It was savory with a hint of sweet. The rice was brown rice (called for yellow but again, I like to keep my grains if eating them as healthy as possible) turmeric, cinnamon stick, and a few raisins....I don't enjoy to eat raisins because of the massive amount of sugar content which is so unhealthy but, I figured if I ate as many as 5 raisins in my bowl my body wouldn't even know it, haha! Besides, I really try to be as authentic to a recipe as possible when doing new things like this. It was really very delicious and certainly different. When Eric and I did visit Uganda, admittedly, I lost 5 lbs there because I survived off protein bars and he ate his portions of food in the village and mine (because of course I was going to accept the food these people worked so hard on to serve us!) I mean I did try the foods, but I was 23 and still growing in my food palette a lot. Eric helped me in that department quickly. But he gained 15 lbs there of water and Ugandan cuisine! Hahahaha! Of course it all fell off after traveling back home and resuming normalcy. But I was not adventurous then and enjoy to be as such now as I am growing in life. I love that Ellie eats mostly anything and likes "grown up" food. I am proud of her trying the foods we made this week. She doesn't love spicy hot food which is understandable at 3 years old but she does enjoy the flavors and that's awesome! There are so many places all over Africa I would love to adventure as a family, particularly at the top of that list in Egypt. But so many others as well are on this list of African countries alone. 

I believe it is massively important to culture our children and learn alongside them. It is important for so many reasons in life to be able to know and understand other cultures, love and respect the people, again, even if you don't follow the same beliefs or ways, but to love them, respect them, and how to treat them with the kindness and love they will receive best. For the rest of my life I will desire to travel, learn, try, and teach regarding these different lands. Also, seeing the beauty that God created all over the world He made is so desirable. I love sharing in these lessons with my Ellie girl.

In addition to learning and playing with so many things culturally, we also did many other activities at home to grow and play together. Ellie has really taken a turn for the better in numbers this week. She is counting better, able to see the visual number and name it better, and has shown more interest in math. Like I can see it sticking. She is 3 and by no means needs to be rushed into academics or forced into learning counting and numbers. So I never force it though I do present it to her in fun games and if she is interested great and if not fine! We move on and let her circle back to it when she is interested, not frustrated, and is having fun because children learn much faster and better if learning through play, movement, music, and enjoyment. Sitting down and cramming numbers in her head will only burn her out. I want it to be as pleasurable as possible so she obtains a strong foundation and doesn't cry thinking about it like me haha! And this patience has really began to prove itself this week. She is even seeking out the opportunities to count and do number games. We count everything, label numbers when we see them, and advent has really helped this too with our chocolate advent calendar and our countdown calendar. The point of homeschool is to do things differently and (no offense to public school) but to do things better so that education is not forced, boring, or memorized but truly learned and enjoyed. Another reason I chose this educational path. She also isn't going to be left behind if she can't compute like I was. I felt like math class was German class from 3rd grade through my first year of college. Math is certainly not everyone's strong point but it also definitely doesn't have to be forced, rushed, and jammed into a child's brain. So this week was great for me as a mother and teacher to see this method and patience really pay off. 

Math games: 

1. We labeled clear cups 1-10. Then, I let Ellie pick any number she wanted, her choice! She would point to a number, tell me the number, then we would fill that cup with a corresponding number of Christmas beads. We would count them as they were placed in the cup. She did this way more excitedly and longer than I anticipated. But again, if you make it fun, it's not a chore, right?

2. We cut out a gingerbread man and then rolled Christmas countdown dice to see how many raisins the gingerbread man should be given as buttons. Ellie enjoyed the snack, the rolling, and the decorating by counting. She did it over and over and her belly was full of raisins by the end. 

Science:

*We did Magic Milk. Super simple, easy, and fun! We poured a shallow amount of whole milk into a pan covering the bottom. Then I let Ellie take food coloring and drop it around the milk. Then, taking a Q-tip and dipping it in liquid Dawn dish soap, Ellie then applied the soap covered tip to the color spots. Wow! What a reaction! It made her smile and jump so big! The soap molecules were trying to bind with the protein in the milk. Normally we wouldn't see this reaction but with the color, we are able to see a visual of what is happening as the soap molecules and fat make contact. We did a couple dishes of this and then just played in it until she was bored. 

Baking:

We made Christmas cookies in the shapes of stars to symbolize the light of the world in Jesus Christ as well as the North star that led the 3 kings to Jesus. And we shared them with our friends!

Art:

*We made a Jesus in the manger craft. Taking a small terra cotta pot plant base, a wooden peg ball or bead, felt, twine, raffia or straw and hot glue, we made a quick, easy, adorable craft and then acted out the Nativity scene, or Christmas story. I hadn't anticipated this. We had just read the book "Room for a Little One" and Ellie wanted her new Baby Jesus to have his mother, Mary, Joseph, and some animals. So....Ballerina Barbie and Surfer Dude Ken were Jesus' Mary and Joseph, Rudolph attended the birth, along with some other fine furry friends. And "Mary" and "Joseph" danced together lovingly around the newborn King. It was adorable! Such great imaginative play recreating the Christmas story. 

*We also made Christmas garland for her little tree in her room. We used food dye red and green to dye some penne pasta, cupcake liners, and yarn to create this craft. Super great fine motor skills, pattern play, and detailed attention span work. 

Reading:

In addition to our BFIAR book of "Prayer for a Child," our cultural study books listed previously, we also read several other stories together cuddling on the couch and by the fire. 

Forest School: 

We studied winter birds this week, created in our nature journals, and we made bird feeders with pinecones, bird seed, peanut butter, and also stringed cheerios for garland for the birds and other winter animals lingering around searching for food. We decorated our adopted trees at our special nature spot with our feed decor and then read some books, listened for birds, observed birds in our books, and had some discussion. Then the girls went and played on the playground. 

It was a really full, tasty, creative, and playful week!