Celebrating the diverse nature of our world is important every day. At Dingley’s Promise it is important to us that all children are represented and are able to see themselves and others in a positive light. Whilst Black history did not all occur within a month, Black History month is a great springboard to recognising and engaging with some key figures and events from the past.
Children at our centres have been celebrating Black History Month with a range of activities, stories and resources. Take a look at what we’ve been up to and learn more about elements that you can bring to your practice this month!
In our centres children have been:
- Role playing astronauts with a box rocket and building Duplo rockets to celebrate Mae Jemison.
- Exploring music and dance from countries around the world including Kenya and Jamaica.
- Crafting traffic lights, playing stop/go games outside using the colours of traffic lights.
- Creating hand prints and faces using a variety of different skin tone colour playdoh.
- Listening to sensory stories based on books with a diverse range of main characters, including Handa’s Surprise and Coming to England.
- Exploring the story of Rosa Parks through sensory stories and play.
Helpful resources for celebrating Black History Month in the early years:
- Important ‘Dos and Don’ts’ on how to celebrate Black History Month from Liz Pemberton on Birth to 5 Matters
- Also check out Liz Pemberton’s four-part series for Nursery World on how early years leaders can instil anti-racist practice.
- Books – a mirror to see ourselves
Books We Love:
- My Skin, Your Skin by Laura Henry-Allian, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu – Free resources (although devised for key stage 1, also suitable for early years.)
- So much! By Trish Cooke and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
- Look up! By Nathan Bryon and illustrated by Dapo Adeo
- Coming to England by Baroness Floella Benjamin, illustrated by Diane Ewe
- Handa’s Surprise by Eileen Browne
- A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond, illustrated by Kate Cosgrove
Remember it is important for your children and families to see themselves represented within your environment all year round, you don’t need to put these resources away because Black History month has finished!
If you’re interested in learning more about the intersections of different identities with SEND in the early years, our new training course can support you to reflect on your practice and introduces new resources and strategies for ensuring inclusion is at the heart of your setting. Find out if you’re eligible for funded courses in your area with our training finder.
