McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Diane Boewe, M.S.Ed. | March 23, 2021

This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

When educating the minds of our youth

 we must not forget to educate their hearts.


—Dalai Lama


We live in a diverse world where children are exposed to many different people and experiences, and they begin to recognize these similarities and differences at very young ages. It is important to help children understand and respect similarities and differences among people, and exploring these similarities and differences positively is a good place to start.


Talking about similarities and differences represented in the classroom, brings the topic to a more personal level and helps to build strong, inclusive communities where everyone feels valued. Helping children understand differences encourages them to feel good about who they are and where they fit in the world, and appreciate diversity in others. As highlighted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), “To form positive self-concepts, children must honor and respect their own families and cultures and have others honor and respect these key facets of their identities too.” The goal for very young children (under age 5) is that they feel cared about and develop a sense of belonging to their family and classroom groups.


Each child’s and teacher’s family traditions should be represented; holidays studied or presented should be connected to specific children/families in the group. According to the Department of Education and Early Childhood, “Acknowledging and celebrating cultural diversity is paramount in the classroom as it can dispel prejudicial views and even prevent them from forming.” The emphasis should be on learning about one another’s families, not celebrating others’ holidays. Learning how we are all the same and different can lead to acceptance and tolerance. This ongoing discovery helps unite and educate us. We have the unique opportunity to expose children’s minds and hearts to cultural experiences at a young age when these ideas are being formed.


One way to nurture respect and open-mindedness for other cultures is to learn more about them. When children are in a safe and familiar environment, learning about differences can be fun and informative. Exploring different foods through tastings, various games and activities through play, different customs through arts and crafts, and traditions through story are just a few ways to expose children to different aspects of different cultures. PBS recently published a list of children’s books that teach children about cultural awareness and diversity. You can access this list on their website.


Decisions about what holidays to celebrate in classrooms are best made together by teachers, parents, and children. The world is immense, and there are nearly endless customs and cultures to explore. We have highlighted (listed chronologically) four diverse cultural celebrations below, and in the attached infographic, for inspiration.

A collage of four images with holi india oktoberfest germany and yee peng lantern festival thailand

Holi – India | March 28 and 29, 2021


Holi [hoh-lee] is a popular ancient Hindu festival, also known as the “festival of spring,” the “festival of colors,” and the “festival of love.” This cultural festival celebrates the arrival of spring and the conquest of good over evil. It originated and is predominantly celebrated in India, but is also celebrated in other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world.


The date of Holi is based on the Hindu lunar calendar and is different every year. Most often, Holi is celebrated at the end of winter, around the full moon in March. The celebration’s first evening is called “Choti Holi” or “Holika Dahan,” and begins on the night of the full moon (Holi eve) with bonfires to rid evil spirits. The next day is the time for Holi (Rangwali Holi) celebration. The festival is one of the most celebrated events in India.


The central ritual of Holi is the throwing and applying of colored water and powders on friends and family, which gives the celebration its common name, “festival of colors.” Men, women, and children carry brightly colored powders and liquid colors to throw and smear on the clothes and faces of neighbors and relatives. Dry powder colors are called “gulal” and colors mixed with water are called “rang.” Each vibrant color has significance, and there is a color for nearly every occasion, moment, and celebration.


Holi is a day to celebrate and let go — loud music, favorite foods, and fun-filled excitement are all important components of the celebrations.


Oktoberfest – Germany | September 10 – October 3, 2021


Oktoberfest [ok-toh-ber-fest] is one of the world’s largest festivals and attracts millions of visitors from all around the world to Munich, Germany each year. Oktoberfest begins in mid-September and ends after three weeks on the first weekend of October. Typically, many people think of beers and tents when they hear about this cultural celebration, but there is much more history and tradition to it.


On October 12, 1810, the future King Ludwig I married Princess Therese. The people of Munich were invited to celebrate the wedding in front of the city gates on the fields. In honor of the Princess, the fields have been known as Theresienwiese (“Theresa’s fields,” Wies’n for short) ever since, and each year Oktoberfest commemorates this wedding anniversary.


Light blue and white are prominent colors at Oktoberfest, as these are the colors of Bavaria, the southeastern region of Germany, where Munich and Oktoberfest are located. Through the years, a variety of other color schemes have also been incorporated into the tents’ decorations in recognition of other German regions and states.


Oktoberfest is celebrated on the Wies’n in 14 tents assembled on the grounds, each representing different regions of Germany with different foods and themes. Each tent serves traditional Bavarian dishes, ranging from roasted ox to roasted chicken, pork knuckles, sausages, cheese platters, and all tents offer giant pretzels. Giant pretzels are a staple at Oktoberfest celebrations!


Yee Peng Lantern Festival – Thailand | November 19, 2021


Yee Peng (or sometimes also written as Yi Peng) is a festival unique to northern Thailand, celebrated on the full moon of the 12thmonth of the Thai lunar calendar, which is usually in November. Although other towns and cities in northern Thailand celebrate Yee Peng, Chiang Mai is the heart of this magical festival.


Beautiful paper lanterns, called “khom loi” or “khom fai,” are simultaneously released into the evening air symbolizing the act of letting go of past mistakes and misfortunes from the previous year. Many also believe that if you make a wish when you set off the lantern, it will come true. The history of Yee Peng is rooted in Buddhism and is believed to have been inspired by the legend of the candle-carrying bird that visited Buddha to speak about merit.


Khom loi are made from thin material such as rice paper. A candle or fire starter is attached and generates hot air that is trapped inside the lantern, which lifts it. As the lantern rises, the fire produces energy that moves the lantern in different directions as it flies into the sky.


Each participant releases their sky lantern into the air at approximately the same time in the evening after music, other celebratory entertainment, or prayer. Just imagine thousands of lanterns lifting simultaneously, at various speeds, introducing various levels of brightness into the dark night.


Día De Los Muertos – Mexico | November 1 and 2, 2021


Mexico’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), [Spanish dee-ahthe laws mwer-taws] is one of the country’s most popular festivals. This two-day festival officially starts at midnight on October 31st and takes place every November 1st and 2nd. This cultural celebration is a joyful time that helps people remember the deceased and celebrate their memory. Although most strongly identified with Mexico, Día de los Muertos is celebrated throughout Latin America and everywhere with a Latino population, including Los Angeles, California.


Each state has its own customs and traditions but the common theme is one of honor and remembrance for those who have died. Many families begin planning and preparing for weeks leading up to this colorful celebration, and many create altars in their homes. In most regions, November 1st is to honor children and infants, and November 2nd is to remember deceased adults. Over the course of the festival, families will visit cemeteries to decorate relatives’ graves and celebrate their lives.


Mexico is filled with color and fiestas during Día de los Muertos. Bright orange Mexican Marigolds are everywhere, along with colorful Catrinas (artistic skeleton figurines made of ceramic, clay, and other materials), sugar skulls iced in blues and pinks and yellows, and very detailed tissue paper cutouts (papel picado) hang in windows.

Diane Boewe, M.S.Ed., is Director of eLearning and Technology for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University.

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The Ants Go Marching

By Cara Murdoch • February 16, 2026
In early childhood education and care (ECEC), we know that some of the simplest ideas can carry the biggest lessons—and many of us have been singing “The Ants Go Marching” for years without realizing it might also be a leadership guide. Ants may be tiny, but their colonies run on teamwork, communication, flexibility, and a clear sense of purpose—all things ECEC programs rely on every day. By taking a closer look at how ants work together to support their colony, early childhood leaders can discover practical and familiar ways to strengthen teamwork, value every role, and lead programs where everyone is marching in the same direction for children and families. Ants are busy creatures; they work with a purpose and know their jobs in the colony. Ants exhibit teamwork and collective effort. Ant colonies demonstrate intelligence, division of labor, communication systems, and cooperative behaviors. They can recognize and respond to the colony's needs. They overcome their challenges through trial and error, learning from their experiences, and sometimes even develop innovative strategies. In the ant colony, individual ants work together as a unit, each with a unique role that determines the colony's survival and success. The ant colony functions just like a superorganism, where the actions of each individual ant are a part of the highly efficient system that supports the whole colony. This concept of collective action is closely related to human teamwork! Ants have a lot to teach us, as we work in ECEC. teamwork Just as ants collaborate, relying on their communication and coordination to complete tasks, humans thrive when working together, as each individual brings their own unique skills and perspectives to their “colony.” Ants depend on each other. Each ant has a specialized job, and the colony relies on the cooperation and coordination of all its members to thrive and survive. Each ant’s contribution, no matter how small it may seem, is vital to the success of the colony as a whole, and the strength of the group is built on the cooperation of each individual. Similarly, in ECEC programs, teamwork — working together and helping one another —leads to better results than trying to do everything alone! When we collaborate, we pool our strengths, share our knowledge, and support each other, which can lead to more creative and efficient solutions. Each person in the program brings unique skills and perspectives, filling gaps and helping compensate for one another’s weaknesses. This shared effort allows your program to tackle tasks and achieve goals that would be difficult, if not impossible, for one individual to accomplish on their own... just like in an ant colony! Adapting to face challenges Ants are highly adaptable creatures. Have you ever watched a disrupted colony hurry to move the uncovered eggs to a protected space? They respond quickly to changes or disruptions in their environment. Their ability to quickly assess new situations and adjust their behavior will help the colony continue to function efficiently, even when the unexpected happens. Their adaptability is the key to their survival, allowing them to overcome obstacles and thrive. Early childhood programs also need to adapt to challenges. When unexpected changes occur, each person needs to be flexible and find new ways to contribute to the program's success. Just as ants adjust, programs must reassess their strengths, collaborate, and develop alternative solutions. Adaptability is essential for proper teamwork! honoring individual roles In an ant colony, different ants take on very specific roles. There are worker ants, soldier ants, and the queen ant. Each ant’s role is crucial to the success and survival of the colony, and all roles are interdependent; they work together to achieve common goals. This division of labor that exists in an ant colony can be compared to the different roles and unique talents found in an ECEC program. Just as ants rely on each other to perform specific tasks, each ECEC team member brings their own expertise and skills to the program. In a project or workplace setting, one person may excel at brainstorming creative ideas, another might be skilled at organizing tasks and managing timelines, and someone else may be particularly adept at technical skills or problem-solving. This diversity of roles within a team ensures that every aspect of a project or goal receives focused attention. In center-based programs, there are the director, teachers, kitchen staff, and other roles as needed. The diversity of roles in a program helps to ensure that the program is successful and thrives. clear purpose and goals In an ant colony, survival is the common goal. The colony’s success depends on each member performing its specific role. Their unwavering focus on the survival of the colony is connected to their success. It demonstrates the power of their collective action, driven by a clear and unified goal. ECEC programs thrive when they are aligned around a shared and clear purpose and goals. When program members understand and commit to their common goals, the well-being and growth of children and families, their efforts will become more effective and coordinated. Just as ants bring different strengths to the program, each person brings different strengths to the program. It is alignment around shared goals that enables the program to overcome challenges and succeed. When everyone in the program is clear on the goals and helps work together toward them, the whole program becomes more focused, resilient, and motivated - just as an ant colony becomes stronger when every member is working toward survival! Ants work together harmoniously to achieve their common goals; they set aside individual competition in favor of colony cooperation. Each ant focuses on its specialized task. This spirit of ant cooperation is key to the colony's survival and success, as it enables the colony to accomplish more complex tasks than any single ant could manage alone. ECEC programs can benefit from adopting a similar approach that emphasizes collaboration and shared goals over individual achievement. In an ECEC program, when members support each other and work together, they can leverage each person’s strengths to accomplish more than they could individually. Instead of competing for recognition or resources, each member can focus on the program’s success, fostering a more positive and productive environment. learning from ants Ants have so much to teach ECEC programs when it comes to cooperating and working together as an effective team. Whether it's knowing your own role and abilities, supporting each of your fellow team members, communicating clearly and effectively, being flexible, or avoiding competition, the ant colony is an excellent example of these qualities! Let your ants go marching!!! Ant Life, author unknown I am just an ant, A small life is what I live, But I have dreams for bigger things And so much more to give If only I could grow A foot or two would do I could live a life That others look up to.
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