During the month of March, the children in Toddler 2 explored the Festival of Holi through a colourful tuff tray sensory experience. Prior to the activity we read the “Holi Colours” book that was written by Rina Singh. Together we discussed how people in India celebrate this day by throwing bright powder called gulal to welcome spring and celebrate happiness. The children had the opportunity to experiment with pink and yellow gulal, along with various colours of sand. They utilized spoons, bowls, spatulas and their hands to mix, pour, and manipulate the sensory materials.
Through this experience the children developed their fine motor skills while enhancing their sense of touch and smell as they explored the new scent and texture of gulal. We explored a herbal gulal that has a mild, refreshing, floral fragrance. The toddlers also demonstrated their natural curiosity and sense of wonder as they observed the colours blend together. They used words such as “red”, “pink” and “mix” to express their thoughts and observations.
Learning about different cultural celebrations, such as the festival Holi, supports diversity, belonging and social development in early childhood environments. We are very thankful for our educator Gurapninder for sharing this cultural celebration with us!
