Why Teaching Children about Other Cultures is Important

I read on one of my friend’s social media pages a while ago that read, “There is only ONE RACE, the human race. Within the human race, are many different cultures.” It made realize that teaching children about other cultures is important to me, and it is important for them.

I might start by explaining that my children are of mixed ethnicities. They were both born in America like me, but I am of Puerto Rican descent. My husband is from Tonga, an island in the South Pacific Ocean. It is literally a slew of dots (tiny islands) in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Once I was married, I knew that I wanted our children to know both cultures well. I wanted to embrace where their people came from and how life has been for the people from a historical standpoint.

I love the term mixed when it comes to my children. I know many may not agree. However, my kids are mixed. They are a mix of cultures; they are a mix of bloodlines and a mix of beautiful people.

Although I knew that I wanted my kids to embrace the rich cultures around them, I wanted to know something more above all else. I wanted them to know that in the kingdom of our Lord, there is in fact, only the human race.

Within the human race are mixtures in skin color and other physical appearances. Yet to me, it’s clear that we are all a part of two different categories in the Lord’s eyes – believers and unbelievers, the lost and the found.

When we train our children to understand this truth, it is better for them to know how God loves us all. They should understand that he would also have us all turn to Him at whatever location we are in the world.

In a humanistic point of view, I could tell you that learning different cultures from around the world was necessary for many reasons which are all legitimate and valid.

Some reasons for teaching our children about other cultures are listed below:

Teaching about other cultures is important, so children learn to be more self-aware.

Teaching about other cultures is important, so they learn not to stereotype people.

Teaching about other cultures is important to know everyone is unique.

Teaching about other cultures is important so they treat everyone the same.

Above all of these reasons, I want my kids to know that teaching about other cultures is important because it helps them understand that: God created and loves all people.

All need the Savior, and in Christ, all are on equal ground spiritually.

In Galatians 3:26–28, it says, “So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

We must all come to Jesus by faith to salvation, and He accepts every person into His kingdom just the same when we turn to Him through repentance.

Teaching about cultures is important because we learn about other people which the Lord has made. Through His sovereignty, they were born all over the world, in different lands, with cultures and traditions different from our own. Embracing these differences is why we teach our children about other cultures.

FREE Country Study Notebooking Pages

Create a country study notebooking journal using these free blank country study notebooking pages.

If you need some help with how to teach about various cultures in your homeschool, here are a few ideas to get your family started:

Teach about various cultures in your homeschool with cooking.

Cooking is an excellent learning activity to do with your children. Try making some spaghetti for Italy, waffles for Belgium, daal for India, paella for Spain, or isu for Nigeria.

Teach about various cultures in your homeschool with a virtual field trip.

The internet makes it absolutely doable to learn everything you need to about a country, and its culture. However, virtual field trips provide a dynamic that can really depict the culture of a people by viewing them in their everyday lives. It’s the next best thing to an actual visit. *Have you ever heard of Worldschooling? It’s a “thing”, but not all of us can do that.

Teach about various cultures in your homeschool by listening to their music.

Music is always a hit with children. Music is an art that genuinely brings people together. Allow your children to hear music from a country’s culture or see typical traditional dances from the people.

Teach about various cultures in your homeschool by location.

Task your children to find a country on a map, globe, or Google Maps to find the geography/location there. Locations matter when making connections between various cultures that are in a region or that were colonized by another country.

I love these books that give you an inside look into real families and food from other countries and cultures. 

Material World: A Global Family PortraitHungry Planet: What the World Eats

 

Teach about various cultures in your homeschool by looking for cultural events in your area and attending.

Most people love to people watch. A cultural event can help you as your child observes the ins and outs of different cultures, how they interact with each other, and the things that they like.

You can help your children to love learning about different cultures, and they will learn to embrace the differences that make us all unique and special.

We are all one people who are fearfully and wonderfully made. Begin there, in teaching your child about other cultures. Kids can reap the benefits of learning about different cultures with open hearts and minds. Help them embrace the differences of all people in God’s great creation.

Use Passport Geography to explore the wonders of the world and cultures!