Throughout June, the children in School Age 1 engaged in meaningful conversations about Pride Month, exploring the many ways families, identities, experiences, and interests can be different. These discussions encouraged children to think about belonging, kindness, inclusion, and respect for others.
As their curiosity grew, the children became interested in the colours of the Progressive Pride flag and the meanings behind them. To extend their learning, each child selected a heart in a Pride flag colour and created artwork representing its symbolism.
The children connected each colour to their own experiences:
Red (Life):Activities and interests that bring joy and energy, such as sports, music, friends, and favourite foods. Children who selected the red heart decorated it with images and drawings of activities and interests that bring them joy and energy. listening to music, Hello Kitty, playing with friends, and enjoying favourite foods such as McDonald's. As they shared their ideas, the children discovered common interests and talked to each other about the different activities that make each person feel happy and energized.
Orange (Healing):People, objects, and experiences that provide comfort, including family hugs, pets, and treasured belongings. Their drawings included family hugs, stuffed animals, favourite toys, pets, and special keepsakes that bring them comfort. Through these discussions, the children reflected on healthy ways to cope with big emotions and learned that everyone may find comfort in different ways.
Yellow (Sunlight):Sources of happiness and positivity, such as family, friends, outdoor activities, and special places. The children expressed what brings light into their lives by drawing sunsets, flowers, riding bicycles, swimming, family members, friends, and favourite places. As they shared their artwork, they practiced identifying positive experiences and recognizing the people and activities that contribute to their happiness and well-being.
Green (Nature):Appreciation for the outdoors through drawings of animals, trees, gardens, and playgrounds. Children who selected green shared their appreciation for the natural world through drawings of trees, animals, insects, playgrounds, gardens, and outdoor adventures. This sparked conversations about caring for the environment, observing living things, and the many ways nature helps us feel calm, curious, and connected.
Blue (Peace):People and activities that help them feel calm, safe, and relaxed. Children reflected on the people and activities that help them feel relaxed and secure, including reading books, taking walks with loved ones, spending quiet time, celebrating birthdays, and enjoying family traditions. These discussions supported emotional awareness and encouraged children to recognize strategies that help them regulate their emotions and find moments of calm.
Purple (Spirit):Self-expression, imagination, individuality, and future aspirations. Children expressed their unique personalities through self-portraits, creative patterns, rainbows, imaginative artwork, future aspirations, and personal designs that reflected who they are. This encouraged creativity, confidence, and self expression while reinforcing the idea that everyone's ideas and perspectives are valuable.
Pink (Self-Expression):Unique qualities, interests, and ideas that make each child who they are. The children created pictures of what they like to use that helps the, express themselves. Some children chose family, while others chose things like singing and dancing or playing sports.
White (Open Space) a place to feel comfortable and safe with who you are without identifying yourself. For children and grown-ups who are still figuring out exactly who they are, or who feel a little bit different from everyone else. Think of it as, “You are welcome here just as you are.”
Light Blue (Clear Sky) A place or feeling when you feel calm and relaxed like a clear sky. It represents the peaceful and happy feelings someone gets when they finally feel comfortable living their lives openly as their true self.
Brown and Black (Inclusion) a reminder that no matter what colour your skin is, you are still included and valued in the Progressive Pride community.
Throughout the activity, children shared their artwork, discussed their ideas with peers, and discovered both similarities and differences among one another. As the hearts came together, the children observed that each heart was unique, yet all belonged as part of a larger display. This provided a valuable opportunity to discuss how our classroom community is strengthened by the diverse backgrounds, perspectives, cultures, abilities, and family structures that each child brings.
This experience supported the development of fine motor skills, communication, critical thinking, emotional awareness, and perspective-taking. Children practiced expressing their thoughts and feelings, listening to others, and making connections between abstract concepts and real-life experiences.
Through this learning, the children developed a deeper understanding of inclusion, emotional literacy, and individuality. Not only did they help Amber create the display for their work, but they learned that everyone deserves to feel welcomed, respected, and valued, and that our differences help create a stronger, more positive and more vibrant community where everyone feel that they belong.
