Meaningful celebrations

What are we actually celebrating?

We often seem to create events and celebrations around a theme or event. For example, many services and schools will be hosting end of year or Christmas concerts or graduation ceremonies. At other times of the year the reason might be an Easter hat parade, Mother’s or Father’s Day and Book week or Education week. The reason for the celebration is not necessarily good or bad nor right or wrong but it tends to skew the event and how we engage with families and what we choose to share about children’s experience at the early childhood service or school.

These special days can often create tension in terms of inclusive practice. Celebrations that have an underlying religious theme can exclude some families and events that perpetuate typical family structures can also exclude.

What would celebrations look like if we gave some thought to what we wanted to celebrate as opposed to the theme? For example, end of year events could focus on celebrating relationships built, successes and challenges, learning, new skills and understandings and a shared lived experience. As opposed to dressing children in cap and gowns and singing a few Christmas songs. Could it be time to question your approach ad maybe try something different?

Event management versus meaningful engagement

Do you find that before you know it things have escalated when it comes to celebrations? The logistics of seating visitors, if food is involved making sure allergies are considered and that food brought in aligns with the healthy eating principles you have spent the whole year conveying to children and families. Is there a need for a microphone for everyone to hear? Does it work properly? If there is a performance does the regular program and learning opportunities go out the window as children are drilled in the songs and practising the performance?

Again, nothing wrong with any of these things but is that how you as a team want to invest your time (as event managers) and is that the experience you want for children? Connecting with what you are trying to achieve with celebrations can really guide you in answering these questions and engaging in some critical reflection on how meaningful your celebrations are.

The time is now to critically reflect

Often when we get to the planning stage of our next event or celebration, we are too far away from what went well and what didn’t to prevent recreating the same thing with the same pitfalls and missed opportunities. We also may feel the pressure of rolling out the same events because that is what we have always done.

Why not take some time (yes, it is very late in the year for deep thinking but you can do it!) and really think about and critically reflect on the focus of and type of events you want to plan for the coming year. These are some of the ideas and concepts you might discuss:

• What do we want to celebrate?
• How do we want to do it?
• What do we find onerous and/ or not worth the effort for benefit?

Why not involve children and families what and how they want to celebrate?

thrown around without actually asking them. Having recently been on the other end of a celebration event as a family member, it left me with some questions about my own practice and the fact that I never actually asked children or families if they would like something different.

Why not invite children and families to share some of the ways they would like to come together. What things they would like to see and do when they come. What are important aspects of celebrations or events that are important to them. How do they feel about calender events and when and how do they included and excluded.

Critical reflection provocations

Below a few critical reflection provocations for working collaboratively as a team to consider how you can make the most of your celebrations and events, prioritise making them meaningful, inclusive and easy to organise.

1. What is the focus or purpose of your celebration or event calander?
2. Do your events showcase the rich learning that has occurred over the year?
3. Are there opportunities in your events for children and families to connect with their child’s experience at you service or school?
4. Do your events foster relationship building?
5. Is there a better, more efficient or streamlined way to do them?

Support to make changes

I hope you found this article of interest and maybe have a fresh new perspective on celebrations. If you would like to know more about how critical reflection can inform your curriculum decision, educational program and service operation check out our ‘Critical reflection’ course.

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Related Early Years Learning Hub resources;

• Critical reflection course