Cultural Day at Primary School

[DancingonmyOwn88]

Looking for ideas! Not a political debate.

it’s Cultural appreciation Day next week at my son’s school, there’s quite a lot of different backgrounds that his classmates are coming from (only 15 in the class but it’s a southeast London borough) and we are actually in a bit of a minority being white British.

But they want parents to be involved which is very nice and it happens to be a day I’m not working, so they’re inviting us to come in and do a 5-10 min activity and take some traditional food from your culture to a class lunch.

As I say we are just English. Not even any Scottish or Irish or Welsh or things that are widely celebrated. I suppose it’s just making me wonder if it’s ‘ok’ to outwardly celebrate being white British without causing any offence (please no Reform-esque debates here I am trying to navigate it appropriately!

What do I do? Learn morris dancing? Dress as a Pearly Queen 😂

I thought about just reading a Paddington Bear book and making some marmalade sandwiches but is that a bit lame?

DS is only in reception by the way so they’re all very small obviously and they’re still all getting to know each other as a class.

This is a

Do you know of any brass bands? They're British.

I have to laugh, OP. What more can schools do to make things harder?! I swear they have zero insight at the horror this type of thing brings. All themed days seem to come with about 24 hours notice and stupid me chose a high school that does the same. Email arrived last week. Wear yellow tomorrow. Bring £5.

Sorry, being serious. I like the idea of welcoming everyone with tea. You could have a traditional tea party. If you don't fancy Paddington, make it a seaside one and bring fish and chips.

I had to bring a dish for something similar at a work event once. I took cakes and said Brits love tea and cake. The cake went down really well and I had the most gorgeous biriyani I have ever tasted.

@DancingonmyOwn88 if you're from Norfolk , teach them how to pronounce Wymondham and Costessy 🤣

I think about lovely crab and seafood re Norfolk, OP @DancingonmyOwn88

Perhaps a local fruitcake might be more palatable for kids though and some cheese maybe?

Lovely idea!

Here's your activity OP. Teach them Norfolk!

(Wow I really need to clean my coaster).

I think the children would love your idea and the staff be grateful that you haven't gone for something outlandish. I am a retired reception teacher.

Thank you for not making them. There are so many wonderful things about this borough - we have the nicest parks and walks of anywhere I've lived in London- and quality of life here versus the cost of houses has been great (we were able to buy a beautiful Victorian house with a garden within walking distance of a Good rated school and two parks, for the price of a two bed flat without a garden where we used to live. There are areas that are poor and run down, but lots that are really nice and safe too. It gets very tiring hearing the jokes people make about where we live. It's the biggest London borough so has the most crimes but when adjusted for the population of each borough its actually only around 8th of the London boroughs for crime- but the size gives people the wrong idea. We have a lovely life here but I worry about the kids internalising the jokes they hear about their home as they get older.

Norfolk - brilliant! A lot of the children, parents and teachers won't know about or have been to Norfolk. Norfolk has wonderful traditions. Could you tell a traditional, reception appropriate Norfolk folk story (maybe a ghost story for the spooky season that isn't scary for the littl'uns) and bring some pictures of beautiful Norfolk. Or one of those about Norfolk photo books? Your child could dress in clothes of traditional industry like a farmer/fishing? I couldn't be learning morris dancing, me, but that's another outfit idea. I am a dual citizen and I am all about celebrating the English culture and it will be new to a lot of others joining in!! (Ps - where's your partner/husband from? Is he going too?)

I think this. You can talk about afternoon tea. It is a very English tradition and some of the children may not have heard about it.

Well since its virtually illegal to be white British nowadays lest you offend someone, I think OP has a point!!

My kid goes into school dressed in clothes that the royals 'back home' (and their ilk) would dress up in to attend events (equivalent to awards ceremonies, weddings, or Ascot- but in a warmer climate). Like, a girl dressed in an elegant long dress with an obscene tiara, long gloves and some pearls would be the British equivalent. Not many people outside of our culture would know that though, it just looks interesting because it's different or 'cultural'. A pretty Sunday dress (maybe with a fancy hat) that one would wear to church should feel enough (given your Mosque example), your culture is your culture.

Also, I have no qualms sending my kids into school in 'costume' on these days- like what traditions dancers/doctors/even cheese makers etc would historically wear. There is no book day where they'd wear these outfits...

Paddington idea is the winner. Unless there's a child from Peru in the class and they've done it first 😃

Take scones, jam and cream. That is pretty English. You can explain the great debate between Devon and Cornwall about the order of the toppings.

There are some lovely ideas here already but just to throw in another one.

Talk about how Haloween is based of Samhain the pagan festival and trick or treating comes from the tradition of soul cakes. Just in case you aren't familiar soul cakes are small, round, spiced cakes or biscuits seasoned with allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon, often marked with a cross on top. Historically, "soulers" (often children or the poor) went door-to-door singing and praying for the dead in exchange for these cakes at Samhain.

@DebbieSavage you have no culture?
None at all?
No history and traditions from the area of England you are from?
No legends or stories? No famous trades? No local foods? No famous historical incidents or people?
Where is this mythical part of England?

It’s the 100th anniversary of the Winnie The Pooh books. You could read a WtP story (original - not Disney) and have a little hunny sandwich for each child.

But I love your Paddington Bear idea too.

Trad games like Hopscotch?

We had this last year and most of the English kids just dressed in red and white or put football kit on.

Tbh there was a feeling it wasn’t really aimed at us.

This is the sort of nonsense I suspect the OP was looking for.

I thought Chicken Tikka Masala was our favourite dish in UK ?

Yeah, celebrate being white British. Enjoy, and get some fish and chips on the way home 😊

I'd dress up as Queen Elizabeth I and bring coronation chicken and trifle because it's delicious.

@LittleGreenShoots I was sad to read the TGJones (WHSmith) in the centre is closing down 😕
That was a good branch.
(sorry OP.... going off on a tangent here)

Paddington Bear and marmalade sandwiches is a great idea!! I think the kids will love that