Our Stories: Children and Celebrations

Background
This project investigated how celebrations are understood, defined, and enacted by children. The project drew on the perspectives of children and teachers in early childhood settings rich in cultural diversity, and in regional Queensland. The findings initiated policy discussions around contemporary understandings of what it means to “celebrate”.

Research questions

The research questions are:
• How do children talk about and perceive celebrations?
• How are celebrations planned for, and experienced by, children, within the contexts of educational and family settings?
• How do educators talk about and perceive celebrations?
• What elements of classroom pedagogy support the inclusion of diverse celebrations?

Outcomes
The project created a digital collection of stories by children and educators about what is means to “celebrate” in their life. This digital collection was launched at the South Australian ECA research forum in November 2022.  Share these stories through your early childhood professional networks to raise awareness and make visible the variety of practices regarding how celebrations are experienced by children.