Seven fun cultural exchange ideas

Bullying and intolerance often stem from a simple lack of understanding. We can help children learn about people from all over the world and develop an understanding, and even an appreciation, of all people to prevent such violence. Here are seven fun tools we can use to do this.

Special Guests

Guest speakers are a hit with many students, especially if they have special artifacts, photo, and other memorabilia to share. Think outside the box to see if you can invite a guest to share with your students. For example, I was trying to think of a way to learn more about Germany firsthand when it hit me that my husband works with a man from Germany. Student exchanges are another wonderful way to experience life around the world.

Cultural Media

Favorite films dubbed in different languages are a fun way to experience them all over again, while cultural dance, puppet shows, theater and music are vibrant ways to engage within that culture. Putumayo is one of my favorite resources.

Special Sporting Days and Holidays

Many of us celebrate the Olympics via Track and Field Day, but there are so many other sports and holidays from around the world we can share with our students, too. Just hearing that soccer is “football” in so many places, or that many countries have Independence Days that are not on July fourth, will be fascinating.

InCulture Parent

This online magazine is full of fun and meaningful ways to educate children about language, culture, and traditions from all across the globe. You will find crafts, recipes, worldwide celebrations to honor, and much more. Interviews with real families may be especially interesting to students.

Cross-Culture Volunteering

If you can raise enough money to make a trip with an organization like Cross Cultural Solutions and volunteer somewhere new, go for it! Though most of us unfortunately do not have those kinds of resources, we can still engage in meaningful volunteering and open up our minds to new people at cultural centers, language schools, and other local resources. Older students may want to read books aloud to ESL students or even offer tutoring services.

Pen Pals and Post Card Exchanges

Try a Pen Pal service for your classroom, such as ePals, to help your students learn about language and culture. Sign up at Postcrossing and you can exchange postcards with people all over the globe. This is a fun alternative if your class cannot make the commitment for a full pen pal service, or even if you simply want to collect postcards featuring photos of different countries. Both of these services are free to use.

Cultural Field Trips

We often forget that even if we cannot travel abroad, there are plenty of chances for cultural immersion within our own neighborhoods. Many family restaurants are owned by immigrants or neighbors from backgrounds our students may not be familiar with, while various community exhibits, museums, stores, and festivals also often present an opportunity for exploration. Check with churches and cultural centers for events.

Photo courtesy of Sara S. This photo was taken during a field trip to meet Buddhist monks. We listened to them chant and made crafts with them with one of our homeschool groups last fall.