This month in School-Age 1 we celebrated Black History Month by talking about who we are and what makes each of us special.
During circle time, we read the book “The Skin You Live In” by Michael Tyler. The story talks about how everyone’s skin is different and unique. We noticed that the children in the book had many different skin colours. We talked about how our skin is not all the same, and that is what makes our classroom so beautiful.
I asked the children, “Do we all have the same skin colour?”
They quickly said, “No!”
We talked about how our skin can be light, dark, and many shades in between. We shared that our skin colour is part of who we are, and we should feel proud of it.
After our discussion, the children had the opportunity to create themselves. They were given a cut-out of a person and invited to paint it to match their own skin tone. Educator Chase provided mirrors so the children could look closely at their faces and arms while they worked. They carefully studied themselves in the mirror and chose paint colours that matched their skin. Some children even mixed colours together to create just the right shade.
Once the paint dried, they used felt and cloth materials to decorate their person. They chose fabrics and textures to represent their clothes, hair, and personal style. Each creation was different, just like each child in our class.
As they worked, I heard conversations like:
“That one looks like me!”
“My skin is darker.”
“I’m mixing brown and peach.”
Through this experience, the children were building a strong sense of belonging as they saw themselves reflected in their artwork and within our classroom community. Looking at themselves in the mirror supported their growing sense of identity and well-being, as they proudly created artwork that truly looked like them.
