Beautiful culture surrounds us, from traditional clothes and music to delicious food and drinks. On October 26th and 27th, we had Around the World in Kyonggi Day for the first and second graders, visiting several cultures around the world to see how they celebrate the fall season and fill their world with color. We opened the doors to the old and traditional culture UK, the North American cultures of USA Canada, and the vibrant traditions of South Africa.
For many, when they think of fall they immediately think of leaves. But in the UK, we admire colorful fireworks and celebrate our past. Guy Fawkes Night is an evening of sweet fall treats like toffee apples and cotton candy, while we look up at the beautiful lights and fireworks and warm ourselves by a bonfire. But the most important part of UK culture, at any time of year, is, of course, soccer! To us, it is known as football and most children play it every day. We put on our football uniforms and gave you a try. Perhaps the next Messi, Ronaldo, or Son will come from Kyonggi!
Over in the USA, people dream of Thanksgiving dinner and delicious food. We had a classic egg and spoon race using ping pong. It was fun to see who had the best balance and speed!
Up in Canada, their connection to fall can be seen in their flag. Can you see the leaf? We played a flag flipping game where the students tried to flip a floor full of beavers into maple leaves, while the other team tried to flip them back.
Finally, we also visited South Africa to learn how the people of the Rainbow Nation celebrate this colorful season. We all tried the ring toss to see how their warriors in the past practiced their skill. It was hard to get the rings on the sticks, but so much fun!
Trying games, activities, art, and food from other countries helps us to understand them, and learn about the world. On Around the World in Kyonggi Day we visited several countries and got our passports stamped. Every country and every culture is different. By opening our eyes and experiencing them we can learn a lot from each other.