Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with Preschoolers & Young Children

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month—a time to honor the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of AAPI communities. For educators and caregivers of young children, this month presents a wonderful opportunity to foster inclusivity and celebrate diversity from an early age. In this article, we share a few fun activities and resources for enjoying AAPI Heritage Month with the little ones in your care. 

• Celebrate with AAPI music. Listening to music from the AAPI community is a great way to learn about and enjoy the culture. You might enjoy this Hawaiian Music Playlist for Kids, available on Apple Music, or this Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month Playlist from Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, available on Spotify. 
• Try a cherry blossom-themed art project. The cherry blossom tree, which is important in Japanese culture, is often a meaningful symbol during AAPI Heritage Month. During this time, you might enjoy trying a cherry blossom craft or art project with the little ones in your care. A few fun examples are included below.
  • Cherry blossom painting with cotton balls
  • Tissue paper cherry blossoms
  • Toilet paper roll cherry blossoms
•  Enjoy AAPI children’s books. There are many fun children’s books available that are written by AAPI authors and feature AAPI characters. You might enjoy reading some of the books below with the little ones in your care, or listening to them together via a read-aloud video from Youtube. 
  • I am Golden (read-aloud video)
  • Sunday Funday in Koreatown (read-aloud video)
  • Ohana Means Family
  • My Kalo Has Lau, Big and Green (read-aloud video)
  • Tofu Takes Time (read-aloud video)

If you’re looking for more ways to celebrate with the little ones in your care, you might enjoy this G2K article from the archives which shares more activities and resources for celebrating AAPI Heritage Month in ECE classrooms.