Stars of the Celebration Wall
In a year of masked faces and social distance, celebrating family milestones has looked a little different. Despite these challenges, the creative teachers of the Koala group found a way to stay connected, share exciting life events, and connect socially and emotionally in community celebration— all through a very special wall in the Koala room.
“It all started with the group this year being very sharp observers and asking questions when a child or a teacher would be missing on any given day,” shared Lead Teacher Elaine. “So, we decided to make a chart with our pictures to show who would be gone and which teacher would be helping out for the day instead. It really helped the children feel a sense of safety and understanding of where people are when they are not here and when they will be coming back.” From there, it has evolved into a whole wall of pictures showing birthdays, new family pets, siblings being born, and treasured visits to see newly vaccinated grandparents.
The children will spend time at the wall each day, looking at the photos and asking questions about who is in the photos and what they are doing. They notice their friend’s faces, but are curious about where they are, who they are with, and what they are doing. This has opened an amazing flow of conversation between the children and has transformed their sense of community and relationships. “When the children ask me questions about what is happening in the photos, I have to stop myself from telling them straight out. Instead, I will invite over the child who’s photo it is to have them share their moment of celebration,” said Elaine. “The children are over the moon when they see themselves on the wall and are able to share about their experiences. It has added a whole new layer of excitement to the activities they do outside the CEC— to be able to come back and share with their friends and be the star of the celebration wall.”
Since having the celebration wall in the room, the children have engaged in so much more conversation, and themes from the wall are showing up in their play with sandbox birthday cakes and imaginary trips to see each other’s families or visit new places. Right now, one child is on a family trip to Hawaii and the family has been sharing photos for the wall while they have been away. “It has been helping the children to expand their concept of the world through seeing M in Hawaii and talking about things like islands and planes. I can’t wait for M to come back and see himself on the wall and share all about his adventures,” said Elaine.
In this tough year, it is more important than ever to celebrate the things in our lives that bring joy and excitement, no matter how small. The Koala group’s celebration wall is a beautiful reminder of how celebration can bring us all together.