How To Build Cultural Awareness With Your Children During the Holidays

The holiday season is a time of connection, reflection, and celebration, making it a perfect opportunity to help children explore the wider world around them. At Windermere Preparatory School, global citizenship is at the heart of who we are. As Orlando’s leading international school, our student body represents nearly 50 different nationalities, creating a rich cultural environment where students learn from one another every day.

Through our IB Diploma Program and our IB Primary Years and Middle Years Program candidacy journey, global-mindedness is woven into our curriculum, our relationships, and the way our students view the world. When traditions shine brighter than ever during the holiday season, families have prime opportunities to continue this learning at home.

Continue reading to explore five simple and joyful ways to nurture curiosity, empathy, and cultural awareness this December.

#1: Explore Global Holiday Traditions Together

Winter holidays are celebrated in unique and meaningful ways around the world. Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, or Lunar New Year, each tradition reflects a community’s history, beliefs, and values.

In our classrooms at WPS, students experience these differences firsthand. Kindergarteners spend the month of December learning about a variety of holidays and symbols from different cultures. In other Lower School grades, our annual Holidays Around the World event brings parents into the classroom to share their family’s traditions through presentations, crafts, treats, and hands-on activities.

Families can continue this at home by:

• Reading about how different countries celebrate winter holidays
• Watching short documentaries or age-appropriate videos
• Trying a simple craft or learning a festive song from another culture
• Sampling foods that hold meaning in different holiday traditions

These experiences help children appreciate the beauty of difference and the importance of honoring others' ways of celebrating.

#2: Share Stories From Around the World

Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to connect with cultures. Books, folktales, and films open windows into traditions beyond our own and spark questions that lead to deeper understanding.

Families can choose a read-aloud from another country, explore international folktales, or watch a foreign film together. Ask your child what stood out, what felt familiar, and what they learned about the values or beliefs of another community.

These conversations mirror the reflective practices encouraged through the IB framework and help students develop empathy and perspective which are skills that last well beyond the holiday season.

#3: Bring the World to Your Table

Food is a universal connector. Preparing dishes from different cultures is a hands-on way for children to learn geography, history, and tradition while sharing quality time as a family.

Consider choosing one evening to:

• Try a holiday dish from another country
• Look up the cultural significance of certain ingredients
• Explore the region on a map
• Talk about which holidays their classmates celebrate

In a school community as international as ours, these experiences help children better understand and celebrate their peers' cultural backgrounds.

#4: Encourage Curiosity Through Questions

Raising global citizens is less about memorizing facts and more about building open-mindedness. Parents can model global thinking during the holidays by encouraging thoughtful questions such as:

• Why do different cultures celebrate in different ways?
• What can we learn from a tradition we’ve never heard of before?
• How does understanding others help us become kinder and more connected?

These prompts foster the same habits of inquiry and reflection that guide students throughout their WPS learning journey.

#5: Highlight What Unites Us

Even though global holiday traditions may look different, many share the same themes: family, gratitude, generosity, and community. Pointing out these universal values helps children recognize the shared humanity that connects people across all cultures.

At Windermere Prep, this understanding is central to our school community. Whether through classroom lessons, our diverse student body, or our global partnerships, we help students develop the skills and mindset needed to thrive in an interconnected world.

A Season of Learning, Connection, and Global Mindset

Raising global citizens doesn’t require elaborate plans—it begins with small moments of learning, curiosity, and meaningful conversation. When families take time to explore global traditions together, they help their children grow into empathetic, open-minded individuals who appreciate the richness of cultures beyond their own.

Ready to learn more about Orlando’s leading international school?

Windermere Preparatory School offers an education shaped by global perspectives, innovative learning, and a supportive, diverse community. If your family is searching for a school that prepares students to thrive in a rapidly changing world, we invite you to explore what makes WPS unique.

Get in touch with one of our Admissions Officers today to schedule a tour.