Where we are from matters. Not because some places are better than others, because that obviously isn’t true, but because where we are from is a part of us. The loved ones who came before us created a legacy that they passed on and learning about them and their story means discovering a little bit more about ours. That is why family history is something that I want to teach my children. Both my husbands family and my family came to the US from Germany just a couple generations ago. Even though my kids have never seen or lived in Germany, I feel like it is still a part of them and their story.
This perspective is what new release “Islandborn” celebrates. It is all about a young girl who receives an assignment in class to share where she is from. She doesn’t remember anything about the island she was born on and that her family left so she turns to family and friends to learn. This journey helps her learn not only about her heritage, but a lithe bit more about the legacy she is a part of. It is gorgeously illustrated and beautifully written.
Click here to purchase “Islandborn” *affiliate link
Heritage Bag Activity
In the book Lola’s assignment is to draw a picture of the country she is from. I thought that was a wonderful activity for young children to participate in! I also thought it would be fun to add an additional idea centered on family history and inspired by this book. After thinking about it a bit I came up with the idea of Heritage Bags.
The idea is that with your help, or the help of another adult, kids can fill the Heritage Bags with 3-5 small items or mementos that represent their heritage. Then they can share their bags with family, friends or classmates and explain what each item represents. For example, because so much of our family’s history is from Germany my kids could include items anywhere from treasured items that belonged to our ancestors to something as simple as a photo of Germany or a small German flag.
The bags themselves are super simple to make. I used basic, brown paper lunch sacks and I made a printable (free for personal and educational use and downloadable below) that you can cut out and attach to it with glue. The printable explains the purpose of the bag and is easy to send home with kids if you are a teacher or book group leader. Don’t you think it would be so much fun to get a group of kids together to each share about their family history and celebrate heritage and diversity together?!
Click here for the free printable: Heritage Bag Printable
If you give this Beyond the Book activity a try I’d love to hear how it goes! Share it on Instagram and tag me! (I’m on Instagram as @book.nerd.mommy) or even just comment here with your thoughts. It would make my day! Or to simply save for later pin the image below.
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