The Kwanzaa holiday was created to introduce and reinforce seven principles which were viewed as core value systems for healthy and thriving families, stable and loving and caring relationships, effective parenting practices, school achievement, and non violent, safe and productive communities. Thus, the seven days of the Kwanzaa holiday is organized around the seven principles of Kwanzaa: Unity, Self-determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Shared Wealth, Purpose, Creativity and Faith.

The Umoja (unity) principle instructs that each member of the family and by extension the community is constituted by a web of interpersonal relationships. The health and possibilities of the family and community, therefore, is dependent upon the quality of relationship within the family and community.This activity involved your little one playing a group game to reinforce the principle of Umoja.

Organized activities can be fun and contribute to children’s learning and development. But many traditional games, such as Musical Chairs and Duck, Duck, Goose focus on competition and eliminate children from the fun. In contrast, cooperative games help preschoolers learn to work together, follow directions, listen, and develop problem-solving and movement skills. For this activity, we played the Kwanzaa version of Ring Around the Rosie. We chanted the following words:

Umoja, Umoja

Let’s light the Kinara

Kwanzaa, Kwanzaa

We all fall down!

Your little ones delighted in this game, as they laughed and giggled with their friends. It added to the excitement of Kwanzaa week!