Every September, South Africa celebrates Heritage Month—a time to honour the rich and diverse cultures that make up our nation’s unique identity. For parents and educators alike, this national observance offers more than just a day of festivities. It presents an opportunity to instil values of inclusivity, respect, and understanding in our children from an early age.
In a world that is more connected than ever, teaching our little ones to appreciate different traditions and ways of life is essential. Heritage Month provides the perfect starting point for these meaningful conversations at home and in the classroom.
Learning Through Storytelling, Music and Play
Want to know a secret? Children learn best when they’re having fun! So, imagine the magic of cultural diversity through captivating stories, catchy songs, hands-on crafts, and fun games.
Think about exploring the intricate beauty of Zulu beadwork, understanding the deep symbolism behind Ndebele or Khoisan paintings, or whipping up the unique flavours of Cape Malay cuisine. These aren’t just activities that teachers and parents can create; they’re vibrant, memorable experiences that help children connect with different cultures. By weaving in crafts, food, and play, we’re not just celebrating differences; we’re reinforcing shared values in ways they’ll truly grasp and remember.
Conversations That Matter
Beyond the fun activities, Heritage Month gently opens the door to some of the most important conversations we can have with our children: discussions about identity, fairness, and inclusion. Chatting with your child about their own heritage – and encouraging them to swap stories with friends of all backgrounds is a beautiful way to build empathy and self-awareness.
It’s not about having all the perfect answers; it’s about creating a safe, welcoming space where children feel comfortable asking questions and reflecting on the world around them.
The sooner we start having these conversations about inclusivity, the stronger the foundation we build for a generation that instinctively values equality and joyfully celebrates every difference.
Making It a Year-Round Effort
The company provides high quality, online learning materials and services, which are all teacher-created and checked.
Twinkl offers over 1 million resources, with new content added daily. This ranges from schemes of work and assessments to augmented reality games and much more.
Twinkl is used and trusted by schools and educators in over 200 countries and regions, including primary and secondary school teachers, nursery workers and parents.
Twinkl has over 1400 team members based in its two Sheffield offices and remotely around the globe, including a large team in South Africa.
More information can be found at twinkl.co.za
Our story:
The idea for Twinkl came to Jonathan and Susie Seaton when Susie was working as an Early Years teacher and couldn’t find the materials she needed for her lessons online. As a result, Susie was working evenings and weekends to make resources from scratch.
Speaking to colleagues and friends, the couple found that Susie was not alone in her situation. So, to help other teachers, they began creating and publishing educational resources online from their spare bedroom.
The business grew quickly and organically as educators embraced the high-quality materials. The team grew quickly too, with current and former teachers, as well as experts in content and design soon joining Jonathan and Susie in their mission 'to help those who teach.'
Jonathan and Susie are delighted that Twinkl is now taking this mission across the world, returning time and energy to educators that is better spent in the classroom with their pupils or on themselves at home.
