Nursery World - The light fantastic

A topic about light and dark offers opportunities for children to explore the broad themes of day and night, natural and artificial light and the importance of light in plant growth, but organising such a topic in the autumn term opens the way to exploring four important festivals: Bonfire Night, Divali, Hanukkah and Christmas, all associated with light and reflecting the UK's cultural and religious diversity. In so doing, practitioners will help achieve a key aim of the foundation stage, for the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage states that: 'To give all children the best opportunities for personal, social and emotional development, practitioners should give particular attention to:...providing opportunities for play and learningthat acknowledge children's particular religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds' (page 28).

In so doing, practitioners will help achieve a key aim of the foundation stage, for the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage states that: 'To give all children the best opportunities for personal, social and emotional development, practitioners should give particular attention to:...providing opportunities for play and learningthat acknowledge children's particular religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds' (page 28).

It is important that practitioners explore the religious and cultural diversity in the UK today, whether or not it is reflected in the immediate locality. Wider media coverage of festivals such as Divali, Eid and Chinese New Year mean all children are becoming more familiar with these festivals.

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