Pride Month is a time for celebration, reflection, and education. As parents, it’s essential to teach our children about diversity, acceptance, and love for all, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In this blog post, we’ll explore some fun and meaningful ways to celebrate Pride Month with your kids, from inviting Pride Month speakers to creating beautiful rainbow crafts.
By involving your children in these activities, you can foster a nurturing environment that encourages them to embrace their true selves and be accepting of others. Get ready for a colorful and heartwarming experience!
Understanding the Importance of Pride Month
Before diving into the celebrations, take some time to explain the significance of Pride Month to your children.
This annual event, held in June, commemorates the Stonewall riots and the LGBTQ+ rights movement. It’s a time to honor the LGBTQ+ community, celebrate their accomplishments, and raise awareness about the challenges they still face.
By learning about the history and meaning behind Pride Month, your kids will gain a deeper understanding of the importance of promoting love, acceptance, and equality for all. Let’s use this opportunity to help our kids celebrate differences and diversity.
Encouraging Open Conversations
One of the best ways to promote understanding and acceptance is by encouraging open and honest conversations with your children about LGBTQ+ topics.
Be prepared to answer their questions and address any misconceptions they may have. When discussing these subjects, emphasize the importance of treating everyone with respect, kindness, and understanding.
Providing age-appropriate resources, like books and documentaries, can also help your kids learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and develop empathy for people of different backgrounds.
Inviting Pride Month Speakers
If you’re arranging any events at your child’s school, community center, or even at home, consider inviting some Pride Month speakers to share their experiences and knowledge with the audience.
These speakers can provide valuable insights into LGBTQ+ history, culture, and issues, helping to foster empathy and understanding among your children and their peers.
Plus, hearing firsthand accounts from people within the community can make the learning experience more engaging and memorable. Reach out to local LGBTQ+ organizations or community leaders to find potential speakers.
Participating in Pride Events
Many cities and towns host Pride parades, festivals, and other events throughout the month of June.
Participating in these events as a family is a fantastic way to show your support for the LGBTQ+ community and teach your kids about the importance of inclusivity. Attending pride events also exposes your children to a diverse range of people and experiences, helping them understand that differences should be celebrated, not feared.
Encourage your children to wear colorful attire, wave rainbow flags, and join in the festivities with enthusiasm.
Creating Rainbow Crafts Together
Crafting is not only a fun way to spend time with your kids but also an opportunity to teach them about the symbolism behind the rainbow flag.
The colors represent the diversity and unity within the LGBTQ+ community, with each hue carrying a specific meaning. Here are some rainbow craft ideas you can enjoy together, and feel free to click on the links I’ve provided for detailed instructions:
Rainbow Suncatcher: Teach your kids how light can create a beautiful spectrum of colors as you make a lovely suncatcher to hang in your window.
Rainbow Perler Bead Patterns: Using small, colorful beads, create vibrant patterns and designs that can be turned into keychains, magnets, or decorations.
Watercolor Paper Plate Rainbow: Unleash your child’s inner artist by painting a stunning rainbow on a paper plate using watercolors. This craft allows kids to experiment with color mixing and blending while creating a beautiful piece of art.
Ripped Paper Rainbow: This tactile craft encourages fine motor skills as your children tear and glue colorful paper to create a unique, textured rainbow collage.
Or check out even more rainbow crafts and activities here…
Writing a Rainbow Poem
Encourage your children to express their creativity and feelings about love and acceptance through poetry. Invite them to write a rainbow-themed poem that incorporates the colors of the Pride flag and the values it represents.
Use our rainbow poem template as a starting point, or use your own ideas.
You can provide guidance by suggesting different poetic forms, such as acrostic, haiku, or free verse. This activity can help your kids develop their language skills, empathy, and understanding of the importance of inclusivity.
Share these heartfelt poems with friends and family or display them proudly in your home as a reminder of the lessons learned during Pride Month.
Instilling Values Through Media and Stories
In addition to the activities mentioned above, it’s essential to expose your children to age-appropriate books, movies, and TV shows featuring LGBTQ+ characters and themes.
Here’s a short list of books featuring LGBTQ+ representation and themes, organized by age group:
LGBTQ Books for Ages 3-5
- “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell – A heartwarming story of two male penguins raising a baby penguin together in a zoo.
- “The Family Book” by Todd Parr – A colorful book that celebrates the diversity of families, including those with same-sex parents.
LGBTQ Books for Ages 6-8
- “Prince & Knight” by Daniel Haack – A fairy tale about a prince who falls in love with a brave knight, redefining traditional ideas of a royal romance.
- “Julián Is a Mermaid” by Jessica Love – A story of self-expression and acceptance, where a young boy named Julián dreams of becoming a mermaid.
LGBTQ Books for Ages 9-12
- “George” by Alex Gino – A story about a transgender girl who wants to play the role of Charlotte in her school’s production of “Charlotte’s Web.”
- “The Whispers” by Greg Howard – A magical realism novel about a young boy named Riley who is searching for his missing mother and grappling with his identity.
LGBTQ Books for Young Adult (13+)
- “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli – A coming-of-age novel about a closeted gay teenager dealing with high school challenges and finding love.
- “The House You Pass on the Way” by Jacqueline Woodson – A story about a young girl coming to terms with her biracial identity and developing feelings for her visiting cousin.
These books offer a range of age-appropriate stories that showcase LGBTQ+ representation and promote understanding, acceptance, and love.
Using these resources can help your kids develop empathy and understanding by seeing the world from different perspectives. Look for stories that celebrate diversity, love, and acceptance, and use them as conversation starters to discuss the importance of inclusivity and kindness with your children.
Celebrating Pride Month with your children is a wonderful opportunity to teach them about love, acceptance, and the beauty of diversity. By participating in events, engaging in open conversations, and creating colorful crafts together, you can help your kids develop a more inclusive and empathetic worldview.
Let’s continue to spread love and understanding, not just during Pride Month but throughout the entire year!
Happy Pride!
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and promote acceptance and understanding. As parents, there are many ways to teach your children about inclusivity, such as encouraging open conversations, inviting speakers, participating in Pride events, creating rainbow crafts, writing rainbow poems, and exposing them to media with LGBTQ+ themes. By educating your kids about the significance of Pride Month, you can help them embrace diversity and promote love and equality for all.