We know that serving up Christmas in an ECE environment isn’t everyone’s ‘cup of tea’, but for us at The Heart School it is one of our most delicious ‘brews’. We make the season a warming treat for the eyes, heart and soul.
We love to make little eyes shine with the magic of Christmas and big hearts shine with the magic of keeping our own spirit of childhood alive. It’s a nourishing ‘cuppa’ we serve, to be savoured and enjoyed in company, and anticipated in the yearly rhythm.
We know there are arguments against celebrating holidays such as this, but we choose to go FOR it - infusing love into the season for the children, for their sense of wonder, for their desire to remain a part of life when in our settings, rather than apart from it.
We serve the whole season up with a huge helping of heart, and much like a special cup of tea, we:
Use a beautiful ‘vessel’ to hold the magic - we put care and love into the preparation of the Christmas environment. We know it may be extra time asked of us, but it is once a year, and we are prepared to act as festive fairies once to set the main ‘seen scene’, and throughout the month of December to take a minute here and there to keep tweaking and tidying to keep giving the children the best we can.
Add warmth - all year round we value kindness and connection, but this end of year and special season means we can heap it on even further. It means little kindnesses, an extra focus on just being together, and the sharing of stories and memories. To keep our warmth at the ready we need to make sure we stay ‘fueled’, not letting the silliness of the season bog us down.
Let it all steep - it is not a season for haste, and we can savour a slow rhythm in our settings. We can be an oasis from the hustle-bustle ‘out there’ and offer our children and families a welcoming space to retreat to and simply soak in the Christmas magic and the spirit of community and celebration.
Give it a stir - it’s the coming together of all the components that really make for that festive feeling. A beautiful Christmas environment is lovely, but it’s the added ‘unseen’ touches that are sprinkled and stirred that add the heart, and make it a season that is deposited in the memory bank.
Offer it lovingly - just as we wouldn’t clunk a cup of tea down in front of our friend, we don’t ‘clunk’ the season down for the children. We offer it with love, and a willingness to let their joy light up our own. We push aside that feeling that the year is long and we would like to just do less this year, and we put in the careful attention that elevates Christmas from a routine in the planning calendar - a ‘must do’, to a ritual in the yearly rhythm, a ‘can’t wait to do’.
Enjoy this festive season!
P.S. ADVENT SPECIAL: Sign up for free to our special Advent emails and each day you will receive a new infusion for the heart with new inspiration to celebrate the season.
P.S.S. THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS: do you want help to get through this season while still showing joy for the children? We have created The Heart of Christmas, a beautiful teacher guide full of ideas for bringing magic and wonder to the Christmas season.