Geetha
Being a land with rich culture and heritage, this article is to let you know about the world heritage day activities and some ideas on how to celebrate world heritage day with kids! We all know that India is known for its different landscapes and different cultures with a whole lot of people in it. As a parent, it is our responsibility to teach our children about this unique diversity to pass on our knowledge!
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World Heritage Day
World Heritage Day, also known as the International Day for Monuments and Sites is celebrated worldwide on 18 April each year with different types of activities. World heritage day activities include visits to monuments and heritage sites, conferences, and newspaper articles. India, having a long past, had been ruled by several kings over time. Each has built numerous monuments to signify their rule, art, culture, religion and also for the welfare of their subjects. Taj Mahal, Hampi, Kaziranga National Park, Hill forts of Rajasthan, Valley of flowers national park, and Chola temples are some of the sites in India that have been listed in the World Heritage sites!
Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century.It is a fortified city. By 1500 CE, Hampi-Vijayanagara was the world’s second-largest medieval-era city after Beijing, and probably India’s richest at that time, attracting traders from Persia and Portugal.The Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by a coalition of Muslim sultanates; its capital was conquered, pillaged and destroyed by sultanate armies in 1565, after which Hampi remained in ruins.
From Unesco’s report on Indian Heritage sites
World Heritage day activities for Kids
But why should our kids know about these heritage sites? We all should know about our past to learn from it and know to repeat the same mistakes. Besides, we could follow the good things from our past if it could make us better as an individual! Kids usually love stories. What story would be better than the real stories that have certainly happened!? Hence this article is to give you some ideas on the world heritage day activities and how to celebrate world heritage day with kids.
1. Storytelling
We go to different tourist places, and heritage sites, strike some poses and snap some photographs. That’s pretty much it, isn’t it? But for the upcoming World Heritage day, let’s try something different. Every place has a story and these heritage sites are pretty much the storehouse of stories! So before you visit a heritage site along with your kids, do some searching and narrate the story of the site to your kids. When you take them to those places as a part of world heritage day activities, your kids would love to see the places from the stories you have told! Lovely, isn’t it?
2. Traceback Lineage
How to celebrate world heritage day with kids? Well, by tracing back their lineage. Heritage, in general means, practice or set of values that is passed down from preceding generations through families. We might be having certain practices in our families as well. We practice a few things as our ancestors told us to do. You could teach your kids those certain practices and the reason to follow them. Also, you could teach your kid to make a family tree including relatives of either parent to get to know well about their lineage – heritage. This is one of the most interesting world heritage day activities for kids!
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3. A trip to the sites
Whatever stories or activities you do with your kids to celebrate world heritage day, it would not be complete without a family trip to any of those heritage sites! There is a huge count of 40 places in India, listed as world Heritage sites. Of these, 32 are cultural heritage sites to signify the people and their lives as a society. 7 natural heritage sites to preserve and protect the plants and animals indigenous to our country and 1 mixed site that has both natural and cultural value.
You could take your children to any of these sites to show them the places from their stories for real! By this, you could also teach them the importance of preserving those beautiful sites to pass on the memories of the people who lived there.
4. Art and Craft activities
You might be tired of all those world heritage day activities, but your kids or not. They would still be buzzing about the trips and the monuments they saw during the trip. What is a good way to remember those trips forever? Photographs are redundant nowadays. Kids have something special!
Another thing that children love besides stories is to express themselves through art and crafts. Children, for sure, have some colors in their lives! So if you are wondering how to celebrate world heritage day with kids, after your storytelling, show them some pictures of the heritage sites and let them try drawing or painting those sites (Tajmahal and Qutb Minar are easy choices though). When they do some activities like this, kids get more involved and the story of these sites will remain etched in their hearts forever.
Takeaway
History has many important events, stories and lessons. Our kids need to know our past to follow the good things and to learn from our mistakes. Celebrating world heritage day is one fun-filled way to recollect and teach them about our past without getting bored. Also on your trips, you could teach them basic morals such as, not scribbling on monuments, not littering the place, keeping the areas clean and such.
With these world heritage day activities and with the trips you guide them to be better individuals and shape their future! Do not forget to celebrate world heritage day on the 18th of April, every year with your kids! Stories are one way to pass on our history, tradition and culture to our kids. By narrating the Diwali story for kids, you not only tell them stories but also engagingly teach them morals and values. Here are some intriguing stories to celebrate Diwali with your kids!
