• Home »
• Newsroom »
• News Releases »
• Year 2007

SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today offered his top 10 holiday gift and activity suggestions to help parents and their children learn together and celebrate California's rich diversity.

"California is home to people from around the world, each with their own customs, foods, and traditions that enrich us as a society," said O'Connell. "The holiday season is a perfect time to deepen understanding and build friendships with others from different cultures and backgrounds. While students are on vacation over the holidays, I encourage parents to take the opportunity to start family traditions that will help children learn about others and to learn that the joy of giving is universal."

Top 10 Gift and Activity Ideas

1. Travel abroad without leaving California: Over the holidays, make it a family project to learn together about a culture that is different from your own. Visit a community center, store, or place of worship centered on that culture, research customs and ask questions of leaders or members of that community. Visit your local library to find books about other societies, their religions, and culture.  Make a scrapbook of your "travels" with notes, snapshots, recipes, and maps. The travel Web site, AROUNDER [http://www.arounder.com/] (Outside Source) takes visitors on a virtual tour of cities around the world . The California State Library also has an abundance of literature in Braille and talking books.(http://www.lib.state.ca.us/)
2. Make a tradition of learning about others:  Start a family holiday tradition of learning about a different culture each year, and incorporate something about that country in mealtimes, family activities, and games. Get a map of the world and mark the route of your "travels" each year. Ask children to draw pictures or tell stories about what they have learned, and keep them as family souvenirs.
3. Explore California: Find out about the state's 12 distinct regions, their history, events, sights, and activities. Then start saving and planning for a family trip to the region you'd most like to visit. The California Travel & Tourism Commission's [www.visitcalifornia.com] (Outside Source) Web site also has a "student" link where children can learn about the state's history:
4. Eat at an ethnic restaurant: Learn what people from other cultures eat and what holidays they celebrate this time of year.
5. Volunteer your time: Volunteer at your local nursing home, veteran's center, or senior center. Donating time teaches children the joy and satisfaction that comes from helping others. Search the California Volunteers [http://www.californiavolunteers.org/index.asp] (Outside Source) Web site.
6. Start a family giving tradition: Teach your children the spirit of giving. Cook something for a homeless family. Mow the lawn of an elderly neighbor. Hold a car wash and donate the proceeds to a good cause. This tradition can be something the family does together all year long.
7. Cook family meals together: Take the time to teach your children how to cook traditional dishes from your own culture. Many cultural traditions include special foods and recipes. It's important to pass traditions and recipes on to our children.  
8. Teach your children: When shopping for holiday gifts for your children, look for items that will help them learn. Parents are students' first teachers. Many creative and inexpensive gifts are available that will help foster a love of learning. Books, art supplies, and science projects help students learn while they play.
9. Be a good neighbor: Many people are harried and overextended with holiday shopping, parties, and visitors. This year try letting go of one activity you feel you "must" do and use that time to run an errand for a neighbor who is ill or in need.
10. Spend time together: Your time is one of the most valuable gifts you can give your children.