Daycare Lesson Plans on Korean Culture
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These daycare lesson plans on Korean culture incorporate daycare activities that are accessible, engaging, and celebrate Korean culture. At Little Sprouts, we love learning about traditions and this was one of our favorites.
Introducing Korean culture in a daycare setting can be a wonderful way to teach children about diversity, respect, and appreciation for other cultures. There are so many fun and interesting games and traditions for kids to learn from and so much they can gain from it.
This free Korean lesson plan for toddlers and preschoolers is also available in a printable version that includes the Oklahoma ELG’s if you are using it for the DHS stars requirements as well. Check it out on Etsy.
Home Daycare Lesson Plans on Korea
1. Introducing Korea to Kids
I love to use a book to introduce new subjects to kids. I used this book about Korean food to start talking about the richness of Korean culture and how food is important to every people group. We also learned Korean names for a few foods from the book.
- Activity: Read the book to the kids and then go back and reread it letting them point out questions about the pictures and sounding out some of the Korean words for foods.
2. Introduction to Korean Language and Greetings
Teach children basic Korean greetings and common words.
- Activity: Begin with a morning greeting in Korean. Teach them how to say “Hello”, pronounced annyeong haseyo) and “Thank you”, pronounced gamsahamnida). We also did “friend” as well, pronounced (chingu).
- Song: Sing a popular Korean children’s song like (Gom Se Mari – Three Bears Song). This song is fun, easy to learn, and has cute hand movements.
3. Growing Korean Food
Show children different foods that may not be available in your area by finding seeds and growing them.
- Activity: Buy some Korean seeds. We found this seller on Etsy. She also had a Korean garden tool we used to hoe on our garden as well. Her seeds and tools were beautiful! We made a whole raised bed with Korean foods to try. Research how to prepare them and help children taste the foods by offering them in a well-prepared way. (We have a preschool learning garden, this might be overwhelming if you don’t, but it’s just an idea to add value). We grew Korean radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and greens.
4. Making Hanbok Dolls
Familiarize children with traditional Korean clothing by creating paper dolls wearing Hanbok.
- Activity: Show pictures of the Hanbok, the traditional Korean clothing, and talk about its bright colors and flowing lines.
- Craft: Provide children with paper doll templates, along with colorful paper, markers, and stickers to decorate the Hanbok. Each child can design a Hanbok for their paper doll, choosing colors and patterns. Or use the premade paper Hanbok dolls here.
5. Making Korean Pellet Drums
Show children traditional pellet drums used for celebration and make some from a paper plate.
- Activity: Show kids the pellet drums and give them paper plates, paper straws, strings, and beads as well as a printout of the Korean flag symbol.
- Craft: Help children tie the beads to the end of the strings and glue the Korean symbol onto the paper plates. Once the glue is dry, glue the straws on the edge of one plate and the strings on opposite sides above the straw (the straw will be a handle at the bottom and the strings will flop the beads onto the drum on either side). Then glue on the second plate.
- Activity: Once the glue is dry, teach the kids to spin the drums back and forth in their hands and let the beads beat the drums and make music.
6. Korean Folk Tales Storytime
Introduce children to traditional Korean stories and values through folk tales.
- Story: Read “The Tiger and the Persimmon,” a humorous Korean folktale about a tiger who is easily frightened by the unknown. Use props or finger puppets for a more interactive experience.
- Activity: After the story, have the children draw their favorite character from the story.
7. Making Korean Bibimbap with Kids
Introduce children to Korean cuisine with a hands-on food activity.
- Activity: Make simple Bimbimpap (recipe coming very soon). Kids can prepare the sauce, some of the vegetables, or even cook some ingredients if they are old enough.
- Taste Test: Let them try their creations and encourage them to share what they think of the taste.
8. Ddakji
Teach children a traditional Korean game and foster group play.
- Activity: Introduce Ddakji, a traditional game played during Seollal (Korean New Year). Make the origami squares for the kids to play with and show them how to play.
- Play: Let children take turns and encourage each other to flip the second piece on the floor with the first one they throw. This game encourages turn-taking and cooperation as well as social interaction.
9. Korean Flag Craft
Teach children about the Korean flag and its symbols.
- Activity: Show the South Korean flag and talk about its design. Explain the significance of the circle, colors, and trigrams.
- Craft: Provide blank flag templates and help the children color in or paint the flag. Use red, blue, and black to complete the flag’s design.
10. K-Pop Dance Party
Introduce Korean pop music as a part of modern Korean culture.
- Activity: Play a popular, child-friendly K-Pop song and let the kids dance along. Songs like “Baby Shark” by Pinkfong, which originated in Korea, can be a great option.
- Movement: Encourage the children to make up simple dance moves. This is a fun way to connect with Korean pop culture in a way that children can understand.
These lesson plans provide children with a well-rounded introduction to Korean culture in a fun, hands-on way. They’ll gain an appreciation for different customs, languages, foods, and stories, all while engaging in creative activities.
For more ideas for your daycare lesson plans, check these out:
