January 2026
As India’s 77th Republic Day approached, we found ourselves asking an important question: How do we make this celebration meaningful for our youngest learners—our playgroup and nursery children?

After much discussion, we decided to focus on one simple but profound idea: What makes India a Republic?

A Republic of Many Voices

India is vast. India is diverse. But what truly makes us a Republic is that we are a union of different states, each with its own unique culture, language, and traditions, coming together to elect the head of our nation.

For Republic Day this year, we wanted our children—and our parent community—to experience this diversity firsthand. We wanted to celebrate a fundamental truth: The unity of our Republic lies in our diversity.

How do you bring such a big idea to life for three- and four-year-olds?

We decided to try something simple yet powerful: States in Style—a parent-child showcase celebrating the cultural richness of India’s states.

As we planned, something wonderful dawned on us: our classrooms are already microcosms of India’s diversity!

Families with roots across the country send their children to us each day. We invited parents and children to showcase their home state (or a state of their choice) through:

• Traditional cultural attire
• A few simple sentences about the state
• Music, if they wished

The response was heart-warming. Parents embraced this opportunity to connect their children to their heritage, and the care they put into preparing was evident in every detail.

On the day of the showcase, our little hall transformed into a vibrant tapestry of India.

Children walked in confidently, hand-in hand with their parents, dazzling in beautiful traditional attire. One by one, each parent-child pair took the stage. We travelled across Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and came back to Maharashtra

One moment stood out, tender and powerful.

A mother from Nepal stepped onto the stage with her child, dressed in traditional Nepali attire. She shared about her home country with warmth and pride.

Her presence reminded us of something beautiful: India has always been inclusive. Our Republic celebrates not just our own diversity, but welcomes those who make India their home, bringing their own rich cultures to add to our collective tapestry.

What Our Children Learned (And What We Learned, Too)

Republic Day can feel abstract to young children—what does “democracy” or “constitution” mean to a three-year-old?
But through States in Style, these big ideas became concrete:

Our children learned that:

• India is made up of many different places, each special and beautiful
• People dress differently, speak differently, and celebrate differently—and that’s something to celebrate, not fear
• Their own family’s heritage is something to be proud of
• Unity doesn’t mean sameness; it means coming together while honouring our differences

We, as teachers, learned more about our children and communities they come from. We also learned that even our youngest learners can grasp big ideas about diversity and belonging when presented through experience rather than explanation

We hope parents discovered an opportunity to talk with their children about where their family comes from. It was a chance to share stories, memories, and traditions that might otherwise wait until children are older

Why This Matters

In a world that sometimes emphasizes differences as divisions, we wanted our children’s first Republic Day celebration to plant a different seed: diversity as strength.

When our three-year-olds see their classmate in a Punjabi phulkari dupatta one day and a Bengali dhoti the next, they don’t see “different” as “other.” They see their friend. They see beauty. They see India.

This is the foundation of the values our Republic was built upon—respect, inclusion, and unity in diversity.

As we navigate an increasingly connected world, these early experiences of celebrating difference while recognizing our shared humanity may be one of the most important lessons we can offer our children.

To all the parents who participated—thank you. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and willingness to share your culture made this celebration truly special.

To our little ones who stood on that stage, some nervous, some excited, all brave—you reminded us why we do this work. Watching you beam with pride as you represented your state was a gift.

Here’s to raising a generation that sees India’s diversity not as a challenge to manage, but as a treasure to celebrate.

Jennifer Thomas