Why Pride Belongs in Early Education

Pride may seem a trivial subject to some, but with countries like Italy recently making it illegal to have same sex parents on a child’s birth certificate it’s more important than ever to understand Pride and everything it stands for. This is a topic close to my heart and I’m privileged to have this platform to share some of the ways we can integrate acceptance, identity, diversity and inclusivity within the early years.

It Starts with us.

My biggest dream as a Human, Mum and Early Years Educator is for every human around the world to be accepted and celebrated for who they are… and world peace, but we have to start somewhere. Celebrating pride in the early years is simply about understanding and taking care of each other as fellow human beings.

It’s not just rainbows and parades.

The early years is a crucial stage of life, a stage where humans begin to understand the world around them, and if hate can be learned then love can be too. Saying nothing is not enough, we must play our role in bringing up a future of kind children who accept people and families of every colour, religion, sexuality and gender.

In the Art Studio we often have discussions during play or whilst sharing stories that help with this celebration of diversity. Here are some other ways we can make a difference in nursery and at home.

• Storytime with Diverse Books

Choose children’s books that feature LGBTQ+ families and characters. ‘Love Makes a Family’ and ‘Mummy, Mama and Me’ are wonderful for young babies. Stories like Julian Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love or And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson introduce diverse perspectives in a gentle, age-appropriate way.

• Pride-Inspired Art Projects

Let children express themselves with colourful unique art. We are currently using clay to create self portraits, highlighting and celebrating all our differences, from eye colour to hair type and beyond.

• All Families Are Special Collage

Encourage kids to bring pictures or draw their families, highlighting the wonderful diversity in family structures. Discuss how all families are unique and full of love.

• Inclusive Fancy Dress

Set up a dress-up station with gender-neutral and diverse costume options, allowing children to explore different roles and identities without limitations.

• Kindness & Identity Conversations

Use simple, open-ended questions to talk about feelings and identities in an age-appropriate way. Questions like “What makes you feel happy and loved?” or “How can we make sure everyone feels included?” spark meaningful discussions.

• Music & Dance Celebrations

Play music from diverse artists and encourage kids to dance and celebrate together. Consider songs that promote self-love, diversity, and joy whilst integrating music from other cultures.

At Inspirations inclusivity is fundamental to everything we do, we create activities and areas where every child feels seen, valued, and respected. Our toys, resources, books and our staff reflect a wide range of identities, cultures and family structures, because when I child sees themselves represented it fosters a sense of belonging.

Something I try to do both in the Art Studio and home is to be intentional with my language aimed at groups and individuals. I stay away from phrases like ‘boys and girls’ and instead choose to say ‘everyone’ or ‘friends’. In the case pointing out someone I’m not familiar with I might say ‘they’ so not to accidentally misgender.

I also make sure I am always open to all age appropriate questions and topics the children want to explore in regards to identity, kindness, and fairness. When talking about diversity I always summarise with a phrase about how our differences make the world a beautiful place. We can help prevent prejudice developing down the line by having these conversations at an early age.

Another thing I try to steer away from is gender stereotypes when it comes to toys and colours, we allow all children the freedom the discover their individuality through play and art.

Last week when the children were dressing up and role playing ‘weddings’ I found there was an expectation that only boys marry girls. (We most likely have Disney to thank for that). But it was the perfect point for a learning opportunity about the wonderful varieties of all family types.

I told them ‘My daughter has two Mummies!’

And her reply…

‘Oooh. What’s for lunch?’

In that moment, I was reminded that children are born without prejudice.

The Leeds Pride Parade will take place Sunday 20th July 2025. Parade – Leeds Pride

‘Let us remember: One book, one pen one child and one teacher can change the world.’

Nathalie