Celebrating Mexico: Big and Tiny 10th Street Preschool’s 2026 Culmination
At Big and Tiny 10th Street Preschool, learning extends far beyond the classroom. Through our social studies curriculum, children explore the world through hands-on experiences that spark curiosity, encourage creativity, and build an appreciation for different cultures and perspectives.
Each year, our children embark on an in-depth study of a country, exploring its traditions, environment, food, art, music, and history. This year, our focus was Mexico, culminating in a special end-of-year celebration that brought our learning to life and united our school community.
A Year of Exploring Mexico
Throughout the school year, our classrooms became spaces for discovery as children explored Mexican culture through art, creative projects, and sensory experiences. Teachers thoughtfully collected the children's work along the way, creating a collection that reflected their learning journey.
From native Mexican animals crafted with a variety of materials to colorful Lucha Libre-inspired masks and explorations of traditional foods, each project captured a piece of the children's curiosity and creativity. For our culmination, these works transformed our classrooms into vibrant galleries celebrating a year of exploration.
Bringing the Celebration to Life
This year, we were excited to extend our classroom learning through an immersive celebration featuring local vendors, food, art, and live music.
We welcomed vendors and artisans from Olvera Street's historic marketplace in Downtown Los Angeles, connecting our study to the rich Mexican heritage woven into our city's history. Families enjoyed delicious food from Pocha LA, a local modern Mexican kitchen, while the incredible Voz Bohemia Trio Romántico filled our school with live music.
Together, these experiences brought our study to life in a way that went beyond the classroom, allowing children and families to engage with Mexican culture through its art, flavors, music, and traditions.
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The Importance of Cultural Appreciation
This year's celebration felt especially meaningful given the recent ICE raids and heightened immigration enforcement affecting communities across Los Angeles. At a time when many families are experiencing uncertainty and fear, creating a space to celebrate Mexican culture, share traditions, and come together as a community carried a deeper significance.
Mexican culture is an integral part of Los Angeles — reflected in our neighborhoods, history, food, music, art, and families. We believe that learning about and appreciating these cultural contributions is an important part of early childhood education.
Through our social studies curriculum, we strive to nurture empathy, respect, and curiosity, helping children recognize and appreciate the diverse experiences that shape our world. This celebration was an opportunity to approach another culture with care and appreciation while reinforcing the importance of connection and belonging.
A Celebration of Learning and Community
Our 2026 Mexico culmination was more than an end-of-year event. It was a celebration of our children's creativity, the discoveries they made throughout the year, and the community that supports their learning.
We are deeply grateful to our teachers, families, local artisans and vendors for helping make this celebration so special.
At Big and Tiny 10th Street Preschool, we believe meaningful learning happens when children are encouraged to explore the world around them — and when those discoveries bring us closer together.
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