Cultural Appreciation : Teaching Kids Balinese Culture

Culture plays an important role in how children make sense of the world around them. Children’s connection to their culture develops through their experiences. As adults, we should help them connect with their cultural identity by supplying warm and secure emotional connections. This helps the young minds build a positive cultural identity for themselves, as well as supports their sense of belonging, mental health and wellbeing.

There are so many cultural activities that your kids can explore on this island. Should they want to explore a bit deeper into the Balinese culture, these are some activities to engage.

BALINESE DANCE

Learning the traditional Balinese Dance is a fun way to expand children’s knowledge of the Balinese culture. That explains why parents are eagerly signing up their kids for the Balinese dance class. Apart from that, the integration of body movements, hand and facial gestures is what makes this dance so appealing to watch. There are meanings behind the postures and gestures that comprise the basics of Balinese Dance.

Balinese Dance is easy to pick up at a tender age because it requires flexibility from every part of the body. Each movement represents some deep insights into the nature of life. Even the costumes and the colours all represent a unique aspect and harmony of life. Balinese Dance is all about creating harmony within self and surroundings.

Sanggar Tari Warini is one of the dance studios in Denpasar. Established in 1973, the class is led by Ni KetutArini, a well-known Balinese Dance Maestro. She dedicated her entire life to the inheritance, preservation and development of Balinese Dance. Her class focuses on the classical Legong Dance, one of Bali’s most refined dances. This dance requires female figures who are familiar with intricately choreographed movements, manipulating bodies, fingers and faces. Not only does she set out to revive the classical Legong Dance, IbuArini also teaches and choreographs other Balinese creation dances.

Sanggar Tari Warini
Address : Jalan Kecubung, Sumerta Kaja, East Denpasar
Telp : +62 361 228664

CANANG SARI MAKING

This is one of the daily offerings that can easily be seen in the Balinese temples, on the small shrine in the houses and on the ground as a symbol of thankfulness to a specific Hindu deity. The process of making these mini hampers represents the self-sacrifice of the Balinese people to their Gods.

It takes an extraordinary amount of time and effort, along with love and devotion, to prepare this craft. Canang Sari is normally filled with betel nut leaves, sugar cane, sliced banana, rice, sweet-smelling Pandan leaves, lime and mounds of vibrant flower petals. AnantaraSeminyak invites your little ones to connect to the heart of Balinese spirituality by learning how to create a traditional offering for ceremonies and rituals guided by their experienced Guru. This activity is available daily and only upon request.

Anantara Seminyak Bali Resort
Address : Jalan Abimanyu (Dhyana Pura), Seminyak
Telp : +62 361 737773
Website : bali.anantara.com

FARMING

Children are always curious about new things. How about satisfying their curiosity for a little adventure to experience the genuine daily life of the Balinese people? DesaVisesaUbud is a culturally-inspired property designed to capture the essence of a Balinese village. Offering a new level of luxury with soul, they anticipate the needs of discerning people with modern lifestyle facilities by honouring past traditions while providing a unique opportunity to reconnect with a wealth of Balinese rituals and heritage. By promoting permaculture, DesaVisesaUbud has dedicated more than two hectares of land to organic culture, grown exclusively with natural compost.

Bring your little ones and take part in permaculture celebrations with Permaculture Fun Journey specially made for kids all with a cheerful and fun ambience. The journey starts in the morning with a village tour and continues with a first-hand experience of learning how to be a farmer. This is a very educative activity for children as it gives them a feel of the daily rhythm, a reality check of the work involved and direct experience. They will know that there’s actually a lot more to planting than simply picking out a seed variety and getting the planter ready. Animal feeding, duck eggs collecting, and rice fields ploughing are some of the things that children can enjoy during the day at the farm.