ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
This study focuses on the paths and practices of integrating local culture with aesthetic education in kindergartens, aiming to explore its value in enhancing children's cultural identity, broadening their aesthetic experiences, and strengthening educational contexts. It also analyzes the current challenges in this practice and proposes systematic optimization strategies. Through a combination of literature research, field interviews, and case studies, this study systematically analyzes the integration practices implemented in five kindergartens in Zigong, Sichuan. The study finds that integrating local cultural elements, such as intangible cultural heritage skills and festivals and folk customs, into aesthetic education can help stimulate children's national sentiments, enhance their aesthetic creativity, and strengthen the life-oriented nature of education. However, current integration practices generally face multiple challenges, including insufficient teacher literacy, fragmented curriculum design, and a lack of resource systems. To enhance the effectiveness of this integration, the study recommends systematically advancing teacher training, curriculum construction, and resource development, aiming to build a local aesthetic education system that is regionally relevant, child-friendly, and educationally oriented. This study contributes to promoting the contemporary expression of local culture and the cultural return of preschool education, providing theoretical support and practical guidance for the localization of kindergarten curriculum.
Blomgren, H. (2019). Beauty bubbles, subtle meetings, and frames for play: Aesthetic processes in Danish kindergartens. International Journal of Education and the Arts, 20(1), 1-20.
Chen, C. H. (2017). Exploration on the inheritance and application of local traditional culture in preschool aesthetic education. The Road to Success, (35), 70-71.
Chen, H. L. (2023). Reflections on integrating local culture into early childhood aesthetic education. Gansu Educational Research, (03), 14-16.
Dewey, J. (2001). Democracy and education (Wang, C. X, Trans.). Beijing: People’s Education Press. (Original work published 1916).
Lou, X. Y. (1991). Aesthetic education for young children. Shanghai: East China Normal University Press.
Lu, L. M. (2023). Practical research on utilizing local cultural resources to develop aesthetic education curriculum. Jiaoshi Bolan, (15), 80-81.
Pang, S. W. (2009). On the “whole person”: A study of Marx’s theory of human formation. Beijing: Central Compilation & Translation Press, 257.
Song, Y. (2019). Cultivating “beautiful kindergartens” with Bayu culture: On the integration of regional culture into aesthetic education. Education Today, (01), 20-22.
Sotiropoulou-Zormpala, M. (2016). Seeking a higher level of arts integration across the curriculum. Arts Education Policy Review, 117, 43-54.
Wan, X. H. (2021). The organic integration of local culture into early childhood education activities. Policy & Scientific Consult, (05), 135-136.
Wang, Y. T. (2024). Exploring the integration path of local cultural resources in preschool aesthetic teaching: A case study of Bacheng in Kunshan. Test Weekly, (30), 151-154.
Yu, Y. P. (2012). Preschool curriculum and a happy childhood. Beijing: Educational Science Publishing House, 12.
Yang, L., & Li, X. (2022). Aesthetic education in kindergartens based on local culture. Journal of Chinese Education, (05), 104.
Yang, L. F. (2016). On the role of aesthetic activities in promoting children’s abilities and qualities. Wenli Navigation, (9), 91.
Yu, L., Zhou, H., Cheng, Y., et al. (2023). The value, practical dilemma and improvement strategies of preschool aesthetic education in the new era. Journal of Chengdu Normal University, 39(04), 91-97.
Zhang, J. C. (2017). A study on methods of aesthetic education in kindergartens. Curriculum Education Research, (36), 209-210.
Zhang, M. (2023). Practical difficulties and cultivation strategies of aesthetic education for preschool children. Advances in Education, 13(12), 9774-9781.
Zhang, W. M., Liu, C. L., & Du, J. (2024). The contemporary implications and practical pathways of aesthetic curriculum construction in kindergartens. Preschool Education Research, (02), 82-86.
Hong, G., Yuxian, X., Ruirui, L., & Ting, Z. (2025). Research on the Integration of Local Culture and Kindergarten Aesthetic Education. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 14(3), 1306–1315.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode