All Are Welcome – Building Inclusion, Acceptance, and Diversity in the Classroom and at Home

Discover how All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold fosters inclusion, acceptance, and diversity in children. Learn what it teaches at different age levels, and explore school, home, and homeschool activities that celebrate every child’s unique story.

Book Review

In a world that is beautifully diverse yet often divided, All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold offers a heartwarming reminder of what community should feel like—safe, accepting, and full of joy. Paired with Suzanne Kaufman’s vibrant illustrations, the story follows a group of children from different cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds as they move through a school day filled with learning, play, and connection.

The rhyming, welcoming text captures the rhythm of a community where every child belongs. The illustrations quietly highlight inclusion—families wearing different cultural clothing, a variety of foods in lunchboxes, children playing together without barriers. These details naturally spark conversations about kindness, respect, and how our differences make us stronger.

This is more than a story to read aloud; it’s a foundation for classroom discussions, family reflections, and ongoing actions that make “All Are Welcome” more than just words—it becomes a lived reality.

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What It Teaches

Before we can truly bring a book into our teaching or parenting practices, it’s important to look at the deeper lessons it offers. All Are Welcome is not simply a cheerful school-day story—it’s a guidebook for building empathy, acceptance, and appreciation of differences in young children.

It invites children to notice and celebrate the uniqueness in themselves and others, helping them understand that:

• Everyone belongs. No matter your background, abilities, or traditions—you have a place here.

• Diversity is a strength. The variety of experiences, perspectives, and traditions enriches everyone.

• Inclusion is an action. Being welcoming means showing kindness, listening, and making space for others.

How These Lessons Look by Age Group

Ages 3–5 (Preschool–Kindergarten)

• Core Understanding: Recognizing and naming similarities and differences in a positive way.

• Example: After reading, children might point out “She wears glasses like me” or “He has a lunch like mine.”

• Practical Tie-In: Role-play greeting new friends and sharing toys to model inclusion.

Ages 6–8 (Grades 1–3)

• Core Understanding: Beginning to connect inclusion with fairness and kindness.

• Example: Students may discuss what to do if someone feels left out or is sitting alone.

• Practical Tie-In: Small group discussions about ways to invite others into games or activities.

Ages 9–11 (Grades 4–5)

• Core Understanding: Recognizing that inclusion requires ongoing effort and awareness.

• Example: Students might reflect on situations where someone’s voice wasn’t heard and brainstorm ways to ensure everyone can participate.

• Practical Tie-In: Classroom debates or community projects that highlight the value of multiple perspectives.

By framing the book’s lessons in ways that connect with each age group’s social-emotional development, educators and parents can help children not just understand inclusion, but actively live it in age-appropriate ways.

Activity idea for school, homeschool and family

To bring the message of All Are Welcome to life, we’ve created engaging social and emotional learning activities for preschool, elementary classrooms, and families at home. These meaningful SEL activities support children’s social emotional development by encouraging them to share their stories, celebrate diversity, and build strong connections. Whether in a school setting, homeschooling, or working together as a family, these activities help kids strengthen key social emotional skills like empathy, inclusion, and belonging in everyday life.

School Activity: “Welcome Wall” Mural

A “Welcome Wall” is more than an art project—it’s a visible, ongoing statement that every student matters. In a busy classroom, children thrive when they feel both seen and heard, and a shared mural offers a powerful way to achieve that.

In this project, each student contributes a personalized “This Is Me” page, which is then displayed as part of a collaborative mural. Together, the individual pages create a collective visual story of the class—full of color, personality, and cultural richness.

Why it works:

• Shows each child that their identity is celebrated in the learning space.

• Encourages curiosity as students learn about each other’s lives, traditions, and hobbies.

• Creates a lasting classroom focal point that reflects the values of inclusion and community.

• Students decorate a boy or girl silhouette template to represent them (send home)

A free illustrated “This Is Me” student template is available for download at the end of this post.

Home Activity: “This Is Me” Family Page

Families play a central role in shaping a child’s sense of belonging. By bringing this activity home, we invite families into the conversation, making them active partners in building an inclusive classroom community.

The “This Is Me – Family Page” is a collaborative project where parents, caregivers, and children work together to reflect on what makes their family unique. Families can draw, write, or add photos to share traditions, favorite activities, and special memories. Once completed, the page is returned to school and added to the classroom’s “Welcome Wall,” connecting home and school in a meaningful way.

Why it works:

• Creates space for children to see pride in their identity modeled by their families.

• Gives teachers and classmates a window into each child’s home life and culture.

• Builds stronger partnerships between families and educators.

The downloadable family template at the end of this post guides the brainstorming process while encouraging creative expression.

Homeschool Adaptation: Family or Individual Mural

In a homeschool environment, the “Welcome Wall” concept can be adapted to build connection within the family unit or learning group. Instead of each student in a classroom creating a page, each family member—children and adults—can make their own “This Is Me” page to display together as a family mural.

Alternatively, children can create their own individual page to include in a homeschool learning portfolio. This approach is especially meaningful for documenting a child’s growth, interests, and traditions year by year.

Why it works:

• Celebrates individuality while reinforcing the bonds within a homeschool family.

• Creates a tangible keepsake that can be revisited and added to over time.

• Brings a sense of classroom-style community into the home learning experience.

The homeschool version of the template at the end of this post provides flexibility for both group and solo participation.

Reflection

Reading All Are Welcome is a powerful first step, but its lessons grow when paired with ongoing conversations and shared projects. The way children process the idea of inclusion will vary depending on their age, so the questions and discussions should meet them where they are developmentally.

Ages 3–5 (Preschool–Kindergarten)

Young children learn best through concrete examples and visual cues. At this age, focus on helping them recognize similarities and differences in a positive way.

• Sample Questions: “What’s something we can say to a new friend?” or “What’s your favorite thing to do with friends?”

• Why It Works: These questions connect directly to their own experiences, making the idea of welcoming others tangible and easy to understand.

Ages 6–8 (Grades 1–3)

Children in early elementary begin to understand fairness and empathy. You can start introducing conversations about how actions affect others.

• Sample Questions: “How would you feel if you were new here?” or “What could we do if we saw someone playing alone?”

• Why It Works: These questions help children step into another person’s perspective, building the foundation for empathy and social problem-solving.

Ages 9–11 (Grades 4–5)

Upper elementary students are ready for more nuanced conversations about inclusion, diversity, and even bias. They can consider both immediate actions and long-term impacts.

• Sample Questions: “How can we make sure everyone’s voice is heard?” or “Why do you think some people feel left out even when we don’t mean to exclude them?”

• Why It Works: These questions invite critical thinking and encourage students to think about systems, not just individual actions, which deepens their understanding of community building.

By tailoring the reflection to a child’s developmental stage, we move the conversation beyond the book and into their daily lives. Over time, these age-appropriate discussions turn inclusion from a one-time lesson into a lifelong value.

Closing Statement

Inclusion doesn’t happen by accident—it’s nurtured through intentional stories, open conversations, and community-building activities. All Are Welcome is more than a read-aloud; it’s a blueprint for creating spaces—whether in school, at home, or in a homeschool environment—where every child feels valued and every family feels connected.

When children grow up truly believing that all are welcome here, they carry that belief into every new friendship, classroom, and community they join—making the world a kinder, more connected place for everyone.

You can order the book here

📥 Download Your Free Activity Templates

Bring the message of All Are Welcome to life with these ready-to-use pages:

• This Is Me – Student Version

• This Is Me – Family Page

• This Is Me – Homeschool Version

Download the Templates Bundle

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a book through the Amazon link provided, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend books and resources that I truly believe will add value to families, teachers, and homeschoolers.