LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Explorations V Children's Museum in Lakeland is helping Polk County kids explore the world through its Cultural Passport series. 

  • Ugandan Kids Choir performs in Lakeland
  • Performance part of Explorations V Children's Museum series
  • Choir shared their language, dance and instruments with visitors

On Saturday, it welcomed the Ugandan Kids Choir to perform.

"It was outstanding and I've never heard anything like it," museum visitor Kendrick Aquino said. "It's just more traditional."

During a 30 minute performance, the choir shared their language, dance and instruments with the crowd. 

"In Uganda, we in most parts of our country, we use the sound of the drum to communicate so we prepared the performance showing you how we communicate," said Innocent Mugenyi, the choir director. 

It was important for Lissette Aquino, a native of the Dominican Republic, to expose her children to the culture. 

"We love music. It's part of our culture. The drums and singing and dancing and this is what they're going to do. We love it," said Lissette Aquino, Kendrick's mother. 

The children in the choir, ranging in age from eight to 12, also learned about American culture. 

"There's a lot of cheese," choir member Isaac Wasswa said about American food.   

He explained that in Uganda, he doesn't eat a lot of cheese. 

The choir is sponsored by the organization Childcare Worldwide. 

Their performances help the non-profit find people willing to sponsor children around the world living in poverty. 

The choir's next performances in the area are at the Willow Oak Baptist Church in Mulberry at 10 a.m., December 16 and at the Clearwater First Nazarene Church at 6 p.m. on the same day. 

​This cultural exchange is new at the museum this year. The goal of the Cultural Passport series is to introduce different cultures to children who visit the museum. 

"We hope that their world view is broadened. That they are inspired through everyone's differences and that challenges how they see themselves or the world around them," Explorations V Children's Museum Executive Director Kerry Falwell said.

The next global cultural celebration happening at Explorations V is on February 9.