African safari

Play traditional games and hear stories from Africa to increase geographic literacy.

You'll Need

  • Books (see suggestions below) or Internet resources about African games and/or folktales
  • World map or globe

Learning Stages

Introduce your child to the cultures and traditions of the peoples of Africa through games and folk tales. With the books listed below, you can explore games like Sey, the Dogon tribe’s version of hide-and-seek, and Bokwele, the game of tag in Zaire, or traditional tales from West Africa.

As you play the games or read a folktale with your child, ask him to think about the differences and similarities to games and stories he is familiar with. Ask him to use a map or globe to find the countries or regions where the games or tales originate. Use the Internet for further exploration.

Reading resources

The Games of Africa by Jennifer Prior (Festival Books, 1994)

Juba This and Juba That by Darlene Hopson (Fireside, 1996)

Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears by Verna Aardema (Puffin/Dial, 2004)