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Activity: African safari

Materials:
Books (see suggestions below) or Internet resources about African games and/or folktales, world map or globe
Time:
One hour
Skills:
Culture, world geography

Introduce your child to culture 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 read traditional tales from West Africa. Ask him to think about how the African games and tales are similar to games and stories he already knows. What's different? On a globe or map, help your child locate the region or country where each game or tale originated. 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)