Around the World

By Guest

June 23, 2011

Introduction

There is so much to explore in this topic! It embraces language, costume, religions, travel, festivals, food, care for our world – the list is endless. This is a wonderful topic for celebrating the diversity of the children in an early years setting. If you have children who have relatives from other countries or who have English as a second language, invite their families to participate in some of the activities. It is also a theme for recognising the similarities we share with those who live around the world. It is important not to use stereotypical images when talking about another country, but for example, to show that there are skyscrapers in Africa and in America.

Overview

The topic web provides a mind map of useful suggestions and ideas listed under the areas of learning. There are also twelve focus plans for a selection of topic-related activities in either MS Word or acrobat(pdf) format (click on the icon corresponding to the format you'd like) and a book list to enrich the topic.

Personal Social and Emotional Development (PSED)

Communication, language and literacy (CLL)

Knowledge and understanding of the world (KUW)

Mathematical Development (MD)

Physical Development (PD)

Creative Development (CD)

Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)

Ideas and Suggestions

Role play areas – Bedouin tent, Inuit igloo etc
Stories and songs from other countries
Story telling using props
Invite visitors to talk about other cultures and religions
Look at different national or religious costumes/head coverings
Talk about festivals and celebrations from other countries
Circle times
Puzzles and games depicting pictures from around the world
Learn to say ‘hello’ in different languages
Make contact with an early years setting in another country and write/draw pictures to them
Collect water in containers in the garden and talk about the importance of water in different countries and how we need to use water carefully
Stories and songs

Activities

Tibetan Prayer Flags /forums/uploads/word.gif /forums/uploads/pdficon.gif

My Favourite Place /forums/uploads/word.gif /forums/uploads/pdficon.gif

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Communication, language and literacy (CLL)

Ideas and Suggestions:

Role play areas – Bedouin Tent, Inuit igloo, market stall from another country, sari shop
Collect artefacts from around the world – Russian dolls, African drums or masks, bells, sari material etc.
Tell stories of journeys using these props
Book making
Story telling with props and puppets
Memory games – ‘I went to market and I bought…’
Holiday photos from abroad
Get relatives who are abroad to send postcards – display them on a world map
Chinese writing
Make up a global alphabet using words associated with other countries
Small world toys – e.g. airport
Boats to travel in water tray/desert in sand tray
Books, rhymes and songs from other countries

Activities

Chinese Scrolls /forums/uploads/word.gif /forums/uploads/pdficon.gif

Around the World Story Bag /forums/uploads/word.gif /forums/uploads/pdficon.gif

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Knowledge and understanding of the world (KUW)

Ideas and Suggestions:

World maps, globes and atlases
Role play areas – Bedouin Tent/Inuit igloo/Sari shop
Taste food from other countries- Indian sweets/German Stollen cake/French croissants/Chinese rice etc.
Label a world map with children’s names of places they have been/ their relatives live
Play ‘Fruit Salad’ with fruits from around the world
Non-fiction books
Link up with a setting from another country and write/send pictures to them
Posters and pictures showing scenes from other countries
Collection of hats from other countries – sombrero, Australian bush hat, Russian fur hat, British sun hat etc.
Hold a Japanese tea ceremony
Sand and water play
Discuss the importance of water to everyone

Activities

Precious Water /forums/uploads/word.gif /forums/uploads/pdficon.gif

Getting About /forums/uploads/word.gif /forums/uploads/pdficon.gif

Display example

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Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy (PSRN)

Ideas and Suggestions:

Russian Dolls and other things that fit inside each other
Foreign coins
Role play areas – shops from other countries e.g. African market stall/Indian sari shop
Patterns and shapes – Mehndi and rangoli patterns from India/ Tangrams from China
Look at the patterns on different national flags
Sorting artefacts to their appropriate country
Counting songs and books from other countries
Learn to count to 5 or 10 in another language

Activites

Tangrams /forums/uploads/word.gif /forums/uploads/pdficon.gif

Sorting Coins /forums/uploads/word.gif /forums/uploads/pdficon.gif

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Physical Development (PD)

Ideas and Suggestions:

Simple Origami
Use chopsticks
Dressing up in different costumes form other countries
Have a go at tai chi or yoga
Play children’s games from other countries
Action songs from around the world
Carry things in baskets on your head/water in a bucket/bundles of washing on your back
Dance to music from around the world