Teaching Expertise

Don’t make the mistake of putting your elementary kids to sleep with boring history and geography textbooks! Instead, create an engaging unit that takes them around the world using foods, stories, and other fun activities from different cultures. They’ll have a blast learning about everything from the Eiffel Tower to Mount Kilimanjaro. So check out these fun around world elementary activities and get ready to take your students on an exciting journey across the globe!

1. Choose Countries on Inflatable Globes & Vote!

Kids can help plan their around-the-world unit! Give each student (or group of students) an inflatable world globe and have them pick two or three countries and vote. Students can circle the chosen countries on their globes to practice geography skills.

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2. Introduce the Term “Culture” with a Video

Before diving into some engaging activities, it’s important to give kids a basic understanding of what culture is. Show them a short YouTube video or two that explains, in kid-friendly terms, and then have a class discussion about the variety of cultures.

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3. Practice Hemispheres and Time Differences

Introduce basic geography concepts such as hemispheres and time differences with a fun video and activities. For example, paint a globe orange and cut it in half! For older elementary kids, include some time zone math for cross-curricular learning.

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4. Make a Map out of Clay

After watching the videos and learning about the different countries, it’s time to get creative! Using air-dry clay, have kids sculpt their own versions of the world map or countries you’ve chosen. They can even add landmarks to their country maps using a book of maps for reference.

Learn More: Mom and Crafters

5. Create a Class Recipe Book

Food is a delicious way to learn about other cultures! Throughout the unit, make a point to try traditional recipes from each of the countries you’re studying. For example, you could enjoy French crepes, Italian pasta, or Japanese sushi. You can even create a class recipe book with cultural facts!

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6. Read Folktales & Fairytales From Around the World

Folktales and fairy tales are another great way to introduce kids to different cultures. There are plenty of chapter books containing fairy tales and folktales from around the world. Read a story about each country you study and take them on a magical journey to different parts of the world.

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7. Read About Cultural Differences

There are all sorts of picture books that feature kids from around the world. Reading these books with your class is a great way to help them understand that even though we’re all different, we’re also all the same. A favorite book for students is Kids Around the World.

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8. Use Traditional Toys in the Classroom

One way to help kids understand different cultures is by using traditional toys from around the world. You can purchase these online or at import shops. Or for those on a limited budget, a video about toys from around the world will work as well!

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9. Plant a World Garden

Get your hands dirty and plant a world garden with fruits, vegetables, and herbs from around the globe. This is a great way to teach kids about where different food items come from. Plus, they’ll love being able to taste the fruits of their labor!

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10. Build Replicas of World Icons

Get out the LEGO blocks or popsicle sticks and have kids build replicas of famous world structures. The Around the World Lego set includes 15 model ideas of world icons. This is a great way to learn about both geography and architecture!

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11. Plan a Scavenger Hunt

An around-the-world scavenger hunt is a fun way to review what you’ve learned so far. Hide different items around the classroom or school and give kids clues to help them find them. Use tips from scavenger hunt experts to help you set it up correctly.

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12. Celebrate a Festival

An important part of each culture is its own unique holidays and festivals. Groups of students can create different festival corners for an around-the-world classroom tour. Use different books about countries and their festivals for reference.

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13. Create Flags

A significant part of country research projects includes learning about the flags, but make it engaging! Students can create flags using colored paper, white paper, markers, and glue to make their own masterpieces. Provide a world flags book for easy reference.

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14. Learn Traditional Songs & Dances

Music and dance are great ways to get kids engaged in learning about the world. Show videos of cultural songs and dances such as the ones from this playlist. Your kids might want to learn a few! This is also a great activity for learning about a variety of languages.

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15. Play Traditional Games

Every culture seems to have traditional games that your students are sure to enjoy learning. You can even print cards with instructions that kids can take home to teach and play with their families!

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16. Make Culture Crafts

Students can create a mobile of icons from each of the countries studied if time is limited. Or they can create crafts from a variety of cultures. The Global Kids book has lots of ideas for crafts and also provides some great ideas for games and recipes too!

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17. Have a Parade

What’s more fun than a parade? Have kids dress up in traditional clothing from around the world and carry traditional toys or other items. Using a comprehensive resource like Children Just Like Me is a great book for students to learn about different cultures before parading through the school halls.

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18. Perform Cultural Plays

Another great cross-curricular activity for learning about a variety of languages and cultures is to have kids perform cultural plays. They can use a traditional folktale play or a modern play with an around-the-world theme.

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19. Create a Classroom Museum

Here’s a great end-of-the-unit lesson that will prove to be highly engaging. Involve your kids in creating a classroom museum by encouraging them to seek out information on the topic or period of your choice; and then allow them to bring along objects, images, or even artwork that they think would complement the information they’ve provided.

Learn More: Tees Valley Museums

20. Create a Travel Brochure

Instead of boring country research projects, older elementary kids can create their own travel brochures! A more fun approach to geography and also a great review activity, they can then use these with their museum display.

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