KS1 Africa

Take learning about Africa beyond the classroom with this sequence of outdoor lessons where your KS1 children map continents, track climates, navigate landmarks, explore wildlife and savannah habitats, and experience the richness of African culture through movement, music and pattern. Packed with playful challenges, natural loose parts and collaborative discovery and opportunities for teamwork.

Lesson Plans

Locating Africa on a map

Engage your children in collaborative exploration using globes, atlases, and large-scale playground mapping using chalk and natural loose parts to compare and contrast the UK and Africa. During this outdoor lesson, your children will develop a practical understanding of human and physical geography while discovering the rich diversity of countries within a continent.

Learning objective:

To name and locate Africa on a world map.

Comparing the climate of the UK and Africa

During this hands-on outdoor lesson, your children work collaboratively to map and contrast the climates of the UK and Africa directly on the playground. Through experiential weather station tracking and creative loose-parts mapping, children will gain a practical understanding of global weather patterns, the impact of the equator, and use comparative geographical language.

Learning objective:

To compare the climate of the UK and Africa.

Human and physical features in Africa

This outdoor lesson has a specific focus on some of Africa’s famous landmarks, with children working with natural materials to secure their understanding of features. Through active team-building and playground-based navigation games, your children will naturally develop their grasp of key geographical vocabulary, compass directions, and comparative reasoning.

Learning objective:

To identify and describe human and physical geographical features in Africa.

Creating texture with rubbings

Immerse your children in a playground safari to discover African animals and their native savannah habitats. Through physical games and creative loose-parts artwork, your children will develop their teamwork skills, while learning more about African animals.

Learning objective:

To learn about animals and their habitats in Africa.

Combining watercolour and oil pastels

This immersive outdoor lesson invites your children to discover the vibrancy of African culture through a dynamic exploration of music, dance, and traditional textiles. Working collaboratively on the playground, children will develop their rhythm and geometric design skills.

Learning objective:

To find out about African culture.

Before you get started

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