Africa Day / Playground Games From African Countries
Playground Games From African Countries
Children rotate through traditional playground games from different countries, such as ampe from Ghana and mbube mbube from South Africa, discovering how children across the continent play.
How to run it
- Show a map of Africa's 54 countries and point out Ghana and South Africa before starting.
- Play ampe from Ghana: a leader and a player jump, clap and land with one foot forward; if feet match the leader scores, if not they swap roles.
- Play mbube mbube from South Africa: in a circle, a blindfolded 'lion' tries to tag a blindfolded 'impala' while the circle chants 'mbube', getting louder as the lion gets closer.
- Finish with a tug of war or chasing game children suggest from their own family backgrounds, and invite families to share games they played as children.
You will need
- map of Africa
- soft blindfolds or scarves
- cones
- rope (optional)
Make it easier or harderYounger children can play ampe without scoring and skip the blindfold in mbube mbube; older children can lead a game for younger ones.
SafetyKeep the mbube mbube circle close so blindfolded players are kept safe, and let children choose whether to wear a blindfold.
My Time Our Place · Outcome 2, Outcome 3Children play games from different African countries, building physical skills and respect for diverse childhoods.
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