Africa Kids Page: Games, Books, Knowledge, Fun


		Africa Kid's Page
IBF is 100% solar powered		Welcome! We are happy that you wanting to learn more about the delightful continent of Africa, its many countries and wonderful people! We hope you enjoy the African games, discussion and books. • We would love for you to give us ideas for this kid‘s page. • Write a book review about an African book. • Ask an question you always wanted to know about Africa for our "I Wonder" series. • Have you been to Africa? Share your experience with other kids! Just send us an email at: "ibike@" our domain name. » AFRICAN FUN AND GAMES Games played in Africa: Certainly many Africa kids spend a lot more time working as part of their family and looking after siblings (especially girls) than there counterparts in the North, but there is some play as well. Here is a partial list -- the specific differs a little from place to place. Homemade toys from wood, straw, animal skins and bone, stones, found objects, etc. Boys primarily: Rolling hoops, rims, tires ("inkil" in Eritrea); drumming, soccer, basketball, volleyball, kickball, athletics, wrestling (Gambia), boxing (Ghana), bicycling; playing with trucks hand made from wood (palm), wire, tin cans and other found objects; play-dancing masks (Gambia); checkers (with variations), scrabble, parchisi; "aquilone" flying kites (Eritrea); "balabburo" coin toss (Eritrea); "arimando" marble race (Eritrea); "cucinetti" go carts (Eritrea); "kib-kib" hackey-sack (Eritrea); "ashakhakhat alem" "lawn darts" (Eritrea); "Osani" (Efé, NE D.R. Congo). Girls primarily: bicycling, kickball, jump rope, hopscotch (teley-teley in Eritrea); playing with dolls, often hand-made from wood, cloth, straw and found objects; clamping/kicking game that seems to be akin to rock/paper/scissor (West Africa); "jacks" with stones (no bouncing ball); "fiti fiti" squat jumping (Eritrea); Boys and girls: Hide-and-seek ("Pero" in Yoruba, "Chirchir Abede" in Tigrinya); marbles (not always with marbles; nuts, seeds, stones and dried fruit); dance, singing and music (the instruments vary by region, but various homemade designs of drums, balaphones and stringed instruments (guitars and harps) - some made with tin cans - are common); Everyone: board game with 10 or 12 compartments, played with seeds or stone -- popularized by Disney as mankala, it is an old game, with real names, played across the continent. Traditional names for it are: gbo walo (Bassa), ma kpo (Mano), tay gbo knongi (Gbandi), mana (Kpelle), wrah (Kru), owari (Twi), ayo (Yoruba), aju (Ewe), wori (Malinke), wosley (Ivory Coast), owela (Oshiwambo), mweso (Luganda), soni (Usambara), bao (Chichawe), Tsoro (Shona), Isafuba (Ndebele) Africa map. How fast can you match African countries and capital cities? Have a contest with your friends. (This is my favorite African game! - Village Publisher) www.yourchildlearns.com/owlmouse.htm Africa Map Games. www.sheppardsoftware.com/African_Geography.htm Note: the Sheppard maps are more complete than the Child Learn maps. Africa Photos Galleries of photos of animals, people, plants, scenery, towns and more. Build a Practice Marimba with Kids! Article by Stephen Golovnin (PDF, 3 pages) » I WONDER... Your questions about what Africa is really like. — Do you have a question about Africa or Africans? Email us your question at: ibike (at) ibike dot org. Question: What is a normal day like for an African child? Answer: A normal day for an African child differs from country to country and whether they live in the city or in a rural village. In general children’s days begin early with morning chores and preparing for school. Some children may go to schools far from their homes, so they wake early. Most African schools require uniforms. At school children learn Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, and different languages. Children also have playtime. Soccer is a big favorite in Africa. In the afternoons children go home to do chores, homework or play in their communities. Answer courtesy Harambee Centre staff. Harambee Centre travels to Oregon and southwest Washington schools to talk about Africa. Visit their organization and kid’s books at www.harambeecentre.org • Have you been to Africa? Share your experience with other kids! Email us for details at: "ibike@" our domain name. » AFRICAN RECIPES Always make sure an adult is supervising you when you are cooking! Recipes from 26 African countries and regions; plus how meals are served in several countries. www.africaguide.com/cooking.htm » AFRICAN LANGUAGE There are many languages in Africa. Kiswahili is a language used throughout eastern Africa, including Kenya. Kiswahili greeting: Jambo! Habari? English translation: Hello! How are you? » AFRICAN CHILDREN'S BOOKS The following Africa-positive books are recommended for children. *Nonfiction Books* My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me by Maya Angelou Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Margaret Musgrove A is for Africa by Ifeoma Onyefulu *Picture Books* Bintou's Braids by Sylviane Diouf Africa Dream by Eloise Greenfield Faraway Home by Jane Kurtz Beatrice's Goat, by Page McBrier Goodnight Kuu~Kuu: My Cozy All Day Village Safari, by Wamoro Njenga Day Gogo Went to Vote: by Elinor Batezat Sisulu *Picture Book Authors* Each author has written at least three children's books with an African Theme: Niki Daly Virginia Kroll *Juvenile Fiction* Song of Be by Lesley Beake Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo For annotations and critiques on more children's materials on Africa go to Africa Access.
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