7 Hands-On Ways to Learn About World Cultures

Homeschool families love to learn about world cultures. But it’s even better if we can do it with hands-on activities to really make the culture come alive to our kids. Since we all can’t travel the globe, here are some other ideas to use to help your kids learn about world cultures right from home.

Food

Check out this Nicaraguan recipe for homemade tortillas. You can make them with just three simple ingredients: corn masa flour, water, and a pinch of salt!

Your kids will love to get their hands dirty as they flatten the dough into tortillas.

No matter which country or culture you are learning about in your homeschool, trying new food plays a vital role in experiencing that culture. Talk about the agriculture and crops of that region. What is their main food crop? How is it grown, harvested, and used? Is it a major export?

Check out these additional recipes from around the world:

• Somen Japanese Noodles
• Russian Piroshki

Music

Next, music is a natural way to explore other cultures. It definitely provides a kinesthetic learning experience for your kids.

Find music to fit your geography studies and learn about the main instruments used in the selection.

You can even combine arts and crafts with your world culture studies by creating your own DIY musical instruments.

Check out these ideas for more details:

• Finger Cymbals
• DIY Guitar
• Summer Fun Watermelon Maracas
• Toilet Paper Roll Kazoo
• Duct Tape Drums
• Coffee Can Drums

Art

Your visual learners will love studying the art from various cultures. You can enjoy the different techniques and famous artists from around the globe. You can also do some comparing and contrasting between various world cultures.

Once you’ve looked at famous art pieces, go ahead and try to create your own.

For example, if your kids are studying Asian cultures, you could create some Asian Paper Lanterns. Or, create a colorful papel picado banner in preparation for Cinco de Mayo! Even your little ones can participate.

Studying the architecture from different cultures is a fun way to explore the unique styles of each place. Your kids can be inspired by the onion domes of Russia and create a fun drawing of a Russian building – simply by drawing rectangles, triangles, and semi-circles! This art project is great for kids ages 4-8.

Maps

Of course, studying world cultures wouldn’t be complete without studying maps and globes. Where are these places on the earth? Besides taking a trip via Google Earth, you can create your own fun maps of faraway places.

Consider using tea bags on white paper to make your map look old and worn. Then, have your child hand-draw a map of the country or continent or region you’re studying. Go ahead and label it with famous landmarks, native animals, and landforms.

Clothing

You can also study world cultures by looking at the clothing that is native to that region. Which fabrics are used? What kinds of designs are common?

Next, have your children make fun contact paper dolls to dress up for various world cultures. Or check out unit studies about children around the world.

Games

Your kids will love learning about the games that are played around the world. With just a little bit of googling, you’ll be able to find some fun ones you can try at home!

Tapatan is a game from the Philippines that is similar to tic-tac-toe. Try this version with your 3-6 year olds.

Try pom pom hockey as your study one of the many countries that plays this sport!

Atlas Crate

Or, if you’d love to outsource the teaching, consider signing up for an Atlas Crate from KiwiCo!

The Atlas Crate from KiwiCo helps your kids learn about world cultures. It provides a fun hands-on learning experience for kids ages 6-11. As your monthly crate is delivered, your child will enjoy traveling the globe with travel buddies Anya and Milo. They can collect Atlas cards to make their own interesting travel book full of facts and photos.

Take a look inside the Japan Crate and the Peru Crate to see what’s included. The Atlas Crate promises a unique look into world cultures every month for your kids.