Celebrate Black History Month

February is Black History Month! Let’s celebrate with our children and educate them on the amazing accomplishments of Black People from all over the world and throughout history with fun and engaging activities.

Play Telephone

Granville Tailer Woods was the first African American mechanical and electrical engineer after the Civil War.  He held over 60 patents in the US, many in the area of the telephone.  He was best known for a system created for the railroad to alert the engineer as to how close his train was to others. Read more about Granville T. Woods in the book, The Inventions of Granville Woods: The Railroad Telegraph System and the Third Rail.

How to play:

• Once signaled to start the first person on each team will whisper the message to the next person on their team.
• They will whisper the message to the next person and so on.
• The message cannot be repeated. This is a relay type game, pass on what you’ve heard.
• The last person to receive the message must say the message aloud. See how the message has changed!
• Choose new players to create the message and play again.

Play Red Light Green Light

The 3-position traffic signal was patented by an African American inventor named Garrett Morgan. Read more about Garrett Morgan with this four book pack called the Garrett Morgan Activity Pack labeled for ages 4-6.

How to play:

• Start with everyone along the starting line.
• When you say ‘Green Light’ everyone will move towards the finish line.
• When you say ‘Red Light’ everyone must immediately stop.
  • If players are still moving when you call ‘Red Light’, they must go back to the starting line.
• Start a new round when everyone gets across the finish line or when most players make it across the finish line.

Make the Space Shuttle Endeavour

Mae Carol Jemison is an American engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut. She became the first black woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

How to make: https://www.woojr.com/mae-jemisons-space-shuttle-a-black-history-month-craft/?epik=dj0yJnU9TWtUdm9xUW9oeUpQRGw3UDdXY0c1QmgyOFRjeXNVNDAmcD0wJm49QVdRaUpSQmdxVENkeE1SZE9wMjZKdyZ0PUFBQUFBR0FON3pV

Learn More About Chemistry

Percy Lavon Julian was an American research chemist that figured out how to synthesize important medicine ingredients from plants.  His work completely changed pharmaceuticals and how doctors are able to treat patients. Read more about Percy Julian in the book, Great Black Heroes: Five Brilliant Scientists labeled with a reading age of 4-8 years.  Older kids may enjoy another book that features Percy Julian’s story, Black Stars: African American Inventors which is labeled with a reading age above the age of 10 year old.

Explore Chemistry Activities: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/129093/50-science-games-for-kids/

Learn, develop, and create with Drama Kids International. To learn more about how the Drama Kids program can provide a quality after-school drama education to your child, contact your local DK today!