Note: We break down our supply list by so you can choose what you need based on which lessons you plan to do with your child.
Here’s what you need for Week 1:
Books (find at your local library or order below on Amazon):
- How the Ostrich Got Its Long Neck: A Tale from the Akamba of Kenya, retold by Verna Aardema (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
Optional additional reading:
- Don’t Let them Disappear by Chelsea Clinton
- Wildlife of East Africa by Martin B. Withers and David Hosking
Supplies (use what you have, but here are links to shop if you need anything):
Kenya topographical map:
- cardstock
- play dough (yellow, red, green, blue, brown, or whatever five colors your child prefers)
- paper + access to a printer (don’t have one? we like this model)
- toothpicks
- tape
- laminator + laminating sheets (optional, but recommended for repeating lessons)
Initiation shield activity:
- large piece of cardboard
- paintbrush
- paint
Mt. Kenya elevation collage:
- cardstock
- access to a printer (don’t have one? we like this model)
- glue stick
Biome card game:
- cardstock
- access to a printer (don’t have one? we like this model)
- laminator + laminating sheets (optional, but recommended for repeating lessons)
- paper cutter (optional, but makes cutting the cards quicker)
Purchase this Mancala game or build the supplies for a DIY version Mancala game:
- egg carton
- glue gun + glue
- 48 marbles, beads, seeds, jelly beans or small stones
Shisima game:
- cardstock
- markers
- ruler
- counting blocks (or other small playing pieces)
Irio recipe:
Potato sprouting experiment:
- potato (an organic or old potato works best)
- toothpicks
- wide-mouthed glass jar or cup
Here’s what you need for Week 2:
Books (find at your local library or order below on Amazon):
- Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson or (-)Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
- Botany: Plants, Cells and Photosynthesis by April Chloe Terrazas
- Only the Mountains Do Not Move: A Maasai Story of Culture and Conservation by Jan Reynolds (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
- Mama Panya’s Pancakes by Mary Chamberlin (or listen to this read aloud)
Supplies (use what you have, but here are links to shop if you need anything):
Photosynthesis model:
- hands-on plant cell model
- paper + access to a printer (don’t have one? we like this model)
Germination experiment:
Optional germination craft:
- cardstock
- laminator + laminating sheets (optional, but recommended for repeating lessons)
- craft knife
- colored pencils
Maasai necklace craft:
Adamu jumping activity:
Maasai home model:
- paper + access to a printer (don’t have one? we like this model)
- air-dry clay
- craft sticks (you could also use sticks from outside)
Plate tectonics activity:
Drum craft:
- empty tin cans of any size (coffee cans or soup cans will work)
- brown kraft paper (or any kind of paper will do)
- ribbon or ric-rac
- electrical tape (clear tape can also work)
- hot glue gun + glue
- crayons and markers
- balloons
Kenyan pancakes:
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 2 cups of cold water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp crushed red chili pepper flakes
Here’s what you need for Week 3:
Books (find at your local library or order below on Amazon):
- Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aadrema (or read it here on OpenLibrary or listen to this read aloud)
- My Brother is a Runner by Jin-ha Gong
- Flamingos by Jean Malone (or read it here on OpenLibrary) OR Amazing Animals: Flamingos by Kate Riggs
Supplies (use what you have, but here are links to shop if you need anything):
Weather comparison activity:
- paper + access to a printer (don’t have one? we like this model)
Warm and cool air experiment:
Maasai-inspired mask craft:
- cardboard
- decorative items like feathers, shells, pasta noodles, beads, fabric, yarn, craft sticks, etc. (use whatever you have on hand)
- glue
Falling water STEM experiment:
Waterfall diorama:
- shoebox (or similarly sized box)
- construction paper
- play dough
- glue gun + glue
- cotton balls
- optional: grass, leaves, sticks, and rocks from outside
Flamingo gross motor challenge:
- large bowl or bucket
- small stones or coins
- ladle and slotted spoon
Kuku wa kupaka recipe (coconut chicken):
Optional coconut bird feeder craft:
- real coconut (you may be able to find this quicker and cheaper at your grocery store or a specialty foods store)
- hacksaw (or check the video to learn how to cut a coconut using the back of a knife)
- power drill
- rope
Here’s what you need for Week 4:
Books (find at your local library or order below on Amazon):
- Now Let Me Fly: The Story of a Slave Family by Dolores Johnson (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
- Serengeti Migration: Africa’s Animals on the Move by Lisa Lindblad (or read it here on OpenLibrary)
Optional chapter book:
- When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Optional additional reading:
- Wildlife of East Africa by Martin B. Withers (or any book on the animals of East Africa)
Supplies (use what you have, but here are links to shop if you need anything):
Head Ring:
- 1 towel (kitchen or hand towel)
- duct tape or masking tape
Gedes Ruins model:
- Minecraft, LEGO, or air-dry clay
Oral Presentation:
- poster board (you can likely find this cheaper at a local dollar or grocery store)
Desert biome model:
- sand
- jar with sealed lid
- dirt, sticks, and rocks
- desert plants, like a succulent
- desert animal figurines (optional)
Beef curry recipe:
Mini greenhouse:
- 2 clear plastic cups
- soil
- vegetable seeds of choice
- tape
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