Hello my Omschooligans! Here at the Omschool Tree Fort, we're setting sail on an adventure around the world, by exploring children's literature, foods and customs from many lands. Here's a cross-curricular multicultural unit of world lesson plans. I've included free printable coloring pages, craft projects, STEAM connections, recipes for snack crafts and more. Make social studies come alive with these global activities.
Free Printable Around the World Coloring Pages
- Visit
Activity Village free printable social studies coloring pages. Print
pictures of landmarks, games, crafts, post cards, maps and flags from around the world. Use these as culture studies worksheets.
Get free printable coloring pages of children around the world in native dress and traditional
costumes: explore cultures from Australia, India, China, Japan, Africa,
England, Russia, South Africa, Africa, Scotland, New Zealand, Brazil and Wales.
There are also free printable coloring pages of pilgrim (or puritan) children,
Ancient Egyptian, native American Indian and settler (also called pioneer)
children in traditional dress.
🎨 Historical Note:
Coloring pages featuring cartoon children in traditional costumes may be more fanciful, but the dress itself is authentic. These world coloring pages imitate vintage images from old coloring books that reflect how children would have historically dressed for ceremonies. So value-added are history activities too!
- Raising our Kids has a free printable children around the world coloring pages. Children are shown in rural village settings often with animals from that habitat or locality. They sometimes shown performing traditional activities such as yodeling or interacting with regional foods, such as the boy from the Netherlands delivering rounds of edam cheese. Encourage children to identify and label elements shown in the pictures while coloring.
- Edupics is a giant repository for printable coloring pages. Here are more free printable children pages of children around the world in traditional costumes. Some are misrepresentational or stereotyped and should not be used. But the resource may be of some value in the dress images.
⚠️ Important Note on Depiction & Stereotypes:
Older or vintage visual resources can sometimes rely on generalized, tokenistic, or culturally stereotyped representations. Educators should carefully review resources—such as essentially unfiltered archives like Edupics Children of the World—to ensure materials are respectful, accurate, and free from outdated caricatures before using them in lesson plans.
- DL-TK has tons of free printable children around the world crafts, games and activities. Activities are grouped by country of origin.
Children's literature from around the world
Read around the world to visit children in other lands and experience their lifestyles, religion and culture. Many of these children's literature kids books are Caldecott Medal recipients. This means that they have been recognized for their art and illustrations. Typically a Caldecott winner depicts lifestyles of children around the world.Here is a breakdown of the classic children's stories featured in your multicultural unit list:
African Folktales & Traditions
Shadow by Marcia Brown: Set in Central Africa, this Caldecott-winning book uses striking, dramatic imagery and folklore to personify the spirit of the night, or "shadow," as it follows villagers around the African landscape.
Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Leo and Diane Dillon: A Caldecott Medalist that presents a journey across the African continent, highlighting the diverse customs, traditions, and artifacts of 26 different tribal populations.
Moja Means One and Jambo Means Hello by Tom and Muriel Feelings: Conceptual counting and alphabet books that immerse young readers in East Africa's Swahili-speaking culture, beautifully capturing daily village life.
Verna Aardema's Collections:
A Story, A Story: An African trickster tale about Anansi the Spider bargaining with the Sky God for stories.
Koi and the Kola Nuts: A classic folktale about a chief's son who shares his food with animals and is rewarded on his journey.
What's So Funny, Ketu?: A humorous tale about a man who gains the ability to understand animal speech, only to find it brings unexpected trouble.
Bringing Rain to the Kapiti Plain: A cumulative poem explaining a Masai tale of how a drought was broken on the East African plains.
Vigananee and the Tree Toad: A traditional Zulu folktale about a greedy monster and a clever little toad.
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears: A West African explanatory folktale detailing how a chain reaction of silly animal exaggerations leads to a tragic event and why mosquitoes buzz.
Asian Literature
The Funny Little Woman by Arlene Mosel: A Japanese folktale about a cheerful woman who chases a runaway rice dumpling down a subterranean hole and encounters underground spirits (oni).
The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack: A beloved classic about a young duck living on a Yangtze River houseboat in Shanghai, China, who gets left behind and must find his way back to his family.
Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth: A contemporary picture book featuring a wise giant panda named Stillwater who moves to a suburban neighborhood and teaches three children mindfulness and traditional Zen Buddhist parables.
Buddha Stories by Demi: A collection of Jataka tales and traditional parables that introduce young readers to the life, wisdom, and moral teachings of the Buddha.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi by Rudyard Kipling: A classic, dramatic adventure story set in a colonial Indian bungalow, featuring a heroic mongoose who defends a human family from venomous cobras.
Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho: A gentle, rhythmic bedtime story where a mother asks various Thai jungle animals (like lizards, monkeys, and water buffaloes) to stay quiet so her baby can sleep.
North American Landscapes & Traditions
Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey: A Caldecott-winning poetic tribute to the changing seasons, weather, and coastal beauty of Maine.
Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling: The journey of a small carved wooden canoe and an Indian boy who sets it afloat in the Canadian wilderness, traveling all the way through the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Atlantic Ocean.
Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall: A Caldecott Medal-winning depiction of early 19th-century rural life in the American Midwest, following a farmer's yearly cycle of work, harvest, and market.
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton: A Caldecott winner that chronicles the changing American landscape as a quiet countryside home is gradually surrounded and engulfed by a growing city.
An American ABC by Maud and Miska Petersham: An alphabetic journey through American history, folklore, symbols, and foundational figures.
The Legend of the Poinsettia and The Lady of Guadalupe by Tomie dePaola: Warm, beautifully illustrated stories celebrating Mexican cultural traditions, folklore, and holiday celebrations.
Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi: A story about a young boy named Juan who eagerly awaits the return of the swallows to the historic mission of San Juan Capistrano in California.
Nine Days to Christmas by Marie Hall Ets: A story capturing a little Mexican girl's excitement about participating in her very first posada celebration during the Christmas season.
European Tales & Traditions
The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse: A magical, wordless-style photographic story from France about a lonely Parisian boy and his loyal, sentient red balloon.
Anatole and the Cat by Eve Titus: A charming story featuring Anatole, a sophisticated French mouse who works as a cheese taster in Paris and must outsmart the local feline population.
Baboushka and the Three Kings by Ruth Robbins: A traditional Russian folktale about an old woman who hesitates to join the Wise Men in searching for the baby Jesus and spends each year searching for Him still.
The Tree by Katherine Milhous: A Caldecott-winning story about a Pennsylvania Dutch family celebrating an old Easter tradition of decorating a special tree in their yard.
Wheel on the Chimney by Margaret Wise Brown: A migration story following storks as they journey from their winter home in Africa to an old chimney on a farmhouse in Holland.
Saint George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges: A classic retelling of the English legend of St. George, complete with medieval romance, peril, and a fearsome dragon.
Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola: A humorous story set in Italy about a magical grandmotherly witch and her clumsy assistant, Big Anthony, who tries to use her magic pasta pot with disastrous results.
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback: A vibrant, Caldecott-winning adaptation of a traditional Yiddish folk song about a resourceful tailor who continually refashions a worn-out coat into smaller and smaller garments.
South American Stories
Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood: Set in Cateura, Paraguay, a town built on a landfill, this inspiring true story follows children who build musical instruments out of trash and form an orchestra, teaching powerful lessons about resourcefulness, hope, and creativity.
Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter: A heartwarming look at a schoolteacher who packs two donkeys with books to travel across rural Colombia, bringing reading and stories directly to children in remote villages.
The Middle East
Silent Music: A Story of Baghdad by James Rumford: A moving picture book about a young boy growing up in Baghdad who finds comfort, history, and emotional escape through the traditional art of Arabic calligraphy amidst the turmoil of war.
The Persian Cinderella by Shirley Climo: A vibrant, culturally rich retelling of the Cinderella tale set in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran), featuring unique folklore elements like a magical blue jug and clever animal helpers.
Central Asia Tales
- Tales Told in Tents: Stories from Central Asia by Sally Pomme Clayton: A wonderful collection of traditional stories, fables, and riddles gathered from various parts of Central Asia. It includes engaging retold folktales (such as tales from Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan) that introduce young readers to the region's rich nomadic heritage, desert landscapes, and cultural values.
- Orange and Blue: The World of Barzu by Marina Abrams: Set in Tajikistan, this visually striking picture book follows a young boy named Barzu as he helps deliver a traditional clay bread oven (tanoor) to his grandmother. It offers children an authentic, beautifully illustrated look at daily life, family roles, and traditional flatbread (non) making in Central Asia.
- We’re Riding on a Caravan: An Adventure on the Silk Road by Laurie Krebs: This rhyming picture book takes young readers on an adventurous journey following a family traveling along the historic Silk Road—stretching from Xi'an all the way to the bustling markets of Kashgar in western China/Central Asia—giving kids a vivid feel for caravan travel, textiles, and trading culture.
Oceana Stories for Kids
The Emperor's Egg by Jane Chapman: Set against the icy, freezing backdrop of Antarctica, this heartwarming picture book follows a male Emperor penguin as he lovingly and carefully balances his precious, single egg on his feet through the harsh winter, offering a wonderful look at animal fathers and polar survival.
Tacky in Trouble by Helen Lester: Set in the icy landscape of Antarctica, this delightful and humorous tale features the delightfully odd penguin Tacky, who manages to stand out among his neat-feathered penguin peers and finds himself in a sticky situation when hunters arrive, teaching young readers about individuality and being comfortable in your own skin.
Possum Magic by Mem Fox: A beloved Australian classic about a grandmother possum who uses bush magic to make her grandchild, Hush, invisible for protection. When it's time to make her visible again, they have to travel all across Australia eating iconic Aussie foods like lamingtons, pavlova, and minties.
Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French: A hilarious, deadpan look at the daily life of a remarkably busy Australian wombat who spends her time sleeping, eating grass, and training her human neighbors to provide carrots and oats.
Wombat Stew by Marcia Vaughan: A classic, rhythmic cumulative tale where a dingo catches a wombat to make a stew, but all the other clever Australian animals step in with bizarre "ingredients" of their own to save their friend.
The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith: A massively popular and utterly silly New Zealand picture book about a donkey with three legs, one eye, a love for country music, and a very funny name that never fails to get kids giggling.
Multicultural Snack Crafts for Story Time
Here is a fun list of 8 multicultural snack crafts tailored to match the regions in your global unit. Each one doubles as an easy, hands-on craft activity and a tasty treat for kids:
1. Africa: Safari Animal Peanut Butter Toast
Region: Africa
Snack Craft: Use whole wheat toast as a base, spread peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter), and let kids use banana slices, raisins, and pretzel sticks to create the faces of African savanna animals like lions, giraffes, or elephants.
2. Asia: Panda Rice Cake Bites
Region: Asia (linking to stories like The Story about Ping or Zen Shorts)
Snack Craft: Take a round brown rice cake, spread a thin layer of cream cheese or yogurt, and use blueberries or chocolate chips to create a cute panda face (ears, eyes, and a nose).
3. North America: Log Cabin Pretzel Sticks
Region: North America (inspired by pioneer and frontier tales like Ox-Cart Man)
Snack Craft: Give kids pretzel sticks and use cream cheese or peanut butter as "mortar" on a paper plate to stack the pretzels into miniature log cabins or rustic fences.
4. Europe: Pretzel Windmill Towers
Region: Europe (pairing with Dutch tales like Wheel on the Chimney)
Snack Craft: Use a thick cheese stick or banana half upright on a plate, and attach pretzel twists using peanut butter or cream cheese to form the classic sails of a European windmill.
5. South America: Recycled Orchestra Fruit Skewers
Region: South America (inspired by Ada's Violin)
Snack Craft: Teach resourcefulness by letting kids "recycle" and arrange colorful bits of tropical fruit (like pineapple, mango, and kiwi) onto pretzel sticks or bamboo skewers to look like bright musical notes or instruments.
6. The Middle East: Crescent Moon Pita Pockets
Region: Middle East (tying into desert tales and folklore)
Snack Craft: Cut pita bread into crescent moon shapes, toast them lightly, and let kids stuff them with hummus, cucumber slices, or cream cheese and dates.
7. Central Asia: Silk Road Trail Mix Packets
Region: Central Asia (matching Silk Road journeys)
Snack Craft: Set out bowls of traditional trade items like dried apricots, raisins, almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds. Let kids scoop and mix their own custom "caravan trader" snack bags to take on their reading adventures.
8. Oceania (Australia/Antarctica): Lamington Bites or "Wombat Burrows"
Region: Oceania (pairing with Possum Magic or Diary of a Wombat)
Snack Craft: Take small cubes of pound cake, dip them briefly in chocolate sauce or melted chocolate, and roll them in shredded coconut to recreate Australia's famous Lamington treat, or build edible "wombat burrows" using graham crackers and peanut butter.
STEAM Lesson Plan: Build Your Own Working Windmill
Target Age Group: 4–8 years old
Duration: 30–45 minutes
Theme: Wind energy, engineering, and cultural traditions from the Netherlands and Europe.
1. Learning Objectives
Understand how wind can be used as a renewable source of energy to do work.
Explore basic engineering concepts like balance, axis rotation, and wind resistance.
Practice fine motor skills through cutting, folding, and assembling.
2. Materials Needed
Paper or Cardstock: 1 square piece of heavy paper (approx. $5\times 5$ inches) per child for the blades.
Base: A small paper cup, toilet paper roll, or a small block of modeling clay/playdough.
Axle: A wooden skewer, straw, or a pipe cleaner.
Tools: Safety scissors, a hole punch (optional), and crayons or markers for decorating.
Power Source: A small handheld electric fan or a simple paper plate to act as a manual fan.
3. Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Introduction & Story Connection (5 mins)
Introduce the activity by talking about how traditional windmills in Europe (especially the Netherlands) used the power of the wind to pump water or grind grain into flour.
Ask kids: "How do you think the wind makes those giant wooden blades spin?"
Step 2: Crafting the Windmill Blades (10 mins)
Take your square piece of paper and decorate it with crayons or markers.
If it is a square, use scissors to cut diagonally from each of the four corners toward the center, stopping about an inch before you reach the middle (do not cut all the way through!).
Take every alternate corner point and fold it inward toward the center to create a pinwheel shape.
Secure the center overlapping points with a small piece of tape or a brad fastener.
Step 3: Building the Tower and Axle (10 mins)
Poke a small hole through the center of your paper pinwheel blade.
Push your straw, skewer, or pipe cleaner through the center hole so the blades can rest loosely on it.
Mount the tower: Turn a paper cup upside down, or use a small ball of playdough as a sturdy base. Poke the other end of your axle (straw or skewer) securely into the cup or playdough tower so it stands upright.
Make sure the blades can spin freely without hitting the tower.
Step 4: Testing and Experimenting (10 mins)
Take your finished windmill outside on a breezy day, or use a small handheld fan indoors.
Hold the windmill in front of the wind source and watch it spin!
Challenge Questions for Kids:
What happens if you blow softly versus blowing hard?
Does changing the angle of the blades make it spin faster?
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