In this free unit, your child will learn how Christmas is celebrated in South Africa. In addition, they’ll learn about the geography of South Africa, as well as a little related history and language arts. Unlike other “free” unit studies, you won’t have to buy or search for a bunch of required books. Everything you need, except the ingredients for a recipe, is available for free online.

This unit study is designed to last five days and can be used with a wide range of ages, making it a fun activity for the entire family to do together. With younger children, read the assignments aloud to them and skip the written work if they aren’t ready for it. Older students can read their assignments independently. If you have teenagers, you may want to have them research South Africa and its Christmas traditions further, either at the library or online. Then, they could present what they’ve learned to the rest of the family.

 

Day 1: Introduction to South Africa and its Geography

Read National Geographic Kids: South Africa and click through the picture slideshow.

Watch South Africa for Kids or South Africa! – A Visual Geography Class.

If you have older kids or teens, your family may prefer to watch Geography Now! South Africa, as it is a much more comprehensive video. However, there are some things to be aware of in this video: The word “hell’” is used a couple of times, and swear (or otherwise inappropriate) words are bleeped or alluded to a few times. The video also mentions that many people in the country, including children, are HIV positive, though this isn’t discussed in detail.

Have your children find South Africa on a world map or globe. Have your older children label South Africa and the countries that border it (Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini, and Lesotho) on this map of Africa. Here’s an answer key.

 

Day 2: Christmas in South Africa Part 1

Read Celebrating Christmas in South Africa. Please note: Under the heading “Celebrating Christmas Across Cultures,” the article mentions Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, seeming to imply these are parts of South Africa. To avoid confusion, explain to your kids that these are other countries located in the southern part of the continent of Africa. They are not located within the country of South Africa.

Next, read South African Christmas Traditions.

Watch Many Spend Christmas at the Beach in Durbin.

Have your children write a letter to someone telling them what they learned about Christmas in South Africa. Early elementary-aged students can use this printable Christmas friendly letter template. Older children and teens may want to use printable Christmas stationery for their letters. Children who aren’t writing yet could draw a picture of something they learned.

Day 3: Christmas in South Africa Part 2

Read Sandy Beaches, Xhosa Customs Part of South African Christmas.

Watch New Apostolic Church Children’s Choir and Orchestra perform Christmas in Cape Town.

Next, watch History of Christmas in Cape Town. In this video, David Watkyns chats with original composer Edmund Bourne about the creation of Christmas in Cape Town.

Then, watch David Watkyns perform Christmas in Cape Town.

Ask your kids what they would include in a song about Christmas in their town or city. If they would like to, ask them to write lyrics for their song and sing the song to family members.

 

Day 4: Christmas in South Africa Part 3

Watch What’s Cooking Jamela? book read aloud. Have your children write a comic retelling the story or part of the story using these downloadable templates.

Next, watch Christmas From Both Worlds book read aloud. Discuss the book with your kids. Based on what they have learned about Christmas in South Africa and what they know about Christmas in the United States, do they feel that the book accurately compares Christmas in the two countries? Does the book portray how everyone in the two countries celebrates the holiday or just one family’s experiences? If your family lives in the United States, does the book reflect how you spend Christmas?

Then, watch Drakensberg Boys Choir – An African Christmas. The video includes Somerkersfees sung in Afrikaans, one of South Africa’s eleven official languages. The video also includes songs from other parts of the African continent. If your family wants to learn more about South Africa’s languages, watch South Africa and Its Languages.

 

Day 4: Christmas in South Africa Recipes

Prepare malva pudding, buttermilk rusks, or a summer trifle. A Note for US readers: The “jelly” in the summer trifle recipe is a gelatin dessert (like Jell-O) and not the “jelly” we put on a PB&J sandwich.

 

More Christmas Around the World Unit Studies

If you enjoyed this unit study, don’t miss our other Christmas Around the World units. We have several countries to choose from!