How to celebrate Black History Month in the early years
Posted by EYR Team on 20th Oct 2025
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Black History Month presents an opportunity to introduce children to the importance of diversity, inclusion and the celebration of different cultures. In this blog we dive deeper into the importance of these topics and provide creative, hands-on ideas with supporting teacher notes for you to introduce to your setting. This will give you and your children a number of discussion points surrounding diversity and Black History Month to improve their understanding of the world.
What is Black History Month?
Black History Month in the UK is marked every October and is a time in which the legacy and achievements of Black individuals is celebrated. These may be individuals who have otherwise been overlooked within history lessons.
Why is this important in Early Years Settings?
Introducing topics related to diversity and inclusion at an early age fosters respect, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the world. For younger children, celebrating Black History Month ties directly into EYFS curriculum goals:
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Personal, Social & Emotional Development – valuing differences and fostering belonging
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Communication & Language – building vocabulary and listening skills
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Understanding the World – learning about past and present role models
5 Activity Ideas to celebrate Black History Month
1. Traffic Light Game - in honour of Garrett Morgan
The Traffic Light Game (or Stop-Wait-Go) can be a great group activity. Ask children to line up at one end of a room or one end of the playground and stand at the other end. Using a coloured card to signal stop (red) or go (green), challenge children to try and get across the room as quickly as they can without getting caught moving through the red light.
Why not then repeat the game with an additional amber-coloured card to signal children to wait and see what a difference this makes!
Teacher’s notes:
The three-light traffic light system was first invented by Garrett Morgan back in 1923! It all began after Garrett Morgan witnessed a car accident and suggested the amber "wait" light as a simple solution. This suggestion has come to be the standard traffic light system we use almost 100 years later!
2. The telephone game - in honour of Lewis Latimer
To play the telephone game, ask your children to sit in a circle. Start by telling one child a sentence or a story and ask them to pass it on by whispering into the next person’s ear.
Continue this until the story or sentence gets to the last child in the circle and see what nonsensical phrase this has likely become along the way!
Teacher’s notes:
The telephone was famously invented by Alexander Graham Bell. But did you know that working alongside him was American inventor Lewis Latimer? As well as his work on the telephone in 1876 he also worked on lightbulb filaments, competing against Thomas Edison!
3. Water gun boat race - celebrating Lonnie Johnson
The aim is simple – get your boat from one side of the tuff tray to the other by firing water streams using a water gun or pipette. You will need a tuff tray or tub filled with water, some small boats (we made our own using sponges) and a water gun or pipette.
Teacher’s notes:
Aerospace NASA engineer Lonnie Johnson found himself experimenting with a new type of fridge system when he discovered a way to propel a powerful stream of water across a room. This accidental discovery resulted in the commonly known water gun that is used worldwide!
4. Ice cream scoop race - inspired by Alfred Cralle
You will need:
- Two bowls
- A selection of pom poms
- A spoon
- A scoop
Start by filling one bowl with pom poms and place the second bowl further away. Next, ask children to transfer the pom poms from the first bowl to the second using the spoon and time them. Then ask them to repeat the process using a scoop and see what the time difference is. Which way did they find more difficult?
Teacher’s notes:
Whilst working in a hotel, Alfred Cralle, an American businessman and inventor became aware of servers struggling to scoop ice cream onto the cone as it was sticking to the spoons and required multiple utensils to get the ice cream onto the cone. From this he was inspired to create the famous mechanical ice cream scoop! This 1897 idea is yet another invention that we still use now.
5. Explore Space - for Mae Jemison
To celebrate this Mae Jemison's achivements, why not try one (or several) of these activities:
- Create your own spaceship using cardboard boxes and a bit of imagination
- Create your very own solar system and rockets from various materials like paper and polystyrene balls
- Use a rocket launcher to see how far your little one can make their rocket fly into the air
Teacher’s notes:
Mae Jemison is an American engineer, physician and former NASA astronaut. She became the first black women to be admitted into the NASA astronaut training programme. Eventually she became the first black women to travel into space aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in 1992!
The activities suggested in this blog are to celebrate a few of many notable achievements not typically taught in school. For further reading or information about Black History then please visit the Black Curriculum or the Black Nursery Manager on social media. Here you will find a wealth of useful resources and information to share with your little ones.
Our favourite resources
Below are just a handful of some of our favourite resources that can be used to effectively educate children about diversity and Black History month!
FAQ's
Are these activities suitable for toddlers?
Yes—adapt with simple games and visual props for younger learners.
How can I approach sensitive conversations?
Keep the tone positive, inclusive, and age-appropriate—focus on celebration and appreciation
Can I do this year-round?
Absolutely! Black History Month is a springboard for a cultural curriculum that stays relevant throughout the year.
We’d love to see your classroom displays, crafts, and activities. Tag us on social media or use the hashtag #ExploreWithEYR.