During the month of June we will be learning about and praying for Nigeria! This beautiful West African country is full of rich culture, history, and delicious food. Using kids shows, books, and recipes, take a metaphorical journey with us to learn about Nigeria!
Shows
I love finding new shows from around the world. So when I was looking for Nigerian children’s shows, I was just tickled to find Bino and Fino. Bino and Fino is an educational Nigeria-produced show with several episodes on their You Tube Channel. Travel with Bino and Fino as they learn about space, electricity, history, and much more. This show has been approved my toddlers, and I know your little ones will love it too.
Music
One of my favorite parts of #worldlovewednesday is finding praise and worship artists I hadn’t heard of before. And they always end up being regulars on our worship Playlists.
Sinach became one of my new favorites. I was introduced to her when a member of my Be the Bridge group noted that she wrote “Way Maker.” (Not going to lie, I may be doing Nigeria just to make you all listen to the original version. It’s FIRE!). After I learned about Sinach, it lead to Spotify streaming some other Nigerian artists my way like Frank Edwards and TY Bello.
I also love finding kids praise music, and found out Nigeria gospel tv has some awesome kids worship videos. If you have a little praise dancer, you need to check these out:
Childrens Books
I loved looking for children’s books for this month. Below is a selection of books that I was actually able to get my hands on, and my kids loved. Being some libraries are closed, and many are choosing to social distance, I also included the read-alouds on YouTube for one of the books.
Femi the Fox: A Pot of Jollof by Jeannette Kwakye: Read Aloud
Jollof is a delicious Nigerian rice dish. Children will learn about Nigerian cooking and culture with the help of Femi the fox.
How the Leopard Got Its Claws by Chinua Achebe
This gorgeous, illustrated story is a fable about the dangers of taking power by force. This story can serve as a tool for teaching children about liberty and justice.
Anya Goes to Nigeria by Nikko Fungchung
I love this gorgeous series featuring little Anya who travels the world learning about different people and cultures. This book is no exception.
Languages
Ok, so first of all, it should be noted that the official language of Nigeria is English, and most people speak a form of English. However, if you are interest in learning some of the indigenous languages Bino and Fino have some awesome videos teaching little ones how to count in the indigenous languages.
Food
Yewande Komklafe is a Nigerian-American recipe writer, and she was featured in the New York Times. In the article, she discusses all things Nigerian cuisine and even shares some of her favorite recipes. This month we’re going to attempt making Ywande’s Jollof recipe. Wish us luck! You can find the full article and her recipes at the link below.
Nigerian Food with Yewande Komklafe
Another blog I am loving is Eat Well Abi. Abi is a Nigerian food-blogger on a mission to show how easy and nutritious African food can be. We love her Yam Curry Recipe. It is delicious, full of veggies, and so, so simple.
Prayer
As always, we pray for the country we are learning about. Pray with us:
Dear God,
Thank you for the beautiful country and people of Nigeria. We thank you for the ways you are working in Nigeria, and pray you would show your love to the children there.
In Jesus’ name, Amen