As the end of term approaches and classroom energy levels start creeping towards ‘summer mode’, finding activities that are both engaging and curriculum-friendly can feel like a challenge.
Thankfully, the FIFA World Cup gives us the perfect excuse to bring a little football fever into lessons – all while ticking off key skills across geography, literacy, maths and art.
Here are 9 easy World Cup themed classroom activities to keep your KS1 and KS2 pupils engaged and learning right through to the end of term.
1. ART – design a national team kit
Art lessons are always a good idea – especially as you edge towards the summer break. Encourage your pupils to research the qualified teams to find inspiration for a new football kit for their favourite team. For KS2, you can task them with writing a short explanation behind their design choices.
2. GEOGRAPHY – World Cup country research race
Split pupils into teams, with each group assigned a different country competing in the tournament. Can they find:
- Capital city
- Population
- Language
- Famous landmarks
- Traditional food
…. before the timer runs out?
Then, discuss and compare each country as a class.
3. ENGLISH – football commentary
Show short video clips of well-known football pundits from Alex Scott to Gary Neville.
Then, encourage your class to write their very own football commentary script ~ based on an intense game between two rival countries.
The more dramatic, the better!
4. MATHS – stadium maths challenge
Put pupils into pairs and assign each pair a famous football stadium from around the world.
Challenge them to investigate and compare:
- Stadium Capacities
- Ticket prices
- Distances travelled by fans or teams
- Match attendance figures
- Goals scored during this tournament or other major tournaments
Once they’ve gathered their data, ask them to compare their findings with another group and identify the biggest, smallest, highest and lowest figures.
This is a perfect task for practicing data handling and problem solving.
5. ART / ENGLISH – design a World Cup poster
Take a look at some iconic World Cup posters from tournaments past, from the very first competition in Uruguay in 1930 to the latest tournament hosted by Canada, Mexico and the USA.
Challenge your pupils to create their own promotional poster for a fictional World Cup match taking place in your local town or city.
What would make people want to attend? Encourage pupils to think about eye-catching artwork, persuasive language, match details and memorable slogans.
6. MATHS – pack for the tournament activity
Set your class an imaginary £5,000 budget to attend a World Cup match. Task them with budgeting for:
- Travel
- Accommodation
- Food
- Match tickets
- Souvenirs
Will they stay within budget?
This is a great way to practise addition, subtraction and financial literacy.
7. GEOGRAPHY – pin the countries on the map
Test your pupils’ geography knowledge with a quick-fire World Cup challenge.
Call out countries taking part in the tournament and see who can locate them first using a classroom map, atlas or digital globe.
For older pupils, extend the activity by identifying continents, neighbouring countries and capital cities.
8. MUSIC – national anthems activity
Many World Cup matches begin with the national anthems of the competing teams.
Choose a few countries taking part in the tournament and listen to their national anthems. How do they differ in tempo, instruments and mood?
Challenge pupils to identify how music can reflect a country’s identity and culture.
9. END OF DAY ACTIVITY – silent penalty shootout
Need a calm activity idea for a hectic Friday afternoon?
Create a classroom penalty shootout where pupils answer questions silently ~ using mini whiteboards, answer cards or hand signals instead of shouting out. Each correct answer moves their team one step closer to goal.
This one is competitive AND calm – best of both worlds.
The best part about World Cup themed learning is how easily it brings subjects together – helping you save time all while keeping lessons creative and engaging.
Find more end-of-term classroom inspiration, explore Teachers’ Club resources, lesson ideas and football-themed activities here.
