Black History Month activities: 7 classroom ideas for 2026

Looking for Black History Month activities that go beyond a classroom display? Every October, Black History Month gives schools across the UK a chance to celebrate Black history, culture and achievement, and to help pupils build a richer understanding of Britain's past and present.

The best Black History Month activities go further than a single history lesson. From exploring the stories of Black British figures to uncovering the history in your local community, there are plenty of ways to make learning engaging, relevant and memorable.

For Black History Month 2026, we've put together seven classroom ideas that work for primary and secondary pupils, with free lessons and sources to help you get started. Need materials too? See our round-up of free resources for Black History Month.

7 Black History Month activities at a glance:

1. Explore a moment in Black British history
2. Honour someone who makes a difference
3. Become a Black British history detective
4. Build a Black British history timeline
5. Explore Black British voices through books
6. Take Black History Month across the curriculum
7. Let your pupils become the teachers

What is the Black History Month 2026 theme?

The UK theme for Black History Month 2026 is Honouring Our Communities.

The theme asks us to recognise Black people whose contributions shape, support and strengthen communities across Britain. That includes well-known figures, but also teachers, healthcare professionals, artists, entrepreneurs, volunteers, mentors, community organisers and many others whose work doesn't always get the recognition it deserves.

Black History Month UK describes the theme as a reminder that history isn't only something we look back on. It is also being made around us today.

For schools, this is a great opportunity to explore both Black British history and contemporary Black Britain. Pupils can think about the people who make a difference in their communities and why their stories deserve to be remembered.

7 Black History Month activities for your classroom

1. Explore a moment in Black British history

Black British history spans centuries, and its stories help pupils understand Britain today. Choose an event and turn it into a classroom investigation. Depending on the age of your pupils, this could be the arrival of the Empire Windrush, the Bristol Bus Boycott, Black communities in Britain during the First and Second World Wars, or the beginnings of Notting Hill Carnival.

Rather than giving pupils all the answers, start with an image, object, newspaper headline or historical source and ask:

• What do you notice?
• What do you think is happening?
• What questions would you like to ask?

Pupils can then investigate the event, compare what they find with their first ideas and present their findings to the class. For younger pupils, this could involve pictures, discussion and a simple fact sheet. Older pupils could compare different sources and consider why accounts of the same event might differ.

Free lessons to try:

• Paul Stephenson and the Bristol Bus Boycott (KS1, Oak National Academy)
• The Empire Windrush (The National Archives, with original documents, photos and teacher's notes)

It's a simple way to build curiosity while showing pupils that Black British history is an important part of Britain's wider story.

2. Honour someone who makes a difference

This activity links directly to the Black History Month 2026 theme, Honouring Our Communities.

Ask pupils to research a Black British person who has made a positive contribution to a community. Rather than limiting it to famous historical figures, encourage pupils to look at a broad range of contributions. Their chosen person might be a:

• Teacher or educator
• Artist or musician
• Healthcare professional
• Scientist or inventor
• Entrepreneur
• Writer
• Sportsperson
• Volunteer or charity worker
• Activist or campaigner
• Community leader

Pupils can create a profile explaining who the person is, what they have contributed and why their story deserves recognition. Younger children could draw a portrait and write three things they have learnt. Older pupils could use several sources to produce a written profile, presentation or short video.

Finish with one simple question: Why is this person's contribution worth remembering?

Display the finished profiles together to create your own Honouring Our Communities classroom exhibition.

Free resource to try: UK Parliament's Influential Black Britons illustrated book (ages 5 to 11) ends with an activity where pupils create a portrait of their own Black history hero.

3. Become a Black British history detective

Give pupils the chance to work like historians rather than simply reading about history.

Choose a Black British historical figure and give pupils different pieces of evidence about their life. These could include photographs, letters, newspaper reports, official records, maps or other primary and secondary sources. Ask pupils:

• What can we learn from this source?
• Who created it and why?
• What questions does it leave unanswered?
• Can we find another source that supports or challenges what it tells us?

Walter Tull is a great starting point for primary pupils. Born in Kent in 1888, Tull became a professional footballer and later served as an officer in the British Army during the First World War. The National Archives offers a free KS1 and KS2 Walter Tull lesson using original sources from his life, including a 1909 Tottenham Hotspur team photo.

Pupils can then use the evidence to write a biography, produce a newspaper report or role-play an interview with the historical figure. It helps children learn about Black British history while developing historical enquiry and critical-thinking skills.

4. Build a Black British history timeline

Help pupils understand that Black history in Britain stretches across centuries by creating a class timeline together.

Instead of focusing on one period, ask individuals or groups to investigate different people, communities and events. Each group creates a timeline card containing:

• A date or time period
• A person, community or event
• An image or illustration
• Three important facts
• Why they believe it belongs on the timeline

Put the cards in order and discuss the finished timeline as a class. What connections can pupils spot? What surprised them? Are there periods they know more about than others? Where might there be gaps?

Keep the timeline on display and add to it throughout the year. This reinforces an important message: Black history isn't only for October.

5. Explore Black British voices through books

English lessons are another brilliant way to celebrate Black history and culture.

Introduce pupils to age-appropriate books, poems and stories by Black British writers or about Black British experiences. Rather than only asking pupils to find facts, encourage them to explore themes such as identity, family, belonging, community, culture and change.

You could set up a Black British authors reading corner, choose extracts for guided reading or invite pupils to recommend books to each other. BookTrust's list of 10 must-read children's books by Black authors and illustrators is a great place to start, with titles from Hey You! by Dapo Adeola to Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman.

For a creative follow-up, ask pupils to write a poem or short piece that begins: "My community is…"

Children can explore the people, places, sounds, traditions and experiences that make a community meaningful to them. This connects Black History Month with literacy and opens up conversations about the many different experiences and identities found across Britain.

6. Take Black History Month across the curriculum

Black History Month activities don't have to sit only in history lessons. There are opportunities to explore Black British history, culture and achievement right across the curriculum:

• Art: discover the work of Black British artists, then create a piece inspired by an artist or technique.
• Music: explore Black British musicians and how musical styles and cultures have developed in Britain.
• Geography: investigate migration and the connections between Britain, Africa and the Caribbean.
• Science: research Black British scientists, engineers, doctors and innovators.
• English: explore literature, poetry, journalism and speeches.
• PSHE: use the free Mentally Healthy Schools toolkit to talk about identity, belonging and wellbeing.

Cross-curricular activities help pupils see that Black history isn't an isolated topic. It is woven into Britain's cultural, scientific, social and political history.

7. Let your pupils become the teachers

One of the best ways to consolidate learning is to give pupils the chance to share it.

Divide the class into small groups and ask each group to investigate a different Black British person, community, event or achievement. Their challenge is to teach the rest of the class about what they discovered. They might create:

• A mini lesson
• A presentation
• A poster or classroom display
• A quiz
• A podcast
• A short video
• A museum-style exhibition

Encourage pupils to think carefully about the information they include and where it comes from.

You could even bring every group's work together to create a Black British History Museum in your classroom and invite another class to visit. Giving pupils ownership turns Black History Month from something they are taught into something they actively explore and share.

Making Black history part of learning all year round

Black History Month is an important chance to celebrate, discover and discuss Black British history, but meaningful inclusion shouldn't end when October does.

Look for opportunities throughout the school year to include Black British people, perspectives and experiences naturally in the curriculum. That could mean making sure your reading list represents a wider range of voices, including Black British figures when studying historical periods, exploring diverse contributions in STEM subjects or continuing to investigate your local community's history.

Black History Month UK emphasises that Black history is part of Britain's national story, and it encourages learning and recognition beyond October.

Want to build your confidence? Watch our free Diversity in Education CPD videos from My-Progression for practical ways to make your teaching more inclusive.

Black History Month activities: FAQs

What are good Black History Month activities for primary school? Primary pupils enjoy hands-on activities such as making a portrait of a Black history hero, investigating a historical photo, building a class timeline or writing a "My community is…" poem. Free KS1 and KS2 lessons from The National Archives and Oak National Academy are a great place to start.

What Black History Month activities work for secondary pupils? Older pupils can compare primary sources, research a Black British person who has made a difference to their community, or work in groups to teach the class about a person, event or movement.

What is the theme for Black History Month 2026? The UK theme is Honouring Our Communities. It celebrates Black people who shape and strengthen communities across Britain, from well-known figures to everyday community heroes.

When is Black History Month in the UK? Black History Month takes place every October in the UK. In the US and Canada it's held in February.

How can I avoid tokenism during Black History Month? Don't limit learning to one month or one lesson. Weave Black British history into topics across the curriculum all year, and include stories of joy, creativity and achievement as well as struggle.

Related reading

• Resources for Black History Month: A UK teacher's guide: free, trusted resources from the NEU, National Literacy Trust, UK Parliament and more

Where to start

By giving pupils opportunities to investigate different stories, ask questions and celebrate contributions from the past and present, schools can help young people build a broader and more representative understanding of the Britain they live in today.

Whether you're planning a lesson, an assembly, a classroom display or a whole-school celebration, the best place to start with Black History Month activities is curiosity: whose stories can your pupils discover?