Learning About Albania for Kids

Second up in our parade of nations is Albania (check out the post on Afghanistan for kids if you missed it!). I’ll admit to knowing almost nothing about Albania, so let’s learn together.

Albania Basics

To begin with, Albania is officially the Republic of Albania, and it’s located in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro, and also has the Adriatic Sea on its western border. The capital is Tirana. It was estimated in 2022 that nearly 2.8 million people lived there.

Albanian is the official language, but people there also speak Greek, Aromanian and Macedonian.

Albania has spent much of its history ruled by other nations and empires, and it has been an independent nation since 1912. The nation covers 11,100 square miles (or 28,748 square kilometers) and includes mountains, plains and coastal regions.

Mother Teresa was born in Albania and is the only Albanian to have received a Nobel Prize.

National Symbols

The Albanian flag has a red background with a two-headed eagle silhouette in black. The flag was adopted in 1912. Red symbolizes bravery, strength, valor and bloodshed, while the eagle is a symbol of Albania. (Eagles have been used for heraldic purposes in the region for hundreds of years and the double-headed eagle was used by Albanian nationalists during their fight for independence.)

The eagle is also considered the national animal and symbol of Albania.

“Himni i Flamurit” is the national anthem, which you can listen to below:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcjJoBtGBNI?si=2uuM0P0ojSbdGydK]

Albania Activities for Kids

Chasing the Donkey has some fun facts about Albania that kids might enjoy. Activity Village has Albania printables including a flag to color, worksheets, a map and more (these are available to their members). Kids Konnect also has a great collection of free worksheets and fact sheets related to Albania.

Older kids might like the story of Rozafa Castle, which legend has it would not stay standing until a woman was trapped in the walls. Or read the stories of the legendary Mujo and Halil, or listen to the song “Mujo, Halil and the Fairies.”

Want to try some Albanian food? A popular lamb and rice dish called Tavë Kosi is considered the national dish; Jess Eats & Travels has a simplified version. Fërgesë, which is made of tomatoes, peppers and cheese, is another popular dish. Find a recipe at the Foreign Fork. Or try Byrek, a spinach and feta pie that shows the Greek influence on Albania cuisine (try this recipe from Polkadot Passport).

Books About Albania for Kids

I didn’t find a lot of books out there for learning more about Albania, but you can check out My First Book – Albania by Penelope Palette, or this cute Albania Coloring Book with fun facts.

If you know of books or other resources for kids learning about Albania I’d love to know about them!

Leif Erikson Day is celebrated on Oct. 9, and it’s a great time to learn more about the Vikings and why we still remember Erikson all these years later.

If you don’t know about Leif Erikson (sometimes spelled Eriksson), he’s believed to have been born in Iceland, and is considered the first European to set foot on continental America, more than 500 years before Christopher Columbus.

123 Homeschool 4 Me has a printable mini book about Leif Erikson and the Vikings for kids to read and color. It talks about who the Vikings were, what kind of ships they used, how they got to America and more. It’s a good overview for younger kids to use.

A good unit study is available from Simple Living Creative Learning, which includes a page where kids can write what they know, what they want to learn and what they learned through the unit, as well as information on the Vikings, longships, helmets, clothing and more.

Get a printable Viking unit study with reading passages, comprehension questions and other activities aimed at grades 4-8 from Creative Classroom Core at Teachers Pay Teachers. (And see more Vikings content from TPT here.)

Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus has some great unit study ideas, too, including suggested books and videos. The post includes information about the Viking voyages, society, mythology and ships, as well as some vocabulary and a list of famous Vikings. While you’re over there also check out her free printable lapbook, which includes mini books on ships, a timeline, a Viking women coloring page, draw your own Vikings, geography, ancient runes and more.

Piqolo Kids has a lesson on Viking women with (available for purchase) worksheets about a day in the life of Viking women. Even if you don’t grab the printables there’s some good resources on that page and a link to a video on Viking women.

Learn how to draw a Viking ship with instructions from Drawing How to Draw, or grab Vikings coloring and labeling worksheets from Kids Puzzles and Games.

There’s a Leif Erikson Festival annually in Norway, Michigan, which you can learn more about here.

Albania Basics

National Symbols

Books About Albania for Kids

Have you read?

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