Martin Luther King crafts for kids: 4 easy-to-do DIY projects to create in the classroom!

Martin Luther King’s words and ideas still inspire many people around the world today. He had a great dream – for peaceful coexistence between people of different races, for freedom, justice and equality. What he wanted most was to live in a country where people were judged by their character and not by the color of their skin. Martin Luther King Day is celebrated in the United States every year on the third Monday in January. The federal holiday is a great opportunity to explain to children how important it is to fight segregation. That’s why you’ll find lots of Martin Luther King crafts for kids in today’s article. Keep reading to find lots of interesting ideas!

Martin Luther King crafts for kids

Martin Luther King crafts are a great way to help the next generation of children understand the importance of the leader and activist’s ideas. There is nothing better than engaging children in crafts that have an underlying theme relating to the message of peace, love and respect for all people. Now, let’s look at some great suggestions that will not only be fun for the kids to do, but also they will learn about the importance of being tolerant and accepting people as they are!

“I have a dream’’ poster

A great way to awaken a sense of fairness and responsibility in children is by having them make a poster. Title it ”I have a dream”, inspired by Martin Luther King’s iconic speech. You can do it very easily, in a few steps. Follow our tips below:

Materials needed:

• large piece of thick drawing paper
• colored paper sheets
• felt-tip pens
• scissors
• glue
• pencils

How to make the poster?

1. First, get all the children to trace their palms on a colored sheet. Select sheets of colors that are in the beige-brown range so that they depict skin colors of people of different races and nationalities.

2. After outlining their palms, children should carefully cut along the outline. Have each child write what they dream of (peace, love, equality) on the hand using a felt-tip pen.

3. Collect all the little hands in one place. Glue them on the thick drawing paper to form a heart. Mix different colors of hands to achieve the idea of unity.

4. Move on to the title of the poster. Children can use felt-tip pens and write it, or they can cut letters from colored sheets and glue them on – the choice is theirs.

5. Finish the poster by making a frame out of pieces of colored paper (as in the picture, for example).

6. You have a wonderful poster in which all the children have participated. You will be able to hang it in your classroom so that every time a child looks at it, they will be reminded of the really important lessons about equality and love for others!

Cloud of dreams

Tell the children all that they should know about Martin Luther King Day. Discuss the theme, then give each child a personal task. Have them cut out a cloud of paper and write down ”I have a dream”, then also write their name ”by:…”. Have them think about and write down everything that they really dream about and that is meaningful to them! Each dream can be written on a separate piece of coloured paper. Finally, stick all the pieces of paper to the cloud and you can collect all the children’s dreams and make them into a poster to hang in your classroom to mark Martin Luther King Day!

Clay art to symbolize unity and equality

Another creative idea children can do is to depict the planet Earth using clay and also make several hearts in different colors (to resemble different skin tones). Then they should place the hearts on top as if they were covering the whole Earth. This symbolism of unity and equality will leave no one indifferent, and the children will learn even better how important it is to treat people well, regardless of their background, skin color, etc. All that matters is what we carry in our hearts!

Martin Luther King – writing activity

One of the best ways for children to express their position, opinion and point of view is by writing. This way they have time to think about exactly what they want to say and structure their sentences well. That’s why it’s a good idea to give them just such a task. Give each child a sheet of paper that says ‘I have a dream that…’ and leave a few lines for the children to fill in with their own ideas and thoughts. Tell them that they will then have to create the image of Martin Luther King from colored pieces of paper. Give them a sample picture (e.g. the one above). Once they have cut out and glued all the parts together, let them attach the sheet on which they have written all about their dreams to the image. Gather all their works and find a prominent place on a wall to hang them, so the kids can enjoy and be reminded of the truly meaningful things in life!