Celebrated on the third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorates the life and legacy of a civil rights leader. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated his life to achieving equality for all people. With a message of hope, his “I Have a Dream” speech inspired a nation and continues to be a source of inspiration to this day.
Some holidays are easier to celebrate than others. For example, July 4th has become a beach and barbeque extravaganza for most families. However, Martin Luther King Jr. Day often gets overlooked as just another federal holiday. Use these Martin Luther King Jr. Day craft ideas to commemorate a leader worth remembering and to celebrate a day that is deserving of being a holiday.
Martin Luther King Jr. Crafts For Preschoolers
For preschool aged children, a great Martin Luther King Jr. craft idea is one that helps them understand what a civil rights leader is. Begin the holiday activities by explaining how being a civil rights leader requires one to take a hard look at the world around them. Upon doing so, discuss what could be changed for the better and how we can make the world a better, happier, and more peaceful place.
Once you have finished the discussion, it is time for the preschoolers to create their very own world. Begin with an 8.5 x 11 inch blue cardstock paper. Lunar blue is a great color choice. Draw a circle as large as the page allows. Then, take a pair of scissors and cut out the circle. You now have the water for your earth. Next, allow your preschool age children to glue pieces of green tissue paper onto their world. These will act as the continents. Keep in mind that this will be an abstract world and the kids can use as much or as little tissue paper as they like.
When they have finished pasting, set aside their perfect little worlds to dry. You will now need an 8.5 x 11 inch red-colored paper. Fold the paper in half lengthwise and widthwise so that you are left with four equal rectangles. In each rectangular space, draw a heart. When you have finished drawing the hearts, use a pair of scissors to cut out each one. Ask each child what they would like to do to make the world a better place and write their words inside their heart. Then, paste the heart onto their world. Just like that, they have created Martin Luther King Jr. Day preschool crafts that will inspire them to make positive change.
Martin Luther King Jr. Crafts For Kids
In the same vein, school aged children can also enjoy a discussion about civil rights leaders and how one can make the world a better place. At this age, you can have a more in depth conversation about inequality in the world today and what we can do to continue in Martin Luther King Jr.’s footsteps. While there are many craft ideas for kids, here is one popular one that is sure to be a hit.
Begin by asking each child what their favorite color is. Once they answer their favorite color, provide them with an 8.5 x 11 inch sheet of cardstock paper in the color of their choosing. Next, have them place their non-dominant hand on the sheet of paper. With a pencil, they should begin tracing the outline of their hand. Make sure they trace in between each finger. When they have finished tracing, they can use scissors to carefully cut out the stencil of their hand.
When everyone has completed their hand cut-outs, it is time to start interlocking the hands with each other and pasting them onto a 12 x 18 inch cardstock paper. As you work together to connect the hands, talk about how the shape and color of each hand is different from each other. Explain how differences are what make us special and how we can all still come together as one. This is essentially what Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was trying to accomplish and this visual aid is a great way to bring his teachings to life.
Martin Luther King Jr. Crafts For Teens
Teenagers are old enough to read and appreciate the words of Martin Luther King Jr.’s, “I Have a Dream” speech. Have an open discussion about the things they would have talked about if they had to make such a speech. Talk about the state of the world today and ask them what they would do to leave a positive impact on the world and make it better for the next generation.
After discussing this, you can provide them with an 11 x 17 inch sheet of cardstock paper. The relic gold color works very well for this particular project, but any color will do. Tell them to create their very own vision board that they would use as inspiration for their, “I Have a Dream” speech. Supply them with an assortment of magazines and newspapers so they can cut out words and pictures that inspire them. Use markers and paints to help decorate their vision board.
Encourage them to be as creative as they would like. The beauty of vision boards is that no two boards will ever look the same. Inspiration can be found everywhere and they can translate that inspiration onto their vision boards as they see fit. Once they have finished, you can welcome them to share their creation and the vision behind them.
Martin Luther King Jr. Crafts For Adults
Oftentimes, people mistakenly assume that adults are too old for crafts. On the contrary, crafting provides an escape from the monotony of everyday routine that can be extremely therapeutic for all ages. There is no age limit for creative self expression. In fact, it should be encouraged.
This easy Martin Luther King Jr. craft idea for adults is not complicated at all and will serve as a beautiful decoration for your home. To begin making your handprint wreath, you will need cardstock paper in tan, cream, and black. With a pencil, begin tracing your handprint onto one sheet of cardstock paper. When you have finished, use a pair of scissors to cut it out.
Use that hand cutout as your stencil and trace approximately 15 more handprints. Take your time to cut out each handprint. Once you have all 16 handprints, alternate each color to create a one-of-a-kind inclusive handprint wreath. Hang the wreath on your front door or any other doorway of your home to celebrate equality for all.
Regardless of what craft you decide to make and what age you are, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Just remember to have fun and be creative. When it comes to arts and crafts, there is no wrong way of doing things. Whatever mistake you may think you made just serves to make the project that much more unique.