Black History Month Crafts for Preschool and Kindergarten

After reading Essence.com’s slide show of how celebrity moms teach their kids about Black History I was inspired to think of some artsy ways to integrate our history and culture.  I know Black parents are often disappointed in the amount of time schools spend on teaching our heritage, however we do not have to wait on Febuary or the schools system, we can do these simple activities on our own homes.  Here are 8 activities you can do with your toddler or preschooler to teach them about Black History and culture.  

1. Create a cardboard airplane craft and teach them about Bessie Coleman or the Tuskegee Airmen.

2. Follow this tutorial on how to make an astronaut costume for your child.  Then teach them about Guion Bluford, Mae Jemison and other Black astronauts.

3. Make a fun traffic light craft while introducing your child to Garrett Morgan.  Continue with this lesson by playing Red light Green light.

4. Make these spaghetti brooms or this bookmark broom craft, then read Jumping the Broom by Sonia W. Black and teach your child about this African American tradition.  When we read this story to our daughter we also looked through our wedding photos and shared pictures of mommy and daddy jumping the broom.  

5. Follow this tutorial by making a paper version of Kente Cloth.  Complement this activity by reading Kente Colors by Debbie Chocolate or The Spider Weaver: A Legend Of Kente Cloth by Margaret Musgrove.  In the March 2014 issue of Ladybug magazine there is a  tear out craft for children to make a Kente Cloth picture frame, as well as a short story that gives some cultural context for Kente cloth.  See if your local library subscribes to it or look into ordering a back issue.  For students in grades 3-5 The Brooklyn Children's Museum has a wonderful list of activities centered around African Textiles.

6. George Washington Carver is famous for creating products based off the peanut but he also did researched soybeans, cotton and sweet potatoes.  Try growing a sweet potato with your child and watch it sprout.  Make African Peanut Soup or homemade peanut butter.  While you are participating in these activities discuss observation techniques such as using your five senses, describing the texture of the shelled peanuts or potato skin.  Explain that Carver was a scientist and tell them about the observation skills scientist use.

7. Create a DIY stamp while learning about W. B. Purvis who invented and patented improvements to the fountain pen, two machines for making paper bags, a bag fastener, a self-inking hand stamp, and several devices for electric railroads.

8.  Play dress up!  Choose a African American history maker and dress up your child like that person.  Need some inspiration?  Check out Enuique Jones’s Because of them We Can campaign.  Her YouTube page and Facebook are filled with images of precious children dressed up as famous and lesser known Black history trail blazers. 

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