Totem Pole Kid's Crafts

The thickest totem pole measures over six feet in diameter.

Totem poles are an ancient tradition of the Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest Coast -- from Washington state to British Columbia to the Tlingit and Haida tribes of Southeastern Alaska. Totem poles, which often expressed a clan legend or family lineage, are still carved today by Northwest and Alaska Native artists. Making totem poles with kids is a good way to introduce them to these still-thriving Native American cultures.

Materials

With a little imagination, you can recycle many household items into totem pole crafts. For example, any stackable or "pole" shaped item can make a great totem pole, including round oatmeal cartons, egg cartons, tin cans, and cardboard tubes from toilet paper, gift wrap, plastic wrap, paper towel rolls or aluminum foil rolls. Other tools and supplies that you can use include scissors, glue, paste, regular or double-stick tape, stapler, colored construction paper -- especially red, black, green, and blue -- colored pencils, crayons, markers, finger paint and water color paint.

Cardboard Tube Totem Pole

Using a cardboard tube, such as a toilet paper roll or round oatmeal carton, for a totem pole provides you with a basic shape that just needs embellishment. There are many templates in books or on the Internet that you can copy or print to make totem pole features, such as wings. Or you can draw your own totem features freehand. Cover the cardboard roll with the paper printed with totem designs. Then, glue wings to the back. If using a thin tube, glue two craft sticks or a scrap strip of wood to the base so that your totem pole stands upright.

Paper Totem Pole

The paper totem pole consists of a wide variety of totem pole "pieces" printed from the Internet, copied from a book or drawn on paper by the child. Children can color and cut out the totem pole pieces and create their own totem pole by taping them to a wall. Adding a new piece to the totem could be tied to learning about the environment and cultures of the Northwest, for example animals such as frogs and bears. When their totem pole reaches the ceiling, they can start another one.

Life Events Totem Pole

Your child can use thread spools and markers to make her own mini totem pole that commemorates important events in her life. Materials for this project include three or more thread spools, glue, markers, construction paper, and scissors. Stack the spools from largest at the bottom to smallest, glue together, and set aside to dry. While it's drying, explain to your child that totem poles can tell a story from a Native American tribe's history. Talk to your child about the important events in her life. When the glue is dry, have her draw pictures of her life events directly on the spools. Finally, cut wings from construction paper if they're wanted, decorate them and glue to the back of the totem pole.

References

• DLTK Growing Together: Totem Pole Craft
• Paper Totem Poles: Suggestions and Materials List for Making Child-Size Totem Poles for Young Children
• Native Languages: American Indian Totem Poles
• Education: Craft a Mini Totem Pole

Resources

• Enchanted Learning: Totem Pole
• Paper Totem Poles: Printable Native American Color Book Paper Totem Pole Designs for Young Children