American Indian Crafts for Kids

Native American crafts

Learning about Native Americans, sometimes called American Indians, is important for kids in the United States because it is their heritage and history. Different crafts can be used to illustrate the items the Native Americans used in daily life or how they went about their lives.

Dreamcatchers

In American Indian lore, dreamcatchers hung above a bed to filter out the bad dreams before they could disturb a child's sleep. Today, they make wonderful decorations for a room or home. To make a dreamcatcher like the one described at www.enchantedlearning.com, have your child find a twig that is about 1 foot long. Make sure it is pretty flexible so that you can bend it into a circle. Wrap some wire around the ends to hold them together. Using twine, wrap it across the circle, adding beads as you wrap. Make an pretty webbed design with the beads and twine. Add a couple of pieces of twine hanging from the bottom of the dreamcatcher, with a few beads and feathers at the bottom of the twine.

Corn Husk Dolls

Corn husk dolls were used not only by American Indians, but also colonial children. Wherever corn was grown, you could find corn husk dolls. These can be made all year round, but corn is more plentiful in the summer and early fall. According to TeachersFirst.com, soak the husks in water before you begin so they are more pliable. Lay the husks on top of each other and tie them near the top. Round out the edge of the husks with scissors and then pull the long ends down, covering the trimmed edges; tie them off. This will form a bulb-like shape, which is the head. Roll another husk for arms, then four or five more for a skirt or pants. For each doll you will need roughly 15 pieces of corn husk.

Arrowhead Necklace

If you can find authentic arrowheads, this necklace will be even more realistic. If not, find stone or plastic ones at a craft store. Using a cord made of suede or rawhide, criss-cross it over the stone, as described at MakingFriends.com. Slide both ends of the cord through one or two pony beads to keep the arrowhead on. Slide a few more beads on each side of the cord, then tie the ends of the cord together into a loop.

References

• Enchanted Learning: Dreamcatchers
• TeachersFirst.com: Corn Husk Dolls
• MakingFriends.com: Arrowhead Necklace