Martin Luther King Arts & Crafts for Children
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is an ideal time for teachers and parents to emphasize the importance of equality for all people. The hands-on time children spend making something that illustrates the hope for peace and equal rights for which Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. stood will give the day more personal meaning to them.
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Paper Doll Chain
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Paper Chain
Making an old-fashioned paper doll chain, with simple cutout dolls holding hands in a row, is a sweet, simple art project even small children can carry out. For each child, fold a large piece of paper like a fan. Draw half of a paper doll shape onto the front of the paper, making sure the hand of the doll touches the edge of the paper, so that when the shape is cut and the paper is unfolded, the hands of the paper dolls will be joined. Encourage the children to decorate the dolls to resemble children of many races and cultures.
You can also make a circular paper doll chain, illustrating children around the world joining hands. Trace a piece of paper with a paper plate, and fold the circle in half two times. Draw a complete paper doll shape onto the triangle, making sure the hands of the doll reach the edges of the triangle. Instruct the children to cut the outline of the doll, but not the hands, and then unfold the paper. They can paint, color and decorate all the children of the world.
The paper doll craft project can also be made on a larger scale. Contact your local newspaper publisher to see if you can get an end roll of newsprint, which will be large enough to draw life-size paper dolls. Have the children trace each other on pieces of newsprint and cut the shapes out and color or paint them to look like themselves. Hang the cutouts in chain fashion along the classroom wall or in the hallway outside of your class.
Dream Craft Project
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Dream Collage
Have the children cut a fluffy cloud out of white construction paper and glue it onto a larger piece of blue paper or poster board. Give them stacks of magazines from which to cut out pictures and quotes that describe their dreams and the way that each wants to change the world.
Alternatively, have the children write their dream in poem form onto the cloud. You could also have them draw pictures of people they know or have learned about who have worked toward making Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream a reality.
Coloring Pages
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Tear pages out of any coloring book, making sure there is one page for each child. Make one photocopy of each coloring page. Hand out the coloring pages to the children, giving them both the original and the copy of the same page. Then, pass out crayons, but only one crayon per child. Instruct them to color the first copy of the coloring page using only the single crayon they were given.
When they have finished coloring the page, give them each access to a full box of crayons, the more varied the better. Allow them to color the same page using as many different crayons as they would like.
After they have finished coloring, ask them which page they prefer: the one with only one color, or the one with many. Talk about how sad and boring the world would be if everyone looked the same.
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