With Martin Luther King, Jr. Day just around the corner, there’s no better time than now to teach your little one about the civil rights leader and his legacy. King was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement, which aimed at ending racial segregation and he held a passion for racial equality in the United States. The federal holiday is observed on the third Monday every year in January. On MLK Day, businesses, people, families, and more celebrate King’s life and historic achievements.
If you want to teach your toddler about Martin Luther King, Jr., you can start by having some fun with these crafts and activities below.
5 Multicultural Hand Wreath
Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy by creating a multicultural hand wreath. According to Sweet Party Place, this wreath is a great craft to teach your little one about different colors of skin. You can start by showing your toddler people of various races and ethnicities. You will need white, black, yellow, orange, and red construction paper (or whatever colors you'd like!), scissors, craft glue, and a foam wreath form or cardboard wreath form. Help your toddler trace their hand on the different colors of paper and then cut them out. Glue the hands onto the wreath and once you’re finished, you can add ribbon to hang it up or leave it as is.
4 Fingerprint Peace Dove
According to Stanford University, Martin Luther King, Jr. once said in 1967, “We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means.” The Civil Rights leader wanted peace, and to honor that wish, and so Busy Kids Happy Mom recommends making a fingerprint peace dove as doves are a sign of peace and love. You will need to draw the outline of a dove, or you can print one off online, and trace it onto your canvas or another piece of paper you plan to use. You can also just paint on the paper you printed out. From there, set out different colors for your toddler and have them dip their fingerprints into the paint and then onto the dove. Go with one color at a time and let that color dry so the colors don’t mix together.
3 Peace Craft
Another simple craft for your toddler to have fun with for MLK Day is the peace craft. You will need different colors of paint, tape, and paper plates. Tape a peace sign onto the paper plate and then let your toddler have a blast painting the paper plate, even over the tape. According to Working Mom Wonders, once the paint dries, remove the tape so the peace sign is revealed. While painting, you can even talk to your toddler about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and why it is important.
2 Diversity Cookies
Children love to get messy in the kitchen, so why not teach your toddler a valuable lesson about diversity while in the process? You can make two different types of cookies: sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies. Once you’ve made them both, and before they go into the oven, cut a heart out of the cookies in the middle.
According to Playground Parkbench, you can then add a red Jolly Rancher inside the heart and then bake the cookies. Once they’re finished, decorate the cookies with icing or keep it simple with just eyes. It’s a great opportunity to teach your toddler how even though someone may have a different skin color, we are still alike, and they should treat everyone with kindness.
1 Freedom Bell
“Let freedom ring” literally by creating a freedom bell with your toddler in honor of MLK Day. The bell can be a symbol of freedom, and just hearing it ring can be a sweet reminder to treat others equally. You will need a bell ornament and some peel and stick letters for this craft. According to Sweet Party Place, you can find the bell at Dollar Tree or check on Amazon. If you can’t find a bell, simply turn over a Styrofoam cup and insert a pipe cleaner through what would be the bottom of the cup and attach a bell on the inside through the pipe cleaner. Twist the pipe cleaner close so the bell does not fall off.
You can choose to spray paint the bell ornament with glitter or another color. Of course, you can also leave it blank, too. From there, you can have your toddler stick the letters on. Stick to words that are meaningful for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day like “love,” “peace,” or “freedom.” If you find that your letters are having trouble sticking on, add some glue for support.
Sources: Sweet Party Place, Stanford University, Busy Kids Happy Mom, Working Mom Wonders, Playground Parkbench