AFRICAN CRAFTS FOR KIDS: Make African American heritage arts and crafts projects with the following instructions, patterns, and activities for children, teens, and preschoolers

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Below you will find many African and African American Heritage activities crafts ideas and projects for kids. Find out how to make African heritage arts and crafts projects with the following instructions, patterns, and activities for children

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A Box of Crayons to Make - I just finished a lesson in honor of Martin Luther King Day that I found to be one of the best of my 6 year teaching career. This truly is a great lesson I'd love to share!

Adire Cloth Making Project for Children - In Africa, cloth is used for both decoration and communication. Celebrate African-American heritage with your own colorful scarf or tablecloth that conveys a message.

Adinkra Printing - Adinkra is a type of cloth worn in Western Africa. It is a printed grid pattern made up of combed grid lines and a small shape printed in the squares.

African Arts & Crafts for Kids - Kids can learn about Africa while creating fun arts and crafts projects.

African Drum Instructions - The finished project is about 9 inches tall.

African Drum Making Instructions - A conga is an African drum traditionally made of hardwood and a cow-skin drum head.

African Sand Paper Art - This is a very simple, but very effective way to make a drawing that looks like it came right off an African cave wall.

Bottle-cap Tambourines - Make and shake these tambourines that are popular in Brazil and Africa.

Cheetah Cub Craft - This is an easy and fun three dimensional craft for young children to make and play with.

Doll Pin Kinara - Create your own kinara for Kwanzaa out of doll pins and spools. Fun to paint and display!

Egg Carton Kinara - Celebrate the season of Kwanzaa with this fun and easy to make kinara. The colors of the candles represent the people (black), their struggles (red), and the future (green).

Felt Kufi - Celebrate Kwanzaa with this tri-colored traditional headware.

Flags of Africa Kwanzaa Cards - Research your family’s heritage, find your flag and make a Happy Kwanzaa card!

Freedom Friends - Friends come in all colors and sizes! Teach kids about diversity and freedom with these cute little puppets.

Glittering Freedom Bell - The Liberty Bell, and its replica the Freedom Bell, are symbolic of independence and equality--two ideals that Martin Luther King Jr. - fought to achieve for all men and women.

Good Luck Hand (Khamsa) Craft - The khamsa is a symbol of good luck from Morocco, Africa - . This good luck hand has been used as an amulet in northern Africa for centuries - it is often made from precious metal, like silver. You can make this simple version out of paper or aluminum foil. Khamsa means "five" in Arabic.

Handprint - Dove (Unity) Wreath - This wreath symbolizes cultural unity.  You can adjust the handprint colors for different occasions (for example, you may wish to use handprints in different shades of brown for Black History Month)

Hippopotamus Toilet Paper Roll Craft - This is a cute three dimensional hippo craft suitable for a jungle theme, mammals or animals theme, Africa theme or letter H theme.

Kente Cloths - An interesting African craft.

Kwanzaa Bead Candles - These beaded "candles" are a creative way to introduce the seven principles of Kwanzaa, an African-American holiday that begins December 26.

Kwanzaa Candles - Make candles (called mishumaa in Swahili) containing secret treats to decorate your Kwanzaa celebration table. These simple-to-make candles are a great table decoration that can be given to children as an after-dinner treat.

Kinara Centerpiece - A pretty Kinara centerpiece craft that kids can make as a Kwanzaa decoration.

Kwanzaa Corn Pin - Children can create this attractive Woodsies Kwanzaa Corn Pin for their parents to wear for Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa Gift Can - A Kwanzaa Gift craft for kids made out of a recycled can and specially painted for Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa Kinara - In order to play this game, a prop box needs to be made.

Kwanzaa Mobile - This craft project incorporates the three colors and seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa Necklace - Celebrate African-American heritage by wearing a necklace made with traditional holiday colors -- black to symbolize the people of Africa, red to recall struggles for freedom and green for growth.

Kwanzaa Place Mat - Make a place mat to decorate your Kwanzaa celebration table. These simple-to-make woven construction paper place mats represent a straw place mat (called mkeka in Swahili).

Kwanzaa Placemat - No matter your cultural or religious background, this is indeed the season to have fun and decorate your home in festive colors and ornaments. You can celebrate Kwanzaa - by weaving a special placemat, or a mkeba, to be used at your holiday table.

Make A Woven Mat - People in western Africa wear clothes from a cloth made of thin strips of fabric woven together. Why not weave yourself a paper placemat in the colors of Kwanzaa?

Make An African Drum - Kwanzaa is often celebrated with traditional African music, with the rhythm provided by African drums. Here is a craft idea for making your own.

Make an African Mask/Shield - There are eye holes so the kids can see (they can only see through one hole at a time) and it's a perfect size for protecting your body from the razor sharp claws of Sera our housecat.

Make Your Own Kinara - Every family celebrating Kwanzaa displays a kinara, a candelabra for 7 candles representing the seven days of the Kwanzaa holiday and the seven principles of Kwanzaa - . Each night a particular candle is lit.

Martin Luther King Jr. Craft - "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Origami Candle And Candleholder - There are traditional origami candle models, but they are very, very difficult!

Shekere - Shake up your next celebration with our version of a Shekere (pronounced SHAY-ker-ray), an African percussive instrument used today by world music performers all over the globe.

String of African Flags - Make a string of African flags to decorate a room and celebrate Kwanzaa. These simple-to-make strings make a great classroom decoration. You can drape the strings across rooms or over windows.

Unity Cup - The Kikombe Cha Umoja, or Unity Cup, is used on the sixth day of Kwanzaa to perform the libation ritual during the Karamu feast. Make your own decorative unity cup to celebrate this holiday.

African Masks Printables - A LOT of printable African Masks that are a lot of fun to wear. You might even like their Other African Printable Crafts Here.

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