Martin Luther King Day Kids Art

Celebrate the day with young children by making this beautiful Martin Luther King Jr. kids art. Perfect way to talk about the many colors of the world!

I made this Martin Luther King Day Kids Art project years ago, and it has since become one of my most popular posts. Educators and parents worldwide have sent me all the beautiful and unique ways they’ve incorporated this project into their teaching.

I firmly believe in the importance of teaching children about racism and the fight for equality from an early age. Being anti-racist is a conscious decision we must make and share with our littles.

Other Martin Luther King Jr. Day Resources

My methodology for teaching my kids about Martin Luther King Jr. Day has changed in the 7 years since initially publishing this tutorial. I’ve learned from several different resources how to approach the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a way that doesn’t water down or minimize his message and its significance to today.

I’m still listening and learning.

I hope you find these resources as helpful as I did:

• Teaching Tolerance
• MORE THAN: Martin Luther King Jr: More Than Just a Dream
• Teaching Hard History Podcast
• Woke Homeschooling

I had the idea for this Martin Luther King Jr Kids Art project years ago (sheesh, where do 11 years go?!) but didn’t have the right supplies, and quite frankly, my kiddos were way too little to make this an appropriate craft for them.

When my kids were older and had a little more hand control, I revisited the project. Thought I would offer it here in case anyone else wants to make Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. art for their window, too!

Here’s another way to make this project with smaller children!

Supplies

Materials:

• Cricut Cutting Machine
• Crayons (here’s a bulk case without wrappers for large groups!)
• Pencil sharpener (this Electric Crayon Sharpener would be so easy!)
• Wax paper
• Black Permanent Vinyl
• “Martin Luther King Jr. Kids Art” stencil (download below)

Tutorial

1. Use pencil sharpeners to make crayon shavings.

We have made this Martin Luther King Jr. kids art several times over the last 10 years. Now that the boys are older, we have had detailed conversations about how beautiful the colors are by themselves and when they are melted together.

2. Spread the crayon shavings between two wax paper sheets. Try to spread them out more than we did for more of a stained glass effect. With your iron set on low, melt the crayon shavings in between the wax paper. Press down and lift the iron straight up. Don’t slide the iron, or you’ll have a purple/brownish mess!

3. Cut the “Dream” stencil from vinyl with your Cricut Cutting Machine or with a TrueControl Knife. I kept the design simple in case you did it by hand!

4. Affix the stencil to the wax paper. I found this to be easiest when I started from the bottom, pulling the backing away an inch at a time while smoothing the vinyl down.

5. Trim away the excess wax paper and attach a small piece of tape to a window for everyone to enjoy! I hope you and your family enjoyed making this Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day kids’ art!

Want more fun projects?