Martin Luther King Jr. Art and Craft Activities
Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with these classroom art projects for kindergarten and elementary students. Create unique portraits and friendship wreaths while introducing children to the importance of kindness, fairness, and treating others with respect.
Martin Luther King Jr. Portrait Art
Students created their own portraits of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Each finished portrait was unique, reflecting the individual student’s artistic choices.
The original instructions for these portraits were published in TLC Art’s Winter Book.
TLC Art also offered a free Lesson of the Month for January 2004 featuring this project. The original lesson is available through the Internet Archive:
Martin Luther King Jr. Portrait Art Lesson (Archived PDF)
Martin Luther King Jr. Friendship Wreath
Students made friendship wreaths using paper handprints arranged around a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
How to Make a Friendship Wreath
- Cut the center out of a paper plate to create a wreath-shaped base.
- Cut hand shapes from construction paper. We used an Ellison die to punch out the hands, but children can also trace their own hands and cut them out.
- Arrange and glue the paper hands around the plate to create a wreath.
- Add a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to complete the project.
This project can accompany classroom discussions about friendship, kindness, and working together.
More Martin Luther King Jr. Teaching Ideas
Find additional lesson plans, printable activities, crafts, and classroom resources in our Martin Luther King Jr. Theme at A to Z Teacher Stuff.
