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Explore 20 respectful Native American Heritage Month crafts and activities for kids, including weaving, art, music, books and classroom learning ideas. – Guided by a Native Person who shows us how to do it right!

November is Native American Heritage Month, a meaningful time to help children learn about the histories, cultures, traditions and present-day lives of Indigenous peoples across the United States. These Native American crafts and activities for kids can be used during Native American Heritage Month, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, social studies lessons, geography units or homeschool culture studies.

Native American cultures are incredibly diverse, so it is important not to treat them as one single culture. Whenever possible, connect each project with the specific Native nation, region or tradition it represents, and pair hands-on activities with books and resources created by Native people. Teachers and homeschool families can also explore our Around the World Crafts for Kids collection for more geography and culture-study ideas, or browse our Teacher Resources for classroom-friendly art and learning activities.

Who are Native Americans?

Native Americans are the Indigenous peoples of the lands now known as the United States, and they belong to many distinct tribal nations with their own languages, histories, governments, art forms and traditions. Native peoples are not only part of the past; Native communities continue to live, create, teach and maintain their cultures today.

 One of the first things children should learn is just how diverse Native cultures are. The Seminole people of Florida developed lifeways suited to the wetlands of the Southeast. The Lenape have deep connections to the woodlands and waterways of the Northeast, while the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota have long histories connected with the Northern Plains.

Other Native nations have homelands in deserts, mountains, forests, coastal areas, lake regions and the Arctic. Homes, clothing, foodways, transportation, tools and art therefore differed greatly from one nation and region to another. That diversity is an important part of any Native American Heritage Month lesson.

What is Native American Heritage Month?

Native American Heritage Month is observed throughout November in the United States. It is a time to recognize the histories, cultures, achievements and continuing contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples.

Rather than focusing only on historical objects or Thanksgiving, use the month to introduce children to living Native communities, contemporary Native artists and authors, tribal nations in their own region, and trusted educational resources such as the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.

Native American Heritage Month Activities at a Glance

• Best for: Elementary students, homeschoolers and family learning
• Subjects: Art, social studies, history, geography, literature and science
• Skills: Weaving, pattern recognition, fine motor skills, observation, research and cultural awareness
• Best time to use: Native American Heritage Month in November, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, culture studies and North America units
• Main learning goal: Help children understand that Native American peoples belong to many distinct nations with different languages, histories, art forms and traditions

What Will Kids Learn from These Native American Heritage Month Activities?

Children can learn that Native American cultures are diverse, living cultures connected to specific nations, regions, languages and traditions. These activities introduce topics such as weaving, agriculture, traditional dwellings, visual storytelling, music, beadwork and Native-authored literature while encouraging children to ask who created a tradition, where it comes from and what it means.

Choose Native American Heritage Month Activities by Topic

• Weaving & Beadwork
• Homes & Transportation
• Food, Plants & Nature
• Art & Visual Storytelling
• Music & Sound
• Books & Trusted Resources

How to Use Native American Heritage Month Activities in the Classroom

For a respectful classroom or homeschool lesson, begin with a specific Native nation rather than teaching “Native Americans” as one culture. Locate that nation’s traditional and present-day homelands on a map, read a book by a Native author, and talk about the meaning or purpose of an art form before creating a child-friendly project inspired by it.

These activities can work well across art, history, geography, literature and science. For example, a weaving activity can introduce pattern and symmetry, a Three Sisters activity can connect culture with plant science, and a dwelling project can lead to a discussion about how geography and climate influence architecture. For more cross-curricular ideas, visit our art and craft resources for elementary teachers.

20 Native American Heritage Month Crafts & Activities for Kids

1. Navajo-Inspired Weaving Projects for Kids

Weaving is an important art form in many Native communities, with techniques, materials and patterns differing from nation to nation. Navajo, or Diné, weaving in particular is internationally recognized for its skill and artistry. This child-friendly weaving activity from The Educator’s Spin On It is a useful starting point for talking about pattern, texture and the importance of learning the specific cultural context behind an art form.

2. Mini Paper Tipi Craft

Tipis are conical dwellings historically associated with several Native nations of the Great Plains. Their portable design suited communities whose lives included seasonal movement across the Plains. Not all Native peoples lived in tipis, so this project is a good opportunity to compare different Indigenous dwellings and the environments in which they developed. Use our printable template to make a simple three-dimensional paper model.

3. Fingerprint Corn on the Cob Art

Corn has deep cultural and agricultural importance for many Native peoples. Among the Haudenosaunee, corn, beans and squash are known as the Three Sisters and are traditionally grown together so that the plants support one another. Introduce this idea before children create a colorful fingerprint corn artwork.

4. Learn About the Haudenosaunee Three Sisters

Turn the Three Sisters into a simple science-and-culture lesson by learning how corn, beans and squash grow together. Corn provides a structure for climbing beans, beans help enrich the soil, and broad squash leaves help shade the soil and reduce weeds. The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian’s Haudenosaunee guide explains the cultural and agricultural importance of these crops and can be used as background for a classroom garden, drawing activity or plant-life-cycle lesson.

5. Nature-Inspired Stick Bow and Arrow Craft

Bows and arrows were used by many Indigenous peoples for hunting, but their design, materials and use varied across regions and nations. This simple nature craft lets children examine how flexible sticks and string can work together while creating a small decorative bow and arrow inspired by traditional tools.

6. Shawnee Birchbark Canoe Craft

Canoes were important forms of transportation for many Native peoples living near rivers and lakes, although canoe styles and materials varied by region. Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus shares a Shawnee-focused birchbark canoe project that can help children connect transportation, natural resources and geography.

7. Great Plains Painted Buffalo Hides

Painted buffalo hides have important histories among Native nations of the Great Plains. Hides could be used for clothing, shelter and other practical purposes, while specially painted hides could record events or carry ceremonial and personal meaning. This activity from Meet the Masters at VSY gives children an opportunity to study visual storytelling before creating their own paper-based design.

8. Petroglyph Art Lesson

Petroglyphs are images created by carving, pecking or incising rock surfaces, and examples can be found in many parts of the Americas. Their meanings depend on the people, place and time in which they were created, so avoid treating them as a single universal Native writing system. Nurture Store offers an art activity that can begin a conversation about rock art, symbols and respectful observation of historical sites.

9. Woodland Wigwam Craft

Wigwams, also called wiigiwaams in Anishinaabe contexts, are dome-shaped dwellings associated with several Indigenous peoples of the Northeast and Great Lakes regions. They are different from the tipis of the Plains. There’s Just One Mommy shows how to create a small model that can support a lesson comparing regional homes and building materials.

10. Spin Drum Craft for Kids

Drums and other percussion instruments have different roles and meanings across Native nations. Before making an instrument-inspired craft, talk with children about how music can be connected with community, celebration, ceremony and storytelling. Marcie in Mommyland shares an easy spin-drum project made with everyday craft supplies.

11. Totem Pole Writing Activity

Totem poles are specifically associated with Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast rather than with Native Americans as a whole. This writing activity from The Viral Teacher can be used alongside photographs and information about Northwest Coast nations to encourage children to connect visual art with storytelling and research.

12. Native American Cradleboard Craft

Cradleboards have been used by a number of Native nations to safely carry and care for babies, with materials, construction and decoration varying by community. Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus shares a child-friendly cradleboard project that can introduce students to family life, craftsmanship and the ways objects are adapted to everyday needs.

13. Paper-Mâché Rattle Art Project

Rattles appear in the musical traditions of many Native communities, but their forms, materials and cultural uses differ. Some are made from gourds, shells, wood or other locally available materials. Art is Basic shares a papier-mâché rattle project that can be paired with age-appropriate learning about music and material culture.

14. Printable Tipi Model

Brilliant Little Ideas shares a printable paper tipi model that children can color and assemble. Use it as a model-building activity while reinforcing that tipis are historically connected with particular Plains peoples and are only one of many kinds of Native dwellings.

15. Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) Beaded Design Lesson

Beadwork is a living art form practiced by many Native artists, with distinctive techniques and designs connected to particular communities. This elementary lesson from the National Women’s History Museum focuses specifically on Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) beadwork. Children can study authentic examples and recreate a design with beads or paper circles while learning about pattern, symmetry and cultural storytelling.

16. DIY Drum Activity

Drums are important in many Native musical traditions, but there is no single “Native American drum.” Different communities use different forms, from hand drums and water drums to larger group drums. This project from Crafty Homeschool Mom offers a simple way to explore how sound is created while reminding children that real ceremonial instruments have cultural meanings beyond the craft version.

17. Hopi Katsina Doll Art Study

Katsinam are spiritually significant within Hopi culture, and carved katsina dolls are traditionally used as teaching objects rather than simply as toys or decorations. If you use this art project from Erika Lancaster, introduce it as an art study inspired by learning about Hopi traditions and pair it with reliable information about the Hopi people. Avoid asking children to copy sacred figures without context.

18. Pacific Northwest Coast Totem Pole-Inspired Craft

Totem poles are monumental carvings created by specific Indigenous nations of the Pacific Northwest Coast. They can represent family histories, lineages, stories, rights and important events, and their traditions should not be generalized to all Native peoples. Little Ladoo’s paper-roll activity can work as a follow-up art project after children first view and learn about authentic Northwest Coast examples.

19. Wampum Belt Weaving Activity

Wampum refers to carefully made shell beads that have deep historical significance among Indigenous peoples of the Eastern Woodlands. Wampum belts can record agreements, relationships and important events; they are far more than decorative patterns. Ridgetop Farm and Garden shares a weaving activity that can be used after children learn about the meaning and history of wampum.

20. Arrowhead-Inspired Model Activity

Stone projectile points were made by skilled toolmakers across many Indigenous cultures, with forms and materials varying by place and time. Rather than presenting one arrowhead style as universal, compare examples from a museum collection or your local region before trying this child-friendly model activity from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus.

Kids’ Books About Native Americans by Native Authors

One of the best ways to make a Native American Heritage Month unit more meaningful is to include Native voices. Look for picture books and stories written or illustrated by Native creators so children can encounter contemporary experiences, family stories, languages and traditions from people within those communities.

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1. We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell
2. My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith
3. Lovebirds: The True Story of Raven and Eagle by Sondra Simone Segundo
4. Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk
5. First Laugh—Welcome, Baby! by Rose Ann Tahe, Nancy Bo Flood and Jonathan Nelson
6. An Anishinaabe Christmas by Wab Kinew
7. Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry and Alexis Bunten
8. Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story by Mavasta Honyouti
9. The Ribbon Skirt: A Graphic Novel by Cameron Mukwa

Additional Native American Heritage Month Resources

• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
• Native Knowledge 360° Educational Resources
• PowWows.com — learn more about powwows and find events
• Killer Whale Eyes by Sondra Segundo

Frequently Asked Questions About Native American Heritage Month Activities

What month is Native American Heritage Month?

Native American Heritage Month is observed in November in the United States. It is a time to learn about the histories, cultures, achievements and present-day contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples.

What are respectful Native American activities for kids?

Respectful activities identify the specific Native nation, artist or tradition being studied rather than presenting all Native peoples as one culture. Good choices include reading books by Native authors, learning about local tribal nations, studying authentic artworks, exploring Native agriculture and geography, and making projects that are clearly described as learning activities or inspired studies rather than replicas of sacred or ceremonial objects.

How can teachers celebrate Native American Heritage Month?

Teachers can combine maps, books, art, history and contemporary Native voices. Choose one or more specific tribal nations, locate their traditional and present-day homelands, read Native-authored books, use museum resources and connect a hands-on project with the cultural context behind it. Our Teacher Resources and Around the World Crafts collections can help build a broader cross-curricular unit.

What Native American crafts work well for elementary students?

Elementary students can explore weaving and pattern, Three Sisters plant science, regional dwelling models, petroglyph-inspired art observation, beadwork pattern studies and age-appropriate music activities. The key is to introduce the specific people and cultural context before beginning the craft.

How can children learn about Native American tribes in their own area?

Start by identifying the tribal nations whose traditional or present-day homelands are in your region. Visit official tribal websites, local museums, tribal cultural centers and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Whenever possible, prioritize resources created by Native people and tribal institutions.

More Learning & Craft Ideas for Teachers and Homeschoolers

Keep exploring with our Around the World Crafts for Kids for geography, culture and country-study projects, browse our Craft Ideas for Kids collection for more hands-on art, or visit our Teacher Resources for classroom-friendly ideas. If your November plans also include Thanksgiving, you can separately explore our Thanksgiving Printables for Kids.

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