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These Thailand crafts for kids are perfect for celebrating Thailand Constitution Day and King Bhumibol’s birthday – both of which are in December!

When you look at a country’s national holidays, many countries in the global south have an independence day, since they were colonized at some point in time. However, there is one country that is an exception, one Southeast Asian nation that has never been colonized – Thailand!

The name of Thailand is a representation of this fact – it means ‘Land of the Free‘. Previously known as ‘Siam’, Thailand’s official name today is the ‘Kingdom of Thailand‘, since it is a constitutional monarchy. The royal family is still quite important in the country, and there is even a law that prohibits defaming or insulting any royal! Here are some more interesting facts about this amazing country. 

Fun Facts about Thailand:

• Bangkok is also called ‘Krung Thep’, which means ‘City of Angels‘. Krung Thep is an abbreviation of the full ceremonial name ‘Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphimanawatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit‘ – the world’s longest place name (with spaces)!
• Thailand has some laws regarding clothing – you can’t drive shirtless, and you can’t leave home without underwear!
• The orchid is Thailand’s national flower, and the country is the world’s largest exporter of orchids
• Thai people are very respectful – you should never point to anything using your feet and must lower your head in front of elders
• The head is considered sacred in Thailand, and you shouldn’t touch another person’s head – not even a child’!

December is a special month for Thailand since the 5th of December is the birthday of King Phumiphon and the 12th of December is its Constitution Day. With so much to celebrate, we think it’s time for some beautiful Thailand crafts for kids!

15 Timeless Thailand Crafts for Kids

1. Blue Elephant CD Craft

Elephants are a big deal in Thailand; it is their national symbol and their national animal. The Thai elephant is called chang Thai, and there is even a special day to celebrate it – National Thai Elephant Day on March 13! The number of these elephants is fast dwindling, and efforts are on to preserve the existing ones.

2. Crepe Paper Lotus Craft

Lotuses hold a special place in the hearts of the Thai people, especially since most of them are Buddhist and lotuses have an important role in the Buddhist faith. The lotus is considered a symbol of spiritual awakening, along with wisdom, purity and faith. Pink lotuses, in particular, are quite popular, which is what we’ve tried to recreate in this craft!

3. Songkran Pop Up Card

You’ve probably not heard of a New Year celebration like this one! Songkran is the Thai New Year, and it is celebrated by soaking everyone in sight! Both locals and tourists participate in the world’s largest water fight, using buckets, water guns and hoses. Hattifant tries to capture this fun with a cute little Songkran pop up card.

4. Thai Umbrella Art Project

If you plan to visit Thailand in the future, try to time it with the Bo Sang Umbrella Festival of Chiang Mai, where you get to see some gorgeous painted umbrellas all over the streets! Umbrella craftsmanship is an important part of Bo Sang’s culture, and it’s more than a hundred years old. Try your hand at creating your own umbrella designs with this project from Art Achieve.

5. Thai Temple of the Emerald Buddha

With 95% of Thai people being Buddhists, there are many Buddhist temples throughout the country – more than 35,000! Canon Creative Park tries to create a paper model of one of the most famous of them, called the Wat Phra Kaew, the temple of the Emerald Buddha.

6. Thai Khon Inspired Masks

Look at how colorful these Khon masks from Mamacita Spins the Globe are! Khon is a kind of traditional Thai dance, which is based on the tales of the Ramakien – an adaptation of the Indian Ramayana. The masks are quite detailed and reflect the personalities of the various characters in the story.

7. Thai Foil Elephants

Art is What I Teach has another beautiful Thai elephant craft that uses quite a few art techniques! The elephants are first drawn on foil, then patterns are added with Sharpies. Finally, beads and strings are used to make the elephant’s tail, resulting in an art project that’s full of different textures!

8. Thailand Animals Kaleidocycle Paper Toy

Thailand is a country that’s brimming with biodiversity, being home to almost a tenth of the world’s birds and animals! This is where you’ll find the world’s smallest and largest mammals – the bumblebee bat and the whale shark, respectively. Hattifant brings us a craft that includes some of the most commonly seen animals in Thailand.

9. Thai Inspired Doodle Art

Time to add some doodling to this list of Thailand crafts for kids, and we love this idea from My Inner Creative! This one features some popular icons of Thailand, like the tuk-tuk and floating markets. Don’t miss the Durian doodle – the world’s costliest and smelliest fruit – so smelly that it’s banned in many places!

10. Thai Weaving Project

This project from Art Achieve combines two popular things in Thailand – fish and silk! Seafood is an important component of Thai cuisine, and the country has its own rich culture when it comes to silk fabrics. Thai silk is famous for using different colors for the warp and weft, so you end up with a unique double-shaded fabric.

11. National Flag of Thailand Drawing Tutorial

You can’t have a list of Thailand crafts for kids without featuring the national flag! Art for All brings us a tutorial showing us how to draw the flag. The main colors are red, white and blue, where red represents the people of Thailand, white symbolizes religious faith and blue represents the monarchy. 

12. Thailand Themed Coloring Pages

Nancy Chandler has lots of lovely printables based on Thailand, and this free printable is a great addition to this list of Thailand crafts for kids! We love the coloring page featuring the traditional Thai dance, Lakhon. Lakhon has a distinct attire – a soet (pointed headdress), hoi-na and hoi-khang (decorative cloth strips) and a krong kho (an embroidered collar).

13. DIY Krathong Floating Boats

Bangkok wasn’t always the sprawling metropolis it is today – it was quite a dense jungle! In those days, it was very difficult for people to move around for trade, and they began using the canals for selling their goods, giving rise to the famous floating markets of Thailand! Confessions of a Homeschooler tries to bring alive the hustle and bustle of these famous markets with a cute craft. 

14. Siamese Cat Paper Plate Craft

You’ve heard of Siamese cats and Siamese twins, but did you know that both of these terms originated in Thailand? In Thailand, Siamese cats are called Wichian Mat, and are considered a symbol of good luck. In fact, they were quite popular as wedding gifts in the old days! Simple Everyday Mom has a cute paper plate craft featuring a Siamese cat.

15. Phuang Malai Paper Flower Garland

If you visit religious places in Thailand, you’re likely to come across flower garlands, also known as malai. There are different kinds of malais, and each one has a different meaning. For instance, malai chai diao is a way of showing respect, while malai song chai are used in wedding ceremonies. Learn more about malais while making one of your own using this project from My Inner Creative.

I hope these Thailand crafts for kids have helped you learn a little more about this amazing country and its people. Thailand is also known as the ‘Land of Smiles‘ since the people there are so friendly and hospitable. As you make these crafts, be sure to make a list of places you’d like to visit, so you’ll have a ready reckoner when it’s time!