Every February, people in the United States celebrate the achievements and history of Black Americans as part of Black History Month.
This month’s Parent Education speaker, Britt Hawthorne, shares ideas and activities to honor Black History Month with the whole family in age-appropriate ways. 32 Children’s Activities for Black History Month
Primary
The Primary children have enjoyed many fun and meaningful experiences this month. The children have been delighted by the artwork, music, and stories from talented people throughout history! During lunch each day they are entertained by the music of Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and even Chuck Berry. The Primary classes read books about the life and contributions of black Americans including Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Katherine Robinson, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali. The students learned about the artist Clementine Hunter and are using her work as inspiration to paint their own pictures.
Lower Elementary
In Lower Elementary Mrs. Ifft read the inspirational true story of Ruby Bridges, a book about a civil rights activist who fought to desegregate an all-white elementary school. The follow-up was to create a large mural of Ruby, by coloring individual papers, then putting them together like a puzzle. Another story read was “Mae Among the Stars”. This is a story about Mae Jamison, who became the first black woman to become an astronaut and travel in space. The children wrote their impressions of the story in their notebooks.
Upper Elementary
From National Geographic Kids:
Started in 1926 as a week long celebrattion in February, chosen because it includes the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass, an abolitionist (someone who wanted to end the practice of enslaving people), and former U.S. president Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln led the United States during the Civil War, which was primarily fought over the enslavement of Black people in the country. Many schools and leaders began recognizing the week after its creation.
The week-long event officially became Black History Month in 1976 when U.S. president Gerald Ford extended the recognition to “honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Black History Month has been celebrated in the United States every February since.
