Fun Activities for Kids on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

On January 19^th 2009 we will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, this day is set aside to remember a man who is perhaps one of the most influential African-Americans in history. His words and wisdom coupled with tireless work led this country towards a nation that truly is one of racial equality. Our children need to learn that Martin Luther King Jr. believed that we are all one and the same regardless of where we came from and what color our skin is.

A trip to your local library will find the shelves full of books about both the man and his teachings along with information on slavery, its abolition and what life was like for African-Americans in American as late as the 1960's. One of the best books for older children to read is The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. by Clayborn Carson. For the younger children I would suggest, A Picture Book of martin Luther King Jr. by David Adler. Both of these books are also available at www.amazon.com.

Giving your children a good basic knowledge of who Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was, and what he accomplished in his life can be a lot of fun as well as educational. Many kids will have never have heard of him until they reach school age, but many will have at least learned that we celebrate his birthday as a national holiday in most states.

After either reading a book to your children about him or letting them read it for themselves, a good way to reinforce the knowledge is to play some games with them. After all what could be better than learning about someone famous by playing a game with prizes at the end? Of course for the older kids, a quiz with prizes to the highest score is a simple answer, but for the younger ones this may not work, so how about some pictures to color and a word search puzzle or two to do.

I found a whole host of games and projects to do at www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/martin-luther-king-jr-day, along with a good supply of information about the man and his dream. To finish off a day of learning, or for any time that you can get your children to sit and watch, there are several good movies and shows to watch about him. You can find some at your local library or rent them form online sources such as www.netflix.com, which has a large selection of movies.

However you choose to teach your children about Martin Luther King Jr. remember that when they are young, learning should be fun as well as informational. There are many places online and in your local library to find out more about Martin Luther King Jr. and his life and dreams so take a little time and learn more about him, so that your children can share in the dream.

Sources applesfortheteacher.com, Google, amazon.com