13 Aboriginal Art And Crafts For Kids
Aboriginal art, craft, and culture are rich in symbolism and meaning. It’s also pretty awesome to look at!
If you’re raising a little one who loves making things and learning about their culture, then this list of Aboriginal-inspired crafts for kids is for you.
You don’t need any special equipment or skills (just your imagination!) so dive into the world of Aboriginal art with these fun activities:
Painting With Natural Pigments
Using natural pigments to paint is a fun and safe way to let kids discover the colors around them. Natural pigments are made from plants, insects, and minerals.
They’re called “earth colors” because they come from the earth.
A natural pigment can be used for painting or for making an artist’s palette for mixing colors. If you want to try using a natural pigment with your child, here’s what you need.
- A large bowl or container (we used a plastic storage container) filled with water
- A spoon to stir in the natural pigment powder/granules
- Paper towels or rags are handy so you can wipe up spills quickly
Sun prints
Materials needed.
- White paper or cardboard
- Tea bag, cut in half (remove the string)
How to do it.
Place the tea bag on your chosen paper or cardboard and press it down with a spoon or other object so that it sticks to the surface. You can also use glue if you want, but we found that the best results came from just pressing down firmly with an object—no extra materials are required!
This will leave a negative image of whatever was on top of where your spoon was pressed down.
Using another piece of paper or cardboard overlapping slightly with your first piece, place it over this image and gently press it down onto your drawing so that some of its contents get absorbed into this second piece as well; repeat until all sides have been covered by at least two layers each time (there’s no need for precision here).
Let dry completely before removing all pieces carefully without damaging any prints underneath them—they may come off easily when they’re still wet because they’re made out of tea leaves rather than ink! When completely dry, each print should be ready for framing or displaying somewhere safe where kids won’t mess up their work!
Dot Painting
If you are doing a dot painting on a canvas, use a small paintbrush to dot the paint in groups that form shapes.
This can be done by placing the dots close together to form one shape or spacing them apart and creating multiple separate shapes.
To make a dot painting on a shirt, iron it first so that it is flat and smooth. Then, using thinned-down acrylic paint, apply dots of color around the edges of your design as well as within its inner sections.
If you want to add more detail later on (such as further outlining or shading), wait until this step before doing so; otherwise, your acrylic paint may not dry properly due to moisture still being trapped in areas where too much was applied at once!
Shell Bracelets
Shell bracelets are a great way to teach kids about Aboriginal culture. The kids can learn how to make their own shell bracelets, which will be a great keepsake and reminder of the trip.
There are many materials that can be used for shell bracelets, including:
- natural shells (conch, cowrie, etc.)
- colored glass beads
The most basic style of shell bracelet is made from one smooth oval-shaped bead and one crimp bead, this method works well for young children learning how to make their own jewelry at home. To begin making your own shell bracelet for kids or yourself follow these steps.
Thread an 11-inch piece of string through the hole in one end of the beaded chain (this should be similar in length to what would fit around your wrist).
On one side this piece may already have been done if you bought it from a store! Now find where on your arm where you want this end so that when wrapped around once around three times it will comfortably fit there without having too much extra length left over dangling down either side.
Aboriginal Handprint Art
The Aboriginal people use handprints a lot. It is used to show someone’s name, or just to make something look cool.
Handprint art can be made with only one hand, or with both hands at the same time. They are very easy to do and fun!
Here are the materials you will need for your handprint art:
- Paper (any kind)
- Paint (the color of your choice)
- Watercolor paints if you want a more colorful background
Indigenous Animal Stone Art
Indigenous animal stone art is a fun and easy craft for kids to make. It’s also a great way to learn about Aboriginal culture and traditions.
To make your Indigenous animal stone art, you will need.
- 8 pieces of paper (size depends on the animal chosen)
- Pencil crayons or markers in 4 different colors (black, white, gold, and brown).
A piece of cardboard approximately the same size as your paper – this can be one side of an empty cereal box that has been cut down to the right size or a small cutting board from your kitchen drawer will work just fine too!
Stomp Sticks
Stomp sticks are a great activity for kids of all ages and can be made from any kind of wood. Once you have decided on your stick, the next step is to shape it into an animal or bird.
You can do this by cutting the stick in half and using sandpaper to smooth down its surface so that it is nice and smooth.
To make your stomp stick even more interesting, you can decorate it by carving out parts of the wood or painting them in different colors. You can also draw on them with markers or even paint on some stripes! Stomp sticks are really easy to make so we suggest trying them out today! Here’s how.
- Cut two pieces of wood roughly 4 cm long (or whatever length suits you) at 90 degrees angle to each other;
- Glue them together;
- Carve into shape using knife/sandpaper/drill – whichever works best for you;
Dream Catcher Mobile
Dream catchers are a traditional Native American art form and can be made from many different materials.
The most common dream catcher is made from willow, which comes from the Salix family of trees. The willow branches are twisted into desired patterns and then hung up using string or twine to catch bad dreams that may have slipped through the opening of the webbing.
The following steps outline how to make a dream catcher.
Collect your materials. You’ll need four pieces of cord (twine), yarn, or string; two feathers; one pipe cleaner in any color; two beads that match your feather colors; one washer or button with holes large enough for your yarn/string/twine; scissors (or if you’re very careful, use sharpened pencils).
Boomerangs
Boomerangs are popular Aboriginal art and craft for kids. Boomerangs are fun to make, and they have been used as weapons by Australian Aborigines since the earliest days of their history.
Boomerangs can be made from any number of materials including bamboo, wood, or plastic. The most common type of boomerang is made from thin pieces of wood that are glued together at an angle so they form a symmetrical curved shape when viewed from above. This type of boomerang is called an airfoil because it acts like an airplane wing in flight, making it fly well and return safely to its starting point after each throw.
The easiest way to learn how to throw a boomerang is through trial and error—a process that may take some patience! Remember that throwing a boomerang requires good aim as well as proper technique; if you don’t get enough air under your arm when throwing your first few attempts after making one yourself (or if you’re using someone else’s), then those attempts probably won’t come back accurately either!
Nature collages for kids – Australian animals and plants
This collage can be used to show a variety of Australian animals and plants. If you have a nature guide, use it to help identify the animals and plants.
You could also print out pictures from the internet and cut them out for your child to glue onto their collage.
You can either use a poster board or construction paper for this activity. If using construction paper, I recommend using black or dark shades so that the white background doesn’t distract from your artistic masterpiece!
A Didgeridoo Craft For Kids To Make!
Didgeridoo is an Aboriginal instrument. If you are looking for a fun craft to make with your kids, this one will definitely be a hit!
Kids can have fun making their own paper/cardboard or wood didgeridoos by following these instructions.
Fold the paper/cardboard in half lengthwise and then into thirds from the bottom up.
Cut out six pieces of equal size so that you end up with two pieces per corner and one piece for the middle section where all four corners meet (see image). Join all six pieces together by gluing them at each corner with glue or tape, leaving about 3 inches free on each side for playing with later (see image).
Weaving Craft Activity (For Rainbow Serpent)
The paper plate weaving craft activity is an excellent way to teach kids about Aboriginal art and culture.
It can also be used to create a rainbow serpent or a snake, depending on how you design it! This craft requires a lot of patience and attention to detail, but the result is worth it. You’ll need:
- Paper plates (or other circular flat pieces of cardboard)
- Colored pencils or markers
The Kids Will Love These Activities!
You and your child will have fun making these crafts together.
You will enjoy the process of creating them, and your child will learn about Aboriginal culture, nature, and the environment as well as about the Rainbow Serpent.
You can use these crafts as a way to teach children important lessons about nature and the land around them. They are also great for learning more about Aboriginal art and craft.
Conclusion
These are so easy to do and great for kids of all ages. The best part is that you can choose the colors and shapes that suit your child’s age group.
