Native American Canoe Crafts for Kids

Teaching children about the original inhabitants of this country is both fun and enriching. Use a craft project as a supplementary activity to a lesson about Native America use of hand-carved canoes. The kids will have fun making the canoes, after which they can play with them or display them, and in the process they'll have absorbed a good history lesson.

  1. Floating Canoe

    • Creating a canoe that actually floats is bound to be a hit with children. Fold a 6-by-12-inch piece of cardboard in half and draw the outline of a canoe on one side. Cut along both layers of the outline, making sure to leave the bottom fold intact. Using a darning needle, sew each end together with thick string. Using scraps from the cardboard, cut two strips to serve as seats. Fold the edges of the strips down and glue them to the inside of the boat. Paint the outside of the canoe. For an authentic birch-bark look, use white paint with black flecks. After the paint has dried, waterproof the canoe by dipping the bottom and sides in melted wax.

    Canoe Pin or Magnet

    • Create a canoe magnet or pin made of clay. Print a picture of a Native American and his canoe for inspiration and accuracy. Purchase modeling clay in a variety of colors such as brown, black, red and yellow. Have the children shape an outline of a canoe, then sculpt the canoeist and a paddle. Before the clay starts to dry, stick a pin back or two magnets into the back side of the craft. Let it dry thoroughly before using it.

    Canoe Collage

    • Create a large mural or collage with a canoe theme. First, have the children research the use of Native American canoes. Next, have them draw a background of the native forests in which tribes lived. They can include animals, a village, stream, river, lake and anything else their research reveals as appropriate to the scene. Give them paint, cardboard, markers, craft sticks, glue and other supplies you find suitable. Things they can do with the supplies include cutting out the shape of a cardboard canoe, making a paddle with a craft stick and gluing the pair to the background.

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