5 Crafts to Help Kids Celebrate Juneteenth

Juneteenth goes all the way back to June 19, 1865, and is still observed on June 19 each year by people across the U.S. The holiday commemorates the date that enslaved people in former Confederate states were finally granted their freedom in the country, 2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The holiday is sometimes also referred to as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Black Independence Day, and Freedom Day.

Since becoming a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has become more widely recognized, prompting people to look for new ways to celebrate it each year with their families and students. If you're looking for some eco-friendly Juneteenth craft ideas for your kids (that won't include a lot of plastics or glitter) you're going to want to take a peek at some of the ideas I've rounded up below.

The Pan-African flag is often used as a symbol of unity among the Black community in the U.S. You'll need black, green, and red paper as well as contact paper for this craft from the Happy Toddler Playtime blog, which offers detailed instructions on how to put it together. Pro tip: Use tissue paper from gift bags you've received in the past for a more environmentally-friendly version.

Taylor Swift may have brought friendship bracelets back into the mainstream, but she's not the only one who loves this easy craft. To ensure that your bracelet craft fits the Juneteenth theme, you'll want to select the right colors (green, red, and black) and make sure you have the letters to spell out key phrases, like "Juneteenth," "Freedom," and "Unity," as recommended by the Crafting a Fun Life blog. Check out our guide to making eco-friendly friendship bracelets!

If you're crafting with little ones and want to keep the mess to a minimum, try this easy smush paint craft from the Crafting a Fun Life blog. You can have your kids dot the paper with their paint choices before putting a layer of plastic over it to help "smush" it all together. If you don't mind a little mess, you can skip the single-use plastic and use something else in its place (a plastic or glass picture frame piece works great here).

If you're not afraid of a little mess, you can create these confetti poppers. You'll want to start saving up your old paper rolls for this one! Instead of buying confetti, try making your own confetti with paper you already have, or making confetti with a hole puncher and leaves. You could also try filling the poppers with some bird seed or native flower seeds, and take this celebration outside where the kids can run wild with their poppers.

Want a craft idea that will also help you repurpose some of those old magazines you have lying around? Check out this flag mosaic idea. Not only will it help you reuse your magazines, but it will also make for a fun project that requires your kiddo to get creative.

With so many fun ideas on this list it will be hard for you and the kids in your life to choose just one, so consider picking a couple and making a day of it. Happy Juneteenth!