Celebrating Black History Month: Creative Activities You Can Do at Home
- The Crafty Case Company
- Sep 15
- 3 min read
Black History Month is a powerful time to celebrate the incredible contributions of Black people to history, culture, and society. At The Crafty Case Company, we believe that learning can be a fun and creative journey for the whole family.
This October, we’ve put together a list of free, at-home activities focused on art and music. These ideas are designed to inspire creativity and spark conversations, helping your children learn about and honour Black history in a joyful and engaging way.
1. Storytelling Through Art
Art is a universal language, and it’s a wonderful way to explore the stories and lives of influential Black figures. You don’t need any fancy supplies—just some household items and your imagination!
Activity 1: Inspired by Alma Thomas American artist Alma Thomas was known for her vibrant, abstract paintings using a mosaic-like style of colourful dashes.
What you need: Paper or card, pens or crayons, scissors, and glue.
How to do it: Look up some of Alma Thomas's incredible paintings online, like Snoopy—Early Spring Beginning or A Starry Night with Astronauts. Talk about the colours and shapes you see. Then, using your pens or crayons, fill a sheet of paper with small, colourful dashes. You can create a pattern, or just let the colours flow! For a more hands-on approach, cut out small squares or strips of paper and glue them onto a new sheet to create your own colourful mosaic.
Activity 2: Create a Portrait with a Twist This activity is inspired by the work of artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, who used a mix of drawing, painting, and text to create powerful pieces.
What you need: Paper, pens, pencils, and maybe some old newspapers or magazines.
How to do it: Choose a historical figure to learn about—maybe someone like Mary Seacole, the pioneering British-Jamaican nurse, or Olaudah Equiano, a formerly enslaved writer and abolitionist. Find a picture of them online. Instead of just drawing a simple portrait, encourage your child to add words, symbols, or phrases around the portrait that represent their life and achievements. For example, you could draw a small plane next to a picture of Bessie Coleman to represent her dream of flying.
2. Musical Journeys
Music is at the heart of Black culture, influencing every genre we know today. These activities will get your family moving and listening while learning about the history of Black music.
Activity 1: Create a Musical Timeline Music tells a story. This activity helps you and your children discover how different genres evolved and shaped one another.
What you need: A long sheet of paper (the back of some old wrapping paper works well!), markers, and a device to listen to music.
How to do it: Start with the blues and spirituals, and listen to some songs by artists like Robert Johnson or Ella Fitzgerald. Talk about the feelings the music evokes. Then, move to jazz, exploring artists like Louis Armstrong. Add key figures and genres to your timeline as you go, listening to gospel, reggae, soul, funk, and hip-hop. Your child can draw pictures or write notes next to each artist or genre you discover.
Activity 2: DIY Instrument Workshop Music is all about rhythm, and you can make rhythm with anything!
What you need: Recycled materials like empty tubs, bottles, rubber bands, rice, and dried beans.
How to do it: Have a look at some traditional African instruments online, like the djembe drum or a marimba. Then, get creative!
Djembe Drum: Use a large empty tub (like a margarine tub) and cover the top with a strong piece of paper or fabric, securing it with a rubber band. Decorate it with patterns and tap out a beat.
Shakers: Fill an empty plastic bottle with a small handful of rice or dried beans and shake to the beat of your favourite tunes!
Djembe Drum
We hope these free activities help your family celebrate and learn this Black History Month. What are your favourite ways to learn about history at home? Share your ideas in the comments below!
Evlynne
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