Wonder Days

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States holiday celebrated on the third Monday in January every year. On this day, we observe the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is a day to honor Dr. King and the profound work that he accomplished during the civil rights movement. Below are lesson plan ideas and activities to help teach children of all ages about Martin Luther King, Jr.
Activities for Young Children Ages 5 & Up
The following crafts are a fun way for kids to learn about the diversity within people. Children can make finger puppets and pins representing girls and boys of different races.
Martin Luther King Day Rainbow Pin
Freedom Friends Puppets
Timeline of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Life
This is an easy way to teach younger children about the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. The colorful and interactive timeline will surely keep their attention and expand their awareness of Dr. King.
Activity for Children Ages 9 & Up
I Have A Dream Fill-in-the-Blanks
On August 28,1963, Dr. King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and delivered an astonishing speech, I Have a Dream. This is a fill-in-the-blanks activity that allows children to fill in 28 missing words from Dr. King's speech. There is also a link to the actual speech to check your answers.
Family Education
This is a remarkable website for children to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. There is an activity for grades K - 6 regarding heroes. The website provides a handful of quizzes about Dr. King for kids and parents to take. There is a great list of 5 activities to do on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, tips for young activists, talking about racism and kids making good (a history of heroism).
Apples 4 the Teacher
This website has over a dozen printables, worksheets, and coloring pages for parents and teachers to print for their children and students. There are alphabetical worksheets, word jumbles, word searches. The answer sheets to the worksheets are available to print as well.
20 Lessons Plans About Martin Luther King Jr.
You will find lesson plans for kids in grades K - 12. Some of the lesson plans have the kids creating maps that show important places in Dr. King's life, making a creative timeline, learning about the civil rights struggle, and much more.
Reading List for Children, Parents, and Teachers
A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by by David A. Adler: King's life illustrated for kids
My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up With the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Christine King Farris: King's sister offers her perspective on what influenced him
Dear Dr. King: Letters from Today's Children to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. edited by Jan Colbert and Ann McMillan Harms: A look a race relations in America today through the eyes of children