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Ancient Civilizations: The History & Significance Of The Simple LEGO Ziggurat

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Creating a LEGO Ziggurat gives your child a better understanding of how ancient people lived, worshiped, and organized their cities. Also, look at my page From Simple to Spectacular: Easy LEGO Ideas for Everyone.

And look at my Ancient Civilizations and Ancient Civilizations II pages.

Ancient Mesopotamia is often called the “Cradle of Civilization.” It was home to some of the world’s first cities, writing systems, and monumental architecture.

Ancient Civilizations: The History & Significance Of The Simple LEGO Ziggurat

One of the most impressive structures built by the Mesopotamian civilizations was the ziggurat that we are going to recreate from LEGO today.

A ziggurat was a massive, stepped temple tower built in ancient Mesopotamia between 3000 and 500 BCE. Ziggurats were constructed by civilizations such as the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians.

Unlike Egyptian pyramids, which were tombs, ziggurats were religious centers. Each ziggurat was dedicated to a specific god or goddess.

MORE EASY LEGO IDEAS

KIDS BOOKS ABOUT ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA

Next, look at some books about ancient Mesopotamia.

7 Books to Read About Ancient Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia is a region situated within the Tigris–Euphrates River system, in the northern part of the Fertile Crescent. Today, Mesopotamia occupies modern Iraq.  In the broader sense, the historical region included present-day Iraq and parts of present-day Iran, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey.

Then, look at more about ziggurats.

ABOUT ZIGGURATS

The temple at the top was believed to be the dwelling place of the deity, and only priests were allowed to enter. Ordinary citizens worshiped at the base.

Ziggurats also showed a city’s power and wealth. Building one required organized labor, skilled workers, and careful planning. This reveals how advanced Mesopotamian governments were and helps us understand the importance of cooperation, leadership, and shared belief systems in early civilizations.

Ziggurats were built in tiered levels, with each level smaller than the one below it. This gave them a staircase or pyramid-like appearance.

Common features of a ziggurat included:

  • A rectangular or square base
  • Multiple levels (usually 2–7 tiers)
  • Staircases or ramps leading to the top
  • A temple shrine at the summit
  • Thick walls made of sun-dried mud bricks

Because Mesopotamia had very little stone, builders relied heavily on mud bricks. To protect the structure from rain, the outer layers were often coated with fired bricks or bitumen (natural tar).

One of the most well-known ziggurats is the Great Ziggurat of Ur, built around 2100 BCE in the Sumerian city of Ur (modern-day Iraq). It was dedicated to Nanna, the moon god. At its original height, it stood about 100 feet tall, making it one of the tallest structures of its time.

Religion was central to Mesopotamian life. People believed the gods controlled natural events like floods, droughts, and disease.

Ziggurats symbolized a connection between heaven and earth, serving as a meeting place between humans and the divine.

Ancient Civilizations: The History & Significance Of The Simple LEGO Ziggurat

Priests played an important role, offering sacrifices, interpreting omens, and caring for the temple. Ziggurats were often located in the center of the city, surrounded by homes, markets, and government buildings.

KEY ZIGGURAT FACTS

Here are some quick facts to share with your learner while building your own..

  • Only priests entered the top temple
  • Ziggurats were religious temples, not tombs
  • Built mainly from mud bricks
  • Found in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq)
  • Dedicated to specific gods or goddesses
  • Located at the center of the city

Also, look at more ziggurat resources and hands-on activities.

LEGO ZIGGURAT RESOURCES AND HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

HOW TO BUILD A LEGO ZIGGURAT

You will need:

Ancient Civilizations: The History & Significance Of The Simple LEGO Ziggurat

First, gather up all the tan LEGO bricks you can find, of all sizes. Though it’s a small build, it will take more than you think.

If you don’t have enough tan, you can make it in white or yellow as well.

Begin by building boxes using small tan baseplates and create a border around them with 1-stud or 2-stud wide bricks. Start with a small one. No need to fill in the center and use up extra bricks.

Ancient Civilizations: The History & Significance Of The Simple LEGO Ziggurat

Top it off with another small tan baseplate.

Ancient Civilizations: The History & Significance Of The Simple LEGO Ziggurat

Build another larger one and place it underneath, and snap it into place.

Ancient Civilizations: The History & Significance Of The Simple LEGO Ziggurat

Repeat the steps, building these boxes, going larger and larger until you have created 3-5 to stack together.

Ancient Civilizations: The History & Significance Of The Simple LEGO Ziggurat

If you have a baseplate or smaller pieces, you can put them together to form a base and put your structure on it.

Build stair steps up the structure, leaving a space of 2 studs wide. Place a 1×2 stud at the base to hold the next step in place.

Ancient Civilizations: The History & Significance Of The Simple LEGO Ziggurat

Add a 2-stud wide, tall baseplate at an angle to create the “steps”.

Ancient Civilizations: The History & Significance Of The Simple LEGO Ziggurat

You can add steps around several sides if you like, or just leave it on the one.

The temple is thought to have been painted and maintained in an indigo color. You can top your structure with a blue LEGO brick to give it this look.

Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Creating a LEGO family tree is a simple but powerful way to help children understand relationships, generations, and their place in a larger story while tapping into creativity and play. Also, look at my page From Simple to Spectacular: Easy LEGO Ideas for Everyone.

Family history can feel abstract to children when it’s limited to names and dates written on paper. Turning genealogy into a hands-on project makes it meaningful, memorable, and personal.

This activity works well across multiple ages, learning styles, and especially for visual and hands-on learners.

Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

Studying family history helps children develop identity, empathy, and perspective. They learn that they are part of a larger story, one shaped by choices, challenges, faith, culture, and perseverance.

Using LEGO bricks removes pressure and perfectionism. There’s no “wrong” way to build a family tree. Instead, it becomes an evolving project that can grow year after year as children learn more.

This is one of those wonderful homeschool activities that blends play, academics, and meaningful connection, and it’s often remembered long after worksheets are forgotten.

Combine it with other activities like looking through old family keepsakes and pictures as well as doing further research on sites like ancestry.com.

MORE EASY LEGO IDEAS

LEARNING THROUGH FAMILY PHOTOS

Once the LEGO family tree is built, extend the lesson by looking through family photos together. Pull out albums, boxes of old pictures, or digital photo folders.

Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

Encourage children to:

  • Match photos to people on the LEGO tree
  • Notice changes in clothing, hairstyles, or technology over time
  • Ask questions about unfamiliar faces
  • Compare family resemblances across generations
  • You can turn this into a gentle storytelling session by sharing short memories or letting grandparents tell stories if possible. This builds listening skills, emotional connection, and historical awareness.

EXPLORE KEEPSAKES AND HEIRLOOMS

Family keepsakes are tangible links to the past. These might include:

  • Jewelry
  • Military medals
  • Old letters or postcards 
  • Baby books
  • Bibles with handwritten records
  • Tools, toys, or handmade items

Invite your child to examine one or two keepsakes and discuss them and how they fit into the family history.

Who did this belong to?
How old might it be?
Why was it important enough to keep?

Younger children can draw the item, while older students can write a short paragraph or create a LEGO display to represent it.

Researching Genealogy Beyond Your Home

As children grow more curious, you can introduce genealogy research tools to expand learning beyond what your family already knows. This is a great challenge for older children to take it beyond LEGO.

Helpful places to research include:

  • FamilySearch.org (free and very homeschool-friendly)
  • Ancestry.com (paid, but often free through libraries)
  • Local libraries and historical societies
  • Census records
  • Immigration and ship passenger lists
  • Church baptism, marriage, and burial records
  • Old newspapers and obituaries
Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

This LEGO family tree project can easily connect other subjects:

IDEAS TO TURN GENEALOGY INTO A UNIT STUDY

For example, look at these creative ideas.

LANGUAGE ARTS

  • Write a short biography of a family member
  • Create interview questions for grandparents
  • Keep a genealogy journal

HISTORY

  • Map where ancestors lived or immigrated from
  • Study historical events that affected your family
  • Discuss how communities change over time

MATH

  • Count generations
  • Estimate ages and timelines
  • Compare lifespans across centuries

ART

  • Build LEGO scenes showing family occupations or traditions
  • Design decorative family tree backdrops

Additionally, look at more resources to craft a family tree.

MORE WAYS TO CRAFT A FAMILY TREE

Finally, look at how to design a LEGO family tree.

HOW TO DESIGN A LEGO FAMILY TREE

You will need:

Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

For your LEGO family tree, start by deciding how many generations you want to include. I kept it pretty simple- younger children may focus on immediate family-parents, siblings, and grandparents, while older students can extend the tree further.

Design your minifigures to represent each person you want to display in your family tree.

If you don’t have a lot of minifigures, you can insert printed photos, certain color bricks, or handwritten names into the correct spots.

Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

The next thing you are going to do is build a simple tree trunk by creating a vertical column of brown. You can use regular bricks or the flat ones, as I did.

You want to leave enough room at the top of the plate to place your top minifigures.

Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

Then place horizontal pieces wide enough to hold 2 minifigures at the top, and work your way down to create the branches for each side and generation.

Now you can start to place the generations. We started with great-grandparents, but you can add a LEGO baseplate to make your tree taller or wider and encompass siblings, cousins, and generations even further back if you like.

Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

As you build, talk through relationships out loud:

“These bricks represent your grandparents.”

“This branch shows your dad’s side of the family.”

“Notice how families grow wider over time.”

Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

This conversation is just as important as the build itself.

Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

Continue your way down the tree with grandparents and parents, each on their own branch.

Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

Finally, have your child place themselves and their siblings at the bottom of the tree.

Crafting Connections: How to Design a LEGO Family Tree

To finish off your family tree with a little more detail, you can add some greenery around the branches as well.

Unleashing Creativity: An Easy Guide to a LEGO Stonehenge Model

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a super easy guide to creating your own LEGO Stonehenge model for your ancient history unit. Also, look at my page From Simple to Spectacular: Easy LEGO Ideas for Everyone.

Also, look at my page Ancient Civilizations for more ideas, free lapbooks and hands-on activities. And look at my Free England Lapbook For Kids Who Love Hands-On Learning.

Stonehenge is one of the most famous prehistoric monuments in the world, but it remains one of the greatest mysteries of ancient history.

Unleashing Creativity: An Easy Guide to a LEGO Stonehenge Model

Stonehenge was built more than 4,000 years ago, long before written records even existed. It is located on the Salisbury Plain in southern England,

Today, historians, archaeologists, and scientists continue to study it to better understand why it was built and how ancient people managed such an incredible engineering feat.

Recreating Stonehenge with LEGO is a wonderful way for kids to explore history hands-on. By building the stone circles piece by piece, your child can visualize how the monument was constructed and better appreciate the skill and planning required by Neolithic people.

I have some great resource ideas for you as well to incorporate books, videos, and more hands on activities.

MORE EASY LEGO IDEAS

BOOKS SET IN ENGLAND OR ABOUT ENGLAND FOR KIDS

First, look at these fun books I’ve rounded up for kids.

10 Books About England Or Set In England

Whether you’re looking for a book set in England or wanting to learn about the history, you’ll find these books delightful.

Next, look at some facts about Stonehenge.

WHAT IS STONEHENGE

Stonehenge is a circular arrangement of massive standing stones, some weighing up to 25 tons each. The monument is made up of two main types of stone. They are the larger sarsen stones and smaller bluestones.

The sarsen stones form the outer circle and inner horseshoe shape. The bluestones were placed in earlier phases of construction.

Stonehenge was not built all at once. Archaeologists believe it was constructed in stages over a period of about 1,500 years, beginning around 3000 BCE.

The earliest version included a circular ditch and wooden posts. The famous stone structures were added later, showing that Stonehenge evolved over generations.

HOW AND WHY DID ANCIENT PEOPLE BUILD STONEHENGE

The stones were shaped using simple stone tools, likely made from harder rock. The sarsen stones were probably dragged from nearby areas, but the bluestones came from the Preseli Hills in Wales, nearly 150 miles away.

Scientists believe the stones were transported using wooden sledges, rollers, and possibly boats along rivers. Once at the site, the stones were raised by digging deep pits, placing one end of the stone inside, and then using ropes, levers, and teamwork to lift them upright.

Horizontal stones were then placed on top using carefully shaped joints( mortise and tenon joints), that locked the stones together.

The exact purpose of Stonehenge is still unknown, but several theories exist. Many researchers believe it was used as a ceremonial or religious site. Human remains that were found nearby lead scientists to believe that it may have been connected to burial practices or ancestor worship.

Stonehenge is also closely aligned with the sun’s movements. During the summer solstice, the sun rises directly over the Heel Stone, shining into the center of the monument.

Unleashing Creativity: An Easy Guide to a LEGO Stonehenge Model

During the winter solstice, the sun sets in alignment with the stones. This has led many historians to believe Stonehenge functioned as an ancient calendar, helping people track seasons important for farming and celebrations.

WHO BUILT STONEHENGE

Stonehenge was built by Neolithic and early Bronze Age people living in Britain. These communities were farmers who raised animals, grew crops, and lived in small settlements.

Despite lacking metal tools or written language, they had advanced knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, and engineering.

The construction of Stonehenge likely required the cooperation of many groups of people. It was not the work of a single leader but a community effort that brought people together over generations. It is believed that Stonehenge originally had 30 upright stones (sarsens). And it was topped with 30 horizontal stones(lintels), so that is what we are going to base our build on

Next, look at Stonehenge resources.

STONEHENGE RESOURCES

Unleashing Creativity: An Easy Guide to a LEGO Stonehenge Model

A LEGO STONEHENGE MODEL

You will need:

  • Assortment of grey bricks
  • Green Baseplates
Unleashing Creativity: An Easy Guide to a LEGO Stonehenge Model

I was able to find this off-brand building brick set of just grey bricks as an alternative option.

Because of the sheer number of bricks needed to create our model, I wanted to keep it very small and manageable, but you can build yours any size you like.

To recreate the outer design of Stonehenge like min,e you want to first make 30 sets of columns by creating a double stack of 4×4 bricks. You can do this with any combination of bricks, 1×1’s,2×2’s, or 4×4’s.

Unleashing Creativity: An Easy Guide to a LEGO Stonehenge Model

Next, to make the stones that lay across the top of each, you will need 30 1×4 bricks. In order for it to reach across, they need to be at least 4 studs long.

Okay,  we are going to do something considered an “illegal”  LEGO move by many enthusiasts. Instead of placing the 1×4 straight onto the stud, we are going to angle it off one corner to allow us to manipulate our shape into a round rather than a square.

Unleashing Creativity: An Easy Guide to a LEGO Stonehenge Model

Continue alternating inner and outer corners all the way around to connect your horizontal brick with the vertical column until you have used up all 30.

Unleashing Creativity: An Easy Guide to a LEGO Stonehenge Model

Since the bricks are at an angle, you will not be able to click them all in place on the baseplate but you can just set it on top (you will actually need two if you make it the full size).

Unleashing Creativity: An Easy Guide to a LEGO Stonehenge Model

Carefully arrange it into a large circular shape. And the green baseplate looks like the grass Stonehenge is mounted on.

Unleashing Creativity: An Easy Guide to a LEGO Stonehenge Model

You can opt to build it more as it stands today, with many of its stones fallen or missing or the way it was once believed to have looked. You can also include the inner stones and ruins if you like.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets – How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Crafting a LEGO mythology sets can take your learning to a new and creative place that your child will love. Also, look at my page From Simple to Spectacular: Easy LEGO Ideas for Everyone.

Also, look at my page Fun Ancient Greece Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook and look at my second free Ancient Greece Lapbook for more ideas.

Greek mythology is full of powerful characters, epic battles, and timeless lessons about pride, strength, and responsibility.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

One of the most fascinating figures is Atlas, a mighty Titan who was condemned to hold up the heavens for eternity.

In this hands-on homeschool activity, students combine LEGO building, mythology, and storytelling by crafting their own LEGO version of Atlas.

Too your children will learn about his role in Greek myth and how he connects to other famous gods and heroes.

This project works well for upper elementary through high school, and it’s especially engaging for visual and tactile learners.

MORE EASY LEGO IDEAS

LEGO IDEAS FOR KIDS

Also, look at these other building ideas.

Lego Ideas for Kids

Use one of these LEGO ideas in your homeschool. Besides, LEGO are great hands-on crafts to teach with.

Before we tackle building our LEGO Atlas, let’s find out more about who he was, other key players in Greek Mythology, and find some more great mythology ideas to expand on our activity.

WHO WAS ATLAS

Atlas was a Titan, part of the generation of gods that ruled before the Olympians.

He was the son of Lapetus, another Titan, and a sea nymph named Clymene. Atlas played a major role in the Titanomachy, the great war between the Titans and the Olympian gods led by Zeus.

When the Olympians won, Zeus punished Atlas uniquely and eternally. Instead of being cast into Tartarus like many other Titans, Atlas was sentenced to hold up the sky (not the Earth, as commonly misunderstood) at the edge of the world.

His punishment symbolized the weight of rebellion and the consequences of defying divine authority.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

Atlas appears in several myths, including one involving Heracles (Hercules).

During one of his twelve labors, Heracles temporarily took on Atlas’s burden so Atlas could retrieve the golden apples of the Hesperides.

However, Heracles cleverly tricked Atlas into taking the sky back, restoring the Titan to his endless task.

OTHER IMPORTANT GREEK GODS AND TITANS TO EXPLORE

Once Atlas is complete, students can expand their LEGO mythology set by adding gods and figures connected to his story.

  • Zeus- The king of the Olympian gods, Zeus ruled the sky and thunder. He defeated the Titans and decided Atlas’s fate. Zeus symbolizes authority, justice, and power.
  • Hera- Zeus’s wife and queen of the gods, Hera was the goddess of marriage and family. She is known for her jealousy and strong will.
  • Poseidon- Brother of Zeus and god of the sea, Poseidon ruled oceans, earthquakes, and storms. His trident is one of the most recognizable symbols in mythology.
  • Athena- Goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, Athena often helped heroes with clever plans rather than brute strength.
  • Heracles (Hercules)- A famous hero rather than a god, Heracles interacted directly with Atlas during his twelve labors.
  • Prometheus- Atlas’s brother, Prometheus defied Zeus by giving fire to humanity. His punishment mirrors Atlas’s in its severity and symbolism.

Atlas represents more than physical strength. His story opens the door to meaningful discussion. Here are some questions to ask to help your child dig deeper into the story.

How does Atlas differ from the Olympian gods?
What responsibilities feel heavy in real life?
How do pride and rebellion affect choices?
Why do myths often use punishment to teach lessons?

WONDERFUL RESOURCES TO EXPAND THE LEGO MYTHOLOGY ACTIVITY

HOW TO CRAFT THE POWERFUL TITAN ATLAS

You will need:

  • LEGO baseplate
  • Assorted LEGO Bricks

For this tutorial, I used tan, white, brown, blue, and yellow LEGO Bricks.

Here is a list if you want to gather them up before you begin. You do not have to follow the number exactly, for example, if it calls for 2×8 bricks, you can use a couple of 2×4 bricks to make up the same amount. If you look closely, you can see where I swapped out a few of my own.

  • 24 tan 2×2 bricks
  • 4 tan 2×6 bricks
  • 11 tan 2×4 bricks
  • 7 brown 2×2 bricks
  • 4 brown 1×2 bricks
  • 7 white 2×2 bricks
  • 3 white 1×2 bricks
  • 8 blue 2×4 bricks
  • 4 blue 2×2 bricks
  • 2 blue 1×2 bricks
  • 1 yellow 2×2 brick

Also, if you don’t have enough of the tan bricks, you can make it in white as if it’s a marble statue, or use whatever combination of colors you like.

Start with the feet, for this I used two  2×4 tan bricks.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

Stack five 2×2 tan bricks on top of each to make the legs.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

I wanted to show you that if you are short on bricks you can sneak in another color on the back side to help fill in- hee hee.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

Build the abdomen by stacking the four tan 2×6 bricks on top of each other.

HOW TO CRAFT THE POWERFUL TITAN ATLAS

Then, add two rows of white to create the covering using a combination of six 2×2 white bricks.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

Add a 2×4 brick to the center to help build up the neck and two 2×4 tan bricks on either side of it to create shoulders and start the arms.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

Build the upright arms the same way you did the legs by stacking 6 tan 2×2’s on top of each other.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

Add hands using tan 2×4 bricks facing outward.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

Create his head by stacking two 2×8 bricks and then centering a tan 2×2 on top and underneath. Surround with your 7 brown 2×2’s and 4 brown 1×2’s to look at hair and a beard.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

Carefully attach the legs, abdomen, and head together.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

Create an arched “sky” using blue bricks for the sky, white for clouds, and a yellow to represent the sun in the sky. Or you can use black and create a night sky- get creative with this part.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

To be sure it will fit properly on his hands, you can lay your Atlas down as you build the arch to be sure it will balance properly.

Craft Lego Mythology Sets - How To Craft The Powerful Titan Atlas

For him to hold the weight upright, you will need to anchor him on a baseplate.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Creating a Martin Luther King Jr bottle buddy is a great project to go along with a unit on this key figure in the civil rights movement.

The MLK bottle buddy represents standing tall, just like Dr. King did, even when it was hard.

He stood up for fairness, equality, and kindness during a time when many people were treated unjustly because of the color of their skin.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Through peaceful protest, powerful speeches, and strong faith, Dr. King helped change the laws and hearts of a nation.

As you create your Martin Luther King Jr. bottle buddy, think of it as a reminder that even ordinary people like teachers, pastors, parents, and students can do extraordinary things when they stand up for what is right.

BOOKS ABOUT THE 1960S

Then, add a few of these books about the 1960s.

6 Books About Events of the 1960s

Add a few of these books to your home library if you’re studying events of the 1960s. Use one or two for a unit study.

it just looks prettier this way

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR FACTS

  • Full name: Michael King Jr. (later changed to Martin Luther King Jr.)
  • Born: January 15, 1929, Atlanta, Georgia
  • Died: April 4, 1968, Memphis, Tennessee
  • Occupation: Baptist minister and civil rights leader
  • Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday of January
How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Next, look at more about the life and achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr.

WHO WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING JR

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up in a loving family and learned early on about the importance of faith, education, and standing up against injustice.

His father was a pastor, and Martin followed in his footsteps, becoming a Baptist minister himself.

As a young man, King noticed how unfairly African Americans were treated, especially in the southern United States. Laws called Jim Crow laws enforced segregation, which meant Black Americans were forced to use separate schools, bathrooms, restaurants, and even drinking fountains.

Dr. King believed these laws were wrong, and he believed change could happen without violence.

One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s greatest beliefs was nonviolence. He taught that people could stand up to injustice without fighting, hurting others, or spreading hatred.

He was inspired by the teachings of Jesus and by Mahatma Gandhi, who used peaceful protest to bring change in India.

MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT

One of the most famous events Dr. King helped lead was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. After Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus, African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, stopped riding buses for over a year.

Dr. King became a leader of the movement, encouraging people to remain peaceful even when they were threatened or arrested. Eventually, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated buses were unconstitutional.

“I HAVE A DREAM”

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his most famous speech, “I Have a Dream,” during the March on Washington.

Standing before more than 250,000 people, he spoke about his hope for a future where people would be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

This speech helped inspire major changes in U.S. law, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which worked to end segregation and protect voting rights for African Americans.

MORE MARTIN LUTHER KING CRAFTS AND RESOURCES

And here is a post about other things in the 1960s The Vibrant World Of 1960s Tie-Dye: Fun Hands-On History Activities.

HOW TO MAKE A MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BOTTLE BUDDY

You will need:

  • Any size plastic bottle
  • Foam ball
  • Craft felt-white, black, dark blue
  • Hot glue gun, glue sticks
How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Clean and remove the label from a clear 2-liter bottle.

Add a generous amount of brown paint to the inside of the bottle. You can add a small amount of water to help thin the paint out.

 Shake the bottle until the entire inside is coated, place upside down on a cup to drain the excess until it is barely dripping.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Dig enough of the foam ball out to fit it on top of the lid.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Press it firmly down over a generous amount of hot glue and hold in place until the glue sets.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Paint the head with brown paint. Once it dries, you will probably need a second coat. While you are waiting for it to dry, begin working on the clothes.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Make a 1” cut in the center of a sheet of white 8×12” felt.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Cut a tie shape 3”-4” long from black felt.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Fold down the corners of the cut on the white shirt and glue them into place with the tie to create a colored dress shirt.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Glue into place on the bottle, add the glue to the felt, not the plastic, or it will melt.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

You can either trim down two dark blue 8×12 felt pieces or cut down one larger piece into a roughly 8×15 rectangle for his jacket.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Fold down a lapel on either side and secure with hot glue, wrap over the shirt, and glue down.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Paint on black hair.

How to Make a Martin Luther King Jr. Bottle Buddy

Add googly eyes, eyebrows, and a mustache to finish him off.