• Home
  • About Me
  • PR Friendly
    • Site Statistics
  • Copyright, Disclosure & Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Kid Crafts
  • STEM Activities
  • Dr. Seuss-Inspired
  • Shop
  • Valentine’s Day Crafts & Activities

Native American Craft: Build a Wigwam

November 3, 2018 by OneMommy

We have been working on American history as we learn about the 50 states.  We spent several weeks talking about Jamestown and then the Pilgrims and the Plymouth Colony.  Along the way we’ve had fun with several Native American crafts for kids.

Whether you are doing a Jamestown unit or are just looking for a Thanksgiving craft,  this simple wigwam craft can help bring history to life.

Native American craft -- build a wigwam; could be a Thanksgiving craft or go with a Jamestown unit or Mayflower unit

Affiliate links have been used below.  See my full disclosure policy here. 

This wigwam craft would be a fun addition to a Native American unit study.  Try making your own corn husk dolls, too!

You could also do it as a Thanksgiving craft for kids.  Add a few figures and they’ll have hours of fun playing with their creation.

Wigwam Craft

Materials Needed:

  • Thin Cardboard (We used cereal boxes.)
  • Brown Construction Paper
  • Liquid Craft Glue
  • Paintbrush
  • Stapler
  • Shallow Dish

 

Cut 3 cardboard strips that are 1 x 11 inches (2.5 cm x 28 cm).  Cut another strip that is 1 x 16 inches (2.5 x 41 cm).   (We actually stapled 2 smaller strips together to make ours.)

Form the longest cardboard strip into a circle and staple together.  This will be the wigwam’s base.

Next, staple the 3 shorter strips to form a dome.  (As shown in picture below.)

Have your child rip the brown construction paper into 1 inch thick strips and then tear the strips to form 1 inch “squares.”  They don’t have to be perfect, just approximately the same size.

how to make a wigwam -- fun Native American craft for Thanksgiving or Jamestown unit

Pour glue into a shallow dish and use the paintbrush to glue the construction paper pieces to the cardboard strips.

Allow pieces of paper to overhang the strips.  Once the cardboard pieces are covered, allow your project to dry some before continuing.

Once it has dried, it is time to fill in those spaces between the cardboard supports.

Glue the construction paper “bark” so it overlaps and begins to fill in those spaces.  You may need to let it dry some as you work, depending on how much glue your child uses.  Continue the process until the whole thing is covered in brown paper.

Allow it to dry.

To make our paper feel more like bark (and to make the structure stronger), we used the paintbrush and covered the entire outside of the wigwam with one more layer of glue.  This is the perfect time to patch any remaining holes.

Then allow the whole thing to dry overnight.

Once it is dry, it is time to cut your door and a smoke hole at the top.  Use the tip of your scissors to slowly and carefully poke a hole at the top.  You can wiggle them and turn your scissor blades to make the hole round.  (This step is best done by a parent.)

fun Native American craft -- make a wigwam for Thanksgiving craft or Jamestown craft

We originally created our wigwams to go with our Jamestown unit.  The kids have been having fun using them with our  Playmobil Native Americans and reenacting what we have learned about.

This Native American craft for kids would also be a great Thanksgiving craft.  It pairs nicely with learning about the Mayflower and the Plymouth Colony.

Thanksgiving craft for elementary students

 

 

You may also like:

  • Making a Wigwam for School from Sue at Home
  • Make Your Own Tin Can Lantern — Colonial America Craft
  • Turkey Craft to Increase Fine Motor Skills 
  • Go on a Candy Cane Hunt! 


Originally published November 7, 2016. 

Filed Under: Kids Crafts Tagged With: Colonial America unit, history unit, Thanksgiving

Comments

  1. Ginny Marie says

    November 10, 2016 at 10:58 am

    Your wigwams look great! We are studying the first Thanksgiving at our preschool and talking about wigwams. The kids love playing with the Playmobil sets we get out at Thanksgiving, too!

    • OneMommy says

      November 13, 2016 at 10:44 am

      My son has been having so much fun using these with our Playmobil. When we first started, I wasn’t thinking they’d actually have anything that would go with them….but right away he grabbed them out of our drawer and they fit perfectly. 🙂

Connect with me

Link to my Facebook Page
Link to my Pinterest Page
Link to my Twitter Page

Popular Posts

kids sheep and lamb crafts

rainbow shamrock craft: make a tie-dyed shamrock suncatcher for St. Patrick's Day

Dr. Seuss for older kids -- Dr. Seuss activities for tweens

shark party games: perfect for Shark Week or a shark birthday party

Looking for something specific?

Recent Posts

  • Spinning Nerf Gun Targets for Valentine’s Day
  • Funtastic Dr. Seuss Math Activities Kids Love
  • Dr. Seuss-Inspired Activities for Older Kids
  • Make a Paper Cup Phone
  • Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? Book Activity and Printable

Proud Member

Women Online

Archives

Copyright © 2019 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in