Cesar Chavez Arts & Crafts for Kids

Cesar Chavez was a Latino civil rights leader who led the way for farmers and migrant workers to have a better life. He was born in Arizona, and had strong ties to his Latino community. In 1952, he joined a group that fought for Latino rights called the Community Service Organization. After this, Chavez continued his fight for fair treatment and wages for farmers and migrant workers across America. You can teach children about the life of Cesar Chavez through a number of arts and crafts activities.

Cesar Chavez was known for the quote, "si se puede." This translates to, "it can be done." Ask the child to brainstorm about one thing he wants to do to help change the world. This might be as small as helping a friend or as large as developing a cure for an illness. Have the child represent his dream to change the world through a painting. Set up an easel and give him any type of age-appropriate paints. Provide the child with a smock or old shirt to wear while painting. Allow him to share his dream painting and discuss his dream with friends.

Cesar Chavez fought for the rights of migrant farm workers. Teach your child about this part of his life, and discuss what you might find in a farming field. Create a model of a field using an empty shoe box top. Turn the top over, and use this as your field base. Cover it in green construction paper and then glue fake grass on the box top. Create grain and corn that you might find in a field and glue them so that they stand upright on the top of the box. Allow the child to add a worker or any other details she chooses.

Cesar Chavez was a Mexican-American born in Arizona. He spent much of his younger and older life in this state. Share facts about his life and death with your child and ask her to create the Arizona state flag. Provide an actual photo of the flag from the internet or encyclopedia for your child to reference. For a younger child, print out a black and white line image of the flag on your printer and ask her to color it. If the child is older, ask her to draw her own flag. Encourage the use of a variety of materials such as construction paper for the 13 rays or the use of a bronze sticker for the star in the center of the flag.

Provide the child with age-appropriate facts about Cesar Chavez. Have him create a large timeline of Cesar Chavez's life. Provide your child with a long sheet of butcher paper. Draw a straight line the entire length of the paper, and begin the time line in 1927, the year Cesar was born. Add any dates your child feels are important during the lifetime of Cesar Chavez. Illustrate the events chosen for the timeline using markers or crayons.