Explore Indigenous artists, doctors, astronauts, and innovators with simple art, science, and STEM activities for kids.
These hands-on projects are a useful addition to lesson plans for Indigenous Peoples’ Day in October, Native American Heritage Month in November, biography studies, or year-round learning.
đź’ˇ Rather than treating Indigenous peoples as one group, use these activities to help kids learn about individual people, their specific backgrounds, and their accomplishments.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Activities for Kids
Explore Indigenous artists, scientists, doctors, astronauts, and innovators with simple art, science, and STEM activities for kids.
These hands-on projects are a useful addition to lesson plans for Indigenous Peoples’ Day in October, Native American Heritage Month in November, biography studies, or year-round learning.
Rather than treating Indigenous peoples as one group, use these activities to help kids learn about individual people, their backgrounds, and their accomplishments.
Fields: Art, Science, STEM
Grades: 2–6
Concepts: Biography, art, medicine, aerospace, engineering, innovation
Free Indigenous Innovators Guide
Looking for an easy place to start?
Download our free one-page Indigenous Innovators guide featuring several people and matching art and STEM activity ideas.
👉 GET THE FREE INDIGENOUS INNOVATORS GUIDE
đź’ˇ Want to explore more? The full Indigenous Innovators Art & STEM Project Pack includes short biographies, hands-on projects, printable templates, science investigations, art activities, and engineering challenges.
What Does Indigenous Mean?
Indigenous peoples are the original peoples of a place and include many different nations, communities, languages, traditions, and histories.
When introducing Indigenous people to kids, focus on the specific person and community connected with each story rather than presenting Indigenous cultures as one single group.
This gives kids the opportunity to see how people from different backgrounds have contributed to art, medicine, science, engineering, exploration, and design.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Activities
Explore the people below and pair each short biography with a hands-on art or STEM activity.
Bronwyn Bancroft — Bundjalung Artist
Bronwyn Bancroft is an award-winning Bundjalung artist, illustrator, and designer from Australia. Her artwork often features bold colors, repeating patterns, landscapes, and natural elements.
Bancroft Landscape Art: Use the printable landscape template as the starting point for a bright mixed-media artwork. Start with watercolor, then add acrylic paint using toothpicks, pencil ends, or paintbrushes to create dots, lines, and repeating patterns.
👉 Explore the Bronwyn Bancroft landscape art project
đź’ˇ This is a simple way to explore color, pattern, layering, and landscape design. Or try this colorful ornament project.
Kenojuak Ashevak — Inuit Artist
Kenojuak Ashevak was an Inuit artist known for drawings and prints inspired by the natural world.
Ashevak Owl Collage: Use the printable owl template, colored paper, paint, scissors, and glue to create a bold owl collage inspired by Ashevak’s love of nature and animals. You can also try this bird collage.
👉 Explore the Kenojuak Ashevak owl art project
đź’ˇ This project is an easy way to combine art history, shape, color, and collage.
Susan La Flesche Picotte — Omaha Physician
Susan La Flesche Picotte became the first Indigenous woman in the United States to earn a medical degree.
After medical school, she returned to Nebraska and cared for members of the Omaha community. She also worked in public health, including hygiene, sanitation, and disease prevention.
Build a DIY Stethoscope: Connect her story with a simple science activity by building a working stethoscope from a funnel, paper towel tube, and tape.
- Place the stethoscope against a volunteer’s chest and listen carefully for a heartbeat.
- Try a little movement, then listen again. What changes do you notice?
đź’ˇ This gives kids a simple introduction to heart rate, observation, sound, and medical tools.
John Herrington — Chickasaw Astronaut
John Herrington became the first Native American to walk in space.
He is a member of the Chickasaw Nation and traveled to the International Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 2002. He later commanded the NASA NEEMO 6 mission aboard the Aquarius underwater research laboratory.
Build an Underwater Research Lab: Build your own model of the Aquarius Reef Base using simple craft supplies. NASA’s NEEMO missions send astronauts, engineers, and scientists underwater to practice living and working in an extreme environment.
👉 Build the Aquarius Reef Base
đź’ˇ This activity makes a fun connection between engineering, underwater research, and space exploration.
Lloyd Kiva New — Artist and Designer
Lloyd Kiva New was an influential Native American artist and designer whose work included textiles, fashion, and visual design. His work is a great starting point for exploring bold shapes, pattern, color, collage, and design.
Create a Paper Collage: Use colorful paper, shapes, patterns, and layered pieces to create an original collage. Encourage kids to think about:
- Repeating patterns
- Contrasting colors
- Geometric shapes
- Nature-inspired designs
- How separate pieces work together in one composition
👉 Try the Lloyd Kiva New paper collage project
Mary Golda Ross — Cherokee Aerospace Engineer
Mary Golda Ross was a Cherokee mathematician and engineer who worked on important aerospace projects.
She was a member of the Cherokee Nation and became one of the first Native American women to work as an engineer. Her work included aerospace research related to satellites and future interplanetary space travel.
Test Paper Rocket Fins: Connect Ross’s work with a simple rocket engineering investigation. Build two paper rockets:
- One without fins
- One with fins
🔎 Launch both rockets and compare what happens. Do the fins help the rocket travel straighter? Does one rocket wobble or spin more than the other?
👉 TRY THE PAPER ROCKET STEM ACTIVITY (Coming Soon)
đź’ˇ The activity introduces kids to the idea that rocket fins can help with stability and flight control.
Want More Indigenous Art and STEM Projects?
The activities above are a great place to start, but the full Indigenous Innovators Art & STEM Project Pack goes further.
The 38-page printable includes additional short biographies, art projects, science investigations, engineering challenges, printable templates, instructions, supply lists, and extension activities.
It also introduces additional Indigenous artists and innovators, including:
- Lori Arviso Alvord — Navajo surgeon
- Jeffrey Gibson — Choctaw and Cherokee artist
- Jaune Quick-to-See Smith — Salish and Kootenai artist
These additional biographies are paired with hands-on projects, including a surgery-themed investigation, power-word art, and mixed-media collage.
Suggested Grades: 2–6
Includes: Biographies, art, science, STEM, printable templates, and extension activities
👉 GET THE INDIGENOUS INNOVATORS ART & STEM PROJECT PACK
Guiding Questions
Use these questions to extend the learning:
- What is this person best known for?
- What inspired their work?
- What problem did they solve or explore?
- What materials, tools, or processes did they use?
- How did their background influence their work?
- What can we learn by trying a related project?
- How are the people we studied similar?
- How are they different?
FAQ
What grades are these Indigenous Peoples’ Day activities for?
Most of the activities work well for grades 2–6. Younger students may need additional help with reading or project steps.
Can I use these for Native American Heritage Month?
Yes. These activities work well for Indigenous Peoples’ Day in October, Native American Heritage Month in November, or throughout the year.
Are all of the activities free?
Several individual projects are available on the site. The full Indigenous Innovators Project Pack includes additional biographies, projects, templates, and activities that are not all available individually.
Is there a free printable?
Yes. Download the free one-page Indigenous Innovators guide near the top of the post.
What is included in the full project pack?
The 38-page pack includes short biographies, hands-on art and STEM projects, science investigations, printable templates, instructions, supply lists, and extension activities. Indigenous People Project Pack …
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