Pueblo Activities for Kids

In this set of activities adaptable for grades K-3, parents and educators will find ideas for teaching about the Pueblo. These activities are designed to complement the BrainPOP Jr. Pueblo topic page, which includes a movie, quizzes, online games, printable activities, and more.

Classroom Activities for Teaching About Pueblo

Adobes

Explain to your students that some early Pueblo homes had no windows or doors and people entered through a trapdoor on the roof. Other Pueblo homes are multiple stories with movable ladders. Together find different pictures and examples of Pueblo homes. Discuss the similarities and differences. Then have your students make a model of a Pueblo home. They may wish to use clay or make a diorama. Encourage your students to be creative. Then display their models so they can share them with the rest of the class.

Pottery

Have your students research pottery from different Pueblo communities, such as the Hopi and Zuni. Read Byrd Balor’s When Clay Sings. Remind them that each Pueblo community has a different culture and different style of pottery. If possible, have students make a piece of Pueblo pottery using clay. You can also have students make vases out of paper and have them make symbolic designs.

Ancestor Dolls

Review with your students that some Pueblo believe in kachinas, or spirits of their ancestors. There are hundreds of different kachinas and many Pueblo children play with kachina dolls to familiarize themselves with their ancestors. Research different kachina dolls from different Pueblo tribes. Then have your students make kachina dolls of their own ancestors. Have each student share his or her doll with the class.

Family and Homeschool Activities for Teaching About Pueblo

Native American History at Home

What did your city or state look like hundreds of years ago? Who lived there? Together with your child learn about the Native Americans that live or have lived in your city or state. You can visit your local natural history museum, check out books from the library, or conduct research on the Internet to support what you and your child have learned.

Ancestors

Remind your child that an ancestor is a family member from the past. Learn more about your ancestors. You may want to talk to an elderly family member to learn more about your family’s history. You can also look through old photo albums and discuss different family members and how they are all related. Remind your child that the Pueblo believe that kachinas are spirits of their ancestors. Pueblo people ask their ancestors for advice and guidance. What kind of advice would your child want to ask his or her ancestors?