Martin Luther King Jr. Visual Timeline Activity for Kids

Help your child to better understand the contributions of one of the most historical significant Americans on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Make a timeline of Dr. King’s life, adding pictures to create a visual biography. This activity is perfect for kids in kindergarten through grade school.

Conduct Background Research

Start with some research, reading books about Dr. King or finding fact-based articles on the internet. Take note of points in time that are memorable, historical or in some other way significant. Have your child write the dates and something special about them. Younger children may only have the writing and spelling skills to jot down a word or two. Older kids can write several sentences or a paragraph.

Gather the Materials

What do you need to craft this creative project? Your child will need poster board and markers or crayons. That’s it! Keep their research nearby — they’ll need it for to create a timeline.

Draw the Timeline

Draw a line across the center of the poster board. Start on the left side, adding Dr. King’s birth date. Have your child continue to mark significant points in his life with the dates. Add drawings for each point. Your child can use markers or crayons to create portraits, scenes or other designs that represent each special day.