Kwanzaa Worksheets, Printables and Lesson Plans

The week-long holiday of Kwanzaa begins on December 26 each year. Celebrate African-American and Pan-African families, communities, and cultures with Kwanzaa worksheets, printable reading, arts and crafts activities, and much more.

Celebrate Kwanzaa in the Classroom

The seven days of Kwanzaa represent the seven principles, or Nguzo Saba, a set of ideals created by Dr. Maulana Karenga:

  • Unity (Umoja)
  • Self-determination (Kujichagulia)
  • Collective Work And Responsibility (Ujima)
  • Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa)
  • Purpose (Nia)
  • Creativity (Kuumba)
  • Faith (Imani)

Introduce students to the background, history, and traditions of Kwanzaa with our printables, or integrate the holiday into the curriculum with choice boards that include Kwanzaa activities for elementary students, as well as activities for middle school grades.

Kwanzaa Worksheets, Printables and Activities

Explore our collection of teacher resources including lesson plans on the history of Kwanzaa, activities to help your students learn more about the culture and traditions of the holiday, Kwanzaa printables for writing holiday poetry, project instructions for creating paper chains and wrapping paper, vocabulary lists, biographies of important Kwanzaa figures, and more!

Kwanzaa Choice Boards

Perfect for early-finisher, extension, or take-home activities, these choice boards feature 9 activities based on Kwanzaa principles to help elementary and middle school students learn about the celebration of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa Printables

Teach your students about the background and traditions of Kwanzaa with these printables. Choose from reading passages with cooperative group work, gift-making, vocabulary worksheets, and craft activities.

Kwanzaa Lesson Plans

Help students learn more about Kwanzaa with these lesson plans. Lesson activities include reading and researching folk tales, poem writing, and discovering more about the tradition of storytelling in Africa.

Art Activities for Kwanzaa

Get into the holiday spirit in art class with these potato print wrapping paper and holiday paper chain activities, or explore Kwanzaa crafts with your students by making a paper Mkeka or a Kinara to display at school.

Reading & Language Arts Activities for Kwanzaa

Celebrate Kwanzaa with reading and creative writing activities. Includes writing an acrostic poem and celebrating Kwanzaa in your classroom with activities suggested for each day of the holiday.

Social Studies Activities for Kwanzaa

Explore Kwanzaa connections using these social studies resources. Choose from activities that introduce the background and history of Kwanzaa, poem writing, and research activities.

More Winter Holidays

To explore more winter holidays with your students, try these holiday packets or browse our resource collections.
loading gif