The Best Black History Month Activities for Kids

How to talk to your kids about Black History Month and how to honor it.

Black History Month has officially arrived, and although we should take the time to celebrate Black history all the time—not just the shortest month of the year—there's something to be said about having an entire month dedicated to really focusing on the lives of Black Americans and the contributions they've made to society. It's especially important that our children learn about the importance of race and Black accomplishments, especially in an education system that's typically over-saturated with white narratives. After all, children are our future and if we are to live in a world where race and diversity are celebrated and tragedies like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor never happen again, we need to start with educating them on race.

Related: Nearly 60 Years Later: Watch Martin Luther King, Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' Speech in Its Entirety

Talking to your children about Black history doesn't have to consist of lectures and parables. Conversations can be sparked by consuming family-friendly media and activities that tackle issues of race and racism in a meaningful way. According to Ramon Stephens, executive director of The Conscious Kid, an organization dedicated to promoting healthy racial identity development in youth, race and racism need to be discussed in order to change views about race.

So to get the conversation started, here is a list of ways you can honor Black History Month with your kids.

Here at Parade.com, we're all about sharing products we love with our audience. When you make a purchase on an item seen on this page, we may earn a commission, however, all picks are independently chosen unless otherwise mentioned. 

Related: The Significance of Black History Month and Why It Is Celebrated in February

TV Shows to Watch for Black History Month:

1. Kids, Race and Unity: A Nick News Special: Hosted by Alicia Keys, this hour-long special supplies parents with the skills to have productive conversations about racial equality and activism. Focusing on learning, listening, helping and healing the youth of the black community, this special allows for young people's voices to be heard and delivers the prevailing message that Black lives matter.

2. Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism: If you have younger children at home this would be a great place to start your family journey into Black History Month. Featuring your favorite Sesame Street characters, your child's questions about race, activism and equality get answered in this well-thought-out segment. (CNN)

3. Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History: A Netflix special hosted by comedian Kevin Hart that seeks to illuminate the accomplishments of unsung Black heroes. Through entertaining re-enactments and family-sitcom-style jokes, this show truly gets to the heart of how integral Black History is to this country. (Netflix)

4. Black-ish: In this family sitcom, Show-creator Kenya Barris creates an all too relatable Black family with the Johnsons who tackle issues of racial identity and assimilation in their affluent LA suburb. Each episode covers a new issue affecting the Black American community from Colorism to Microaggressions. (Hulu and ABC.com)

5. Mixed-ish: In a similar vein as Black-ish, Kenya Barris does it again, but this time, he creates a mixed-race family who navigates the ups and downs of a racist 1980s America. The family's experiences detail what it's like to discover your racial identity in a world that perceives you as neither white nor black. (Hulu and ABC.com)

Related: Black History Month Quotes

Movies to Watch for Black History Month:

To Kill a Mockingbird: This classic movie tells the story of Scout, Jem and their lawyer father Atticus Finch as they seek to acquit a black man of fabricated sexual assault charges. For slightly older and more mature children, this movie promotes healthy discussions about stereotyping and America's dark history with wrongful convictions of Black men. (Apple iTunes, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, FandangoNOW, Redbox, AMC on Demand, Google Play Movies, YouTube, DIRECTV as download).

Hidden Figures: From the building of the White House to some of Elvis Presley's songs, credit for some of the most major accomplishments in American history belongs to African Americans, and when it comes to NASA that fact remains true. Hidden Figures highlights the contributions made by three Black women to NASA's space flight program and reveals that they were the brains behind the entire operation. (Disney+, Hulu; $3.99 on YouTube and Amazon Prime).

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: An oldie but a goodie, this film starring Sydney Portier, portrays the racial dynamics that come to play when a white woman brings her African American boyfriend home to meet her family for dinner. Teeming with poignant social commentary, this film truly gets to the heart of racial divisions during the American 1960s. ($2.99 on Vudu, Amazon Prime; $3.99 on YouTube, iTunes)

Selma: Penned by Ava Durvney, Selma is the remarkable account of how Martin Luther King Jr. led his followers from Selma to Montgomery in protest of unequal voting rights. The film chronicles the violence and oppression that King and his followers were met with as well as the great impact this march has had on the fight for equality in this country. (Hulu, Sling TV; $2.99 on YouTube, Amazon Prime)

Related: Black History Month Through the Years: Every Black History Month Theme Since 1928

The Great Debaters: With three-time Academy award winner Denzel Washington at its helm, this movie delivers viewers with an unapologetic view of the segregated south. Following an all-Black debate team from Texas, we watch as this team challenges social norms at the time and wins against debaters from schools like Harvard University against incredible odds. (Netflix, Amazon Prime)

42: Starring the late, great Chadwick Boseman, 42 centers around Jackie Robinson and his triumphs and tribulations as the first Black Major League Baseball player. Moving and inspirational, this film sparks discussions on the toll of racism on Black athletes. (Amazon Prime; $3.99 on YouTube, iTunes)

Related: 35 Inspiring, Joyful and Moving Movies You Should Stream for Black History Month   

Documentaries to Watch for Black History Month:

1. 13th: Using her unique ability to tell heart-rending black stories, Ava Duvernay portrays the realities of America's mass incarceration system. Using examples like Kalief Browder, this story allows families to understand just how deep race is ingrained in our justice system. (Netflix)

2. Becoming: Former FLOTUS Michelle Obama created a masterpiece with her autobiographical account of her time in the White House. In this documentary adaptation, Ms. Obama continues to break barriers and show audiences the determination and grit it took her to get to where she is, especially as a Black woman from the South Side of Chicago. (Netflix)

3. She Did That: Black Women are so often left out of the narratives when it comes to finding a place in corporate America, it's no wonder that out of all of the fortune-500 CEOs in America, only one of them is a Black woman. By previewing the lives of Black female entrepreneurs and their commitment to opening doors for other Black women, this documentary seeks to dispel this sad fact and create a world where Black girls can have their seats at the conference room table. (Netflix)

Related: Black Entrepreneurs, Authors and Businesses to Support During Black History Month 

Books to Read for Black History Month:

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: #1 New York Times Bestseller and Coretta Scott King Honor Book, this young adult novel is narrated by Starr Carter, a 16-year-old girl who witnesses police fatally shooting a childhood friend. Covering issues from code-switching and police-brutality, this book is the perfect way to educate your kids on the current racial tension in this country and how it affects young people.

2. Hair Love by Mathew A. Cherry: There's no better way to honor Black History Month than by celebrating the beauty of Black hair. This children's picture book highlights the relationship between a father and daughter as he teaches her to love the skin she's in and the hair her ancestor's passed down to her.

3. The Watsons Go To Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis: Taught in public schools everywhere, this classic chapter book centers around the fictional Watson family as they find themselves embroiled within the tragic events of the real 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.

4. The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez: This uniquely crafted ABC book portrays some of the most important events in Black History with a vibrancy and joy that young children will absolutely love.

5. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson: There's nothing quite as charming and poetically relevant as this triumphant novel, winner of a National Book award. It deals with a young girl as she moves to her grandparent's home in South Carolina in the 1960s. Readers watch as she comes to love the Black traditions of the south while dealing with the horrors of segregation.

6. Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy: A child talks about the nuances behind Black culture, taking readers on an extraordinary journey of what it means to be Black and beautiful.

Related: 30 More Black-Owned Businesses To Shop With

Kid Activities To Do for Black History Month:

1. Go to a museum: Find a local exhibit on Black history month in your area, and take your kids for a day of interactive learning and fun.

2. Write letters: To truly immerse your kids in the topic of Black History month, ask them to pick their favorite Black historical figure and write a letter explaining what they've learned about them and why they are important.

3. Create an "I have a dream" mobile: Have your kids create a mobile out of their hopes and dreams for a better world, free of racial division and inequality.

4. Eat soul food: Order a meal from a Black-owned soul food restaurant in your area or make a popular soul food dish with your kids, like collard greens or cornbread. While sharing the meal, talk to your children about the history of these dishes and their roots in slavery.

5. Make a collage: Using old magazines, create a collage of modern and historic Black icons. When completed, have your children present why each and every person in their collage is significant.

Related: Everything You Need To Know About the Black American Heritage Flag, Including Its History and What It Symbolizes

Here's a free printable Black History Month kid activities checklist to complete:

Next, read Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's quotes.