• A didgeridoo is an aboriginal craft children can create at home.didgeridoo with hand image by Vladislav Gajic from Fotolia.com
  
  One way to teach children about aboriginal life is to have them create arts and crafts in the style of these indigenous Australian people. Using inexpensive materials you may already have on hand, children can create musical instruments and artwork that can accompany a lesson about aborigines.
  
  

Aboriginal Hand Prints

• Using acrylic paints and poster board, children can make hand print art in the style of aborigines. Indigenous Australians traditionally complete similar art by filling their mouths with paint and spitting it over their hands onto a painting surface. Squeeze paint into a bowl and then sprinkle it lightly with water. Blend well until you reach the desired consistency. Your paint should be thin enough to easily move through a spray bottle nozzle. Pour the paint and water mixture into a spray bottle. Have children press their hands onto a sheet of paper. Cover the hand and paper with sprays of paint. Repeat to make an original work of art.
  
  

Handmade Didgeridoo

• The didgeridoo is iconic of indigenous Australian people. This primitive music instrument known for its unique sounds is over 40,000 years old. It is traditionally made out of hollow branches and bits of beeswax shaped to make the mouthpiece. For this fun project, children can use several paper towel or wrapping paper cardboard rolls that would otherwise be discarded. Tape these rolls together so they are one long tube---approximately the height of the child. Then decorate the didgeridoo with paints, crepe paper, string, suede, faux furs or feathers. Children can blow into one end of the tube to make a deep musical sound.
  
  

Dot Art Painting

• Aboriginal Australian artists are well known for their dot art style of painting. Using acrylic paints, children can make their very own dot art creations. Earth tones such as browns, oranges and greens are best for this project; however, any paints can be used to demonstrate the painting technique. Children can cut shapes out of sponges to dab paint onto canvas, or they can use cotton swabs to create their dot design.