25 Memorial Day Crafts For Kids That Are Simple And Meaningful

Memorial Day is a thoughtful time to slow down and create something with kids. These Memorial Day crafts for kids are suited for preschool through early elementary ages. They are great for parents, teachers, caregivers, and homeschoolers to use at home, in the classroom, or during a quiet afternoon.

With simple supplies and low prep, children can build fine motor skills while creating. You’ll find paper designs, painting ideas, printables, and more. Add these alongside summer crafts for more seasonal activities.

Collage of red, white, and blue kids’ crafts with bold text reading “25 Memorial Day Crafts Kids Can Make for a Patriotic Bulletin Board.”

Patriotic DIYs for May

Uncle Sam Paper Plate

A paper plate, colored cardstock (or construction paper), scissors, and glue build a big smiling face in just a few layers. The tall hat comes together with cut paper stripes and stars, then cotton balls add a fluffy beard and eyebrows for extra texture.

Kids love how bold and oversized it looks when it's finished, especially with all the soft cotton details.

nontoygifts.com

Paper Plate Patriotic

Paper plates turn into a stitched art project when kids trace nested star shapes using the template and pencil, then punch holes along the smallest outline.

After painting every other star red and letting it dry, children thread blue yarn through the holes with a plastic yarn needle and secure the ends with tape. It's a fun “sewing” activity for kids who like hands-on work and want something they can proudly hang up.

Related: Patriotic Gnome Craft

funhandprintartblog.com

Simple Happy 4th of July Paper

A printed background on white cardstock turns into a bold design when kids glue on red construction-paper strips for stripes. They trace a hand on blue paper, cut it out, fold the thumb in to create a “four” shape, and glue it in the center.

The hand-as-a-number twist makes it feel extra clever, and it's great practice for straight-line cutting.

Also try: Patriotic Color By Number

4th of July Popsicle

With the printable template, kids cut pieces from colored cardstock, then glue on a wavy “topping” and a stick to form a cute character shape. Star stickers add sparkle, and the optional bow or hat lets kids easily customize the look.

The fast assembly makes it great for groups, and kids usually want to make more than one once they start decorating.

www.craftymorning.com

Egg Carton American Flag

An 18-count egg carton becomes a textured painting surface once kids add blue paint to a corner section and red paint to the grooves for stripes. After it dries, apply white paint to the top areas and glue paper stars cut from white paper onto the blue section.

The bumpy carton texture makes painting feel different from regular paper, which kids usually find more exciting.

Related: 4th Of July Pattern Worksheets

intheplayroom.co.uk

Paper Plate Soldier

Use a paper plate for the face, then cut construction paper or cardstock into the hat and extra features with the optional printable template. Kids paint with brown, green, and white for a camouflage-style look, then glue the pieces together once dry.

The painting step feels more like real “uniform designing,” which makes the finished character extra fun to play with.

Also try: Uncle Sam Name Craft

two side by side examples of finished ice cream crafts

Fourth of July Ice Cream

Kids use the template with colored cardstock, scissors, and glue to stack three scoops onto a cone. Markers add the waffle texture, making the cone look more “real” without extra supplies.

The layered cut-and-paste style feels simple, but the finished piece looks detailed enough for a display wall.

fun-a-day.com

Patriotic Coffee Filter Prints

Kids color coffee filters with red and blue washable markers, then spritz them with water to spread the ink. Pressing white construction paper onto the wet filters makes a print, and foam glitter star stickers add an easy finishing touch after everything dries.

The water-spritz reveal is the best part, and each print turns out totally different.

Related: Statue Of Liberty Name Craft

www.redtedart.com

Paper Plate Uncle Sam

Folding a paper plate in half creates the “rocking” base, and kids paint (or color) a half-circle for the face area. Cut the hat from colored paper, glue on stripes and stars, then add simple paper facial features and pen details to bring it to life.

The rocking motion makes it more playful than a standard mask or portrait art.

Also try: Statue Of Liberty Dot To Dots

Patriotic Name

An editable template lets you print a personalized set of star letters, then kids cut and glue them beneath a layered firework shape. Colored cardstock (or construction paper), scissors, glue, and markers do all the work, with a star punch as an optional time-saver.

The personalization is the fun hook—kids get an art that doubles as name practice.

alittlepinchofperfect.com

Patriotic Suncatcher

A cardstock frame gets lined with clear contact paper, creating a sticky window for decorating. Kids press on white paper stars (made with star punches) and torn red and blue tissue paper pieces, then hang them up right away—no drying time needed.

The “glowing” window effect is the fun payoff, and it stays mess-free, aside from a few tissue scraps.

happyhooligans.ca

Painted Coffee Filter Poppy

Paper coffee filters are painted red, dried quickly with a hair dryer, then crumpled and uncrumpled to turn wrinkly and petal-like. Layer two or three filters, pinch and twist the center, then glue on a black button topped with a smaller green button.

Kids love the crumpling step, and the finished ruffled bloom looks surprisingly delicate.

Also try: 4th Of July Tracing Worksheets

Statue of Liberty Toilet Paper Roll

A cardboard tube becomes a standing figure when kids tape the robe wrap around it and glue on the face, crown, and arm pieces from the template. Standard tape and double-sided tape help hold the wrap and head firmly in place, and a small flame piece finishes the torch.

It's a satisfying upcycle project because the finished piece stands up on its own for display or pretend play.

www.fantasticfunandlearning.com

Uncle Sam Paper Plate

A white paper plate becomes a wearable mask when an adult cuts out the center and adds two side holes, and pipes the loop around the ears for easy wear. Kids build the hat by gluing white strips onto a red cardstock square and adding a blue cardstock strip decorated with silver stars.

Cotton balls fill the bottom of the plate for a fluffy beard, making the finished mask extra fun for pretend play.

Related: 4th Of July Popsicle Craft

nontoygifts.com

Uncle Sam Art

Using the template, kids trace and cut pieces from red, blue, white, beige, and light-blue cardstock, then glue the body, face, beard, mustache, and hat parts together. Googly eyes and a small white pom‑pom make the face pop, and a black marker finishes the mouth.

It's mostly paper creativity, but the added pom‑pom texture makes it feel more special than a basic cut-and-paste project.

Also try: Statue Of Liberty Torch Craft

American Flag Card

A fold-over cardstock base becomes a cheerful greeting when kids glue on red stripes and add a blue corner with white stars (a star punch is optional). The template includes eyes and a mouth, so the front ends up with a big smile, and markers finish off details like eyebrows and any message inside.

Kids enjoy making a “face card” because it feels like a character rather than just a flat design.

toddlerapproved.com

Fourth of July Flag

Strips of painter's tape (or paper tape) create clean, blocked-off stripes on white cardstock, then toddlers use red and blue dot markers to color the open spaces. Star stickers act as a resist—kids color over them, then peel them off for a crisp shape reveal.

It's toddler-friendly because it's mostly taping, dotting, and peeling, with a satisfying “ta‑da” moment at the end.

Related: Independence Day Bird Craft

fromabcstoacts.com

Patriotic Toilet Paper Roll Rocket

A toilet paper roll gets painted with acrylic paint, then set aside to dry while kids cut a paper circle and tape it into a cone top. Streamers get taped inside the bottom so they hang down like flames, and glue secures the cone to the painted tube.

Kids who love painting will enjoy customizing the colors, and the finished flyer is fun to carry around and “launch.”

Also try: Statue Of Liberty Worksheets

Handprint Statue of Liberty

Construction paper and template pieces create a crown-and-robe look, while a traced handprint serves as the main base shape (no paint required). Kids cut and glue on the face, hair, arm, and torch parts, then optionally outline the handprint with a black marker for definition.

Using a child's handprint makes it feel personal, which makes it work well as a keepsake-style art.

kidsactivitiesblog.com

Popsicle Stick American Flags

Jumbo sticks get painted red, white, and blue, then assembled into a small rectangle using Mod Podge as the adhesive and top coat. Cut blue sticks from the corner block, and white-painted wooden stars finish the design.

The building step feels like a mini woodworking project for kids, and you can even add a magnet on the back when it's dry.

Related: 4th Of July Mazes

crystalandcomp.com

Wooden Spoon Eagle

A wooden spoon becomes the body once kids paint the top third white with a scalloped edge and the bottom two-thirds brown. Wings, tail feathers, beak, and claws are traced from the pattern onto foam (brown and yellow) and attached with a glue gun, then wiggle eyes and a permanent marker finish the face details.

It's a great option for older kids because it feels like building a small “character” object rather than just a flat piece of paper art.

Also try: 4th Of July Dot To Dots

picture of handprint eagle with leaves scattered around it

Handprint Bald Eagle

Kids trace both hands on brown paper, cut them out, and glue them behind the body piece from the template to form wide wings. Use cardstock to make the head, eye, beak, tail feathers, and claws, and keep supplies simple with just a glue stick and scissors.

Turning their own hand shapes into wings is what makes kids grin—especially when they spread them out on the final piece.

www.craftsonsea.co.uk

Paper Bag Uncle Sam

A paper bag becomes a puppet base, and kids cut red, white, and blue cardstock to build a tall hat with stripes and a starry band (white pen or stickers both work). A white cardstock beard and simple face details drawn with black and white pens complete the look.

Since it's a puppet, kids can play with it immediately after creating, which is always a bonus for keeping attention longer.

Related: Fourth Of July Activity Sheets

www.fantasticfunandlearning.com

Paper Soldier for Veterans Day

Brown construction paper gets dotted with bingo dotters or Do‑A‑Dot markers to create a camouflage-style pattern before any cutting starts. Kids cut along pre-drawn lines to make simple clothing shapes, then glue on a circle head and small oval hands and boots that were pre-cut for them.

Because the pieces turn into little movable “mini people,” kids usually transition straight from creativity into imaginative play.

Also try: 4th Of July Do A Dot Printables

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photograph of found of Simple Everyday Mom, Sam

Meet Sam

Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump, and more.

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