Here’s a delightful PRIDE-ful craft project you can do with the kids in your life.
Ok, so I wrote this in script form in case you are a teacher or want to lead this (mad respect to you, amazing teacher!) - Ok, and if you’re not, just read and you’ll get the gist real quick:
INTO THE RAINBOW:
Today we’re going to go on a journey INTO the rainbow. We’re going to do an art project based on the six colors of the original Pride Flag.
Each color of the Pride flag, as created by Gilbert Baker in San Francisco in 1978, has a quality.
You’re going to get a color. Write the quality in the middle of the page. Draw things that remind you of that quality. Write the names of people who embody those qualities. As you do that, you can listen to music about rainbows, your favorite gay anthems, or anything sung by the incomparable Judy Garland. Put the colors on the wall, and enjoy them during Pride Season.
Let’s start with Red. Red stands for Life.
Write the word “Life” in the middle of the page. Here are some questions you can answer by writing more words or drawing pictures that “give you LIFE”...
What is a symbol of LIFE to you? Draw it.
Who in your life is LIVELY? Who is fun, and has a lot of energy? Write their name. Draw their lively face!
When you have life, you have energy. What’s something you do when you have lots of energy?
Orange stands for Healing. Healing is what happens when things go from being sick to well. When things go from unhealthy to healthy. Even when things go from messy to orderly and neat. When things are out of control, to back in control again. That is healing.
Write the word “Healing” in the middle of the paper. Now fold the paper in half. Smooth it back out. You have two sides. On the left side draw sad things. On the right side draw happy things.
Suggestions:
LEFT/RIGHT
Sad faces/Happy faces.
Rain clouds/Sunshine.
Words like “Yuck” “Booo” “No Way!” / “Yum” “Yes!” “Hooray!”
Yellow stands for “Sunlight.”
Draw a sun with sun rays.
Draw as many suns as you want.
Draw things that love the sunshine!
Green stands for Nature.
Imagine you’re going on a walk in nature.
What are some things you would find?
Draw those things around your paper.
Suggestions: Leaves, insects, birds, rocks…since you’re so good with your imagination, could you imagine a fairy in nature? Draw it.
Blue stands for Serenity.
Let’s be serene and peaceful. Take a deep breath. In through your nose, and out through your mouth to the count of 1, 2, 3…ahhhh. Ok. now that we just “spent some time in nature” in our minds, let’s think of animals that are calm, peaceful, and serene. Choose one animal to draw and draw it sleeping peacefully or meditating if you’re into that.
Purple stands for Spirit.
Ok. So SPIRIT is an interesting word. What the heck does that mean?
To me, Spirit is the magic of the universe. It’s the energy you feel when you’re not thinking about anything - when you’re just BEING. It’s the joy of being here, now. Let’s take a deep breath, and then try not to think about anything too much. That’s called meditating by the way. So we’re basically going to meditate for one minute. If you need something to think about so you don’t think about too much other stuff, you can imagine your favorite shape.
What’s your favorite shape? Or a shape you like - if you don’t have a most favorite - just pick one.
Now imagine it. Visualize it in your mind. See it. Close your eyes. Just focus on that. I’m starting the timer. We’re going to meditate and try not to think for one minute. Start.
(Enjoy a peaceful minute)
Ok, keep feeling that energy of spirit as you draw that shape on your paper. You can also draw anything that came to mind when you were trying not to think- Spirit is in everything, so you can draw anything. Draw what comes to you when I talk about SPIRIT.
Cool. So Pride is being proud of who you are- with all the different things you like and don’t like- everything about you. It’s about loving all the colors that make up the rainbow of you. It’s about respecting other people and the things that make up their rainbows. To have pride is to be proud. It’s the opposite of shame. It’s easy to feel shame or ashamed of who we are because we compare ourselves. But we don’t have to. We can love ourselves just as we are, and as we are not. That’s what celebrating Pride is all about. Now let's put up our rainbow colors and share our drawings with Pride!
END OF ACTIVITY
You can stretch this project out by choosing one color a day.
Wear that color and talk about places you see the color in the world around you.
Start on:
Sunday with RED for LIFE
Monday with ORANGE for HEALING
Tuesday with YELLOW for SUNLIGHT
Wednesday with GREEN for NATURE
Thursday with BLUE for Serenity
Friday with PURPLE for SPIRIT
Saturday wear them all --- the whole RAINBOW! Happy Pride!