• The Native Americans are known for their use of intricate beading paired with animal artifacts.native american powwow image by windzepher from Fotolia.com
  
  When thinking of the Native Americans, rich colors and artifacts of nature often come to mind. Their festive clothing often featured bird feathers, leather from animal hides and carved stones accompanied by vibrant colors made from the plants surrounding them. Children often enjoy playing dress up with recreations of these festive creations, while adults take pride in showing off a conversation piece from their historic handiwork.
  
  

Chief Headdress

• When children see a Native American chief's headdress for the first time, their mouths often drop open in awe. With a few pieces of construction paper, some string, and a few beads, parents will instantly become heroes as they help their children craft their very own headdresses. Using whatever colors your children prefer, cut out two sizes of feathers from the sheets of construction paper. Once they are cut out, children can glue them onto a construction paper headband in any arrangement they prefer. To further decorate their headdresses, children can attach beaded strands of yarn or string to the sides of their headdresses. If beads are not available, colored pasta or smaller construction paper feathers can also do the trick.
  
  

Noodle Necklace

• Small children love to play dress up to look like their parents. One of their favorite items is jewelry, but it can often be too fragile for little hands to play with. Parents can preserve their jewelry while also creating a fun activity for their children by helping them to make play necklaces. While many beads are either too difficult to control or pose a choking risk for younger children, pasta is an ideal solution. Children will love stringing the many different types of noodles that have holes in the center onto a piece of yarn in the pattern of their choosing and then wandering throughout the house to show it off. Parents can help add further flair by dying the pasta in food coloring the night before.
  
  

Arrowhead Necklace

• Older children, and even adults, will love telling the story of where they found their amazing artifact when sporting an arrowhead necklace. Many areas of the United States have arrowheads buried in the ground for anyone to discover, but they are also available for purchase at many crafting stores in either real stone or plastic. To show off the stone carving, a suede or leather cord will hold it in place when securely wrapped around its notches. After typing a knot at the top, add beans of any type for extra flair. Bone, stone, or glass beads will provide a more authentic look, but children may also wish to use plastic pony beads.