Martin Luther King Jr. Day comes every year on the third Monday of January. In 2027, it falls on Monday, January 18, just a few days after Dr. King’s birthday on January 15. Many children know there is no school that day, but not why.

This guide explains who Martin Luther King Jr. was and what he did in words young children understand, with simple MLK Day activities for kids in PreK–2.

Who Was Martin Luther King Jr.?

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. Like his father, he became a pastor. He became one of the most important leaders of the civil rights movement, when many people worked together so that Black Americans would be treated fairly and have the same rights as everyone else.

For young children, you can say:

  • Martin Luther King Jr. lived in the United States.
  • He believed that all people should be treated fairly, no matter the color of their skin.
  • He changed unfair rules with words, speeches and peaceful marches, never by fighting.
  • Every January, we remember him on MLK Day.

What Did Martin Luther King Jr. Do?

When Dr. King was growing up, many places in the United States had unfair laws that kept Black people and white people apart. They had to use separate schools, separate seats on the bus, separate water fountains and separate restaurants. These rules were wrong, and Dr. King wanted to change them.

  • The bus boycott: In 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on a bus. Dr. King helped lead the Montgomery bus boycott. For more than a year, thousands of people walked or shared rides instead of riding the buses. In 1956, the Supreme Court ruled that separate seating on the buses was against the law.
  • Peaceful protest: Dr. King taught that people can stand up for what is right without hurting anyone. This is called nonviolence.
  • The March on Washington: On August 28, 1963, about 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. There, Dr. King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He shared his dream of a country where children would be judged by who they are inside, not by the color of their skin.
  • New laws: His work, together with many other people, helped bring new laws, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
  • A peace prize: In 1964, at just 35 years old, he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

How to Talk About Dr. King With Young Children

  • Start with fair and unfair. Preschoolers know about taking turns and sharing. Ask: “How would you feel if a rule said you could never use the slide?”
  • Remember the many helpers. Dr. King did not work alone. Thousands of people, including children and teenagers, marched and worked with him.
  • Answer questions simply. Children often ask if Dr. King is still alive. A short, honest answer is enough: he died in 1968, and people all over the country keep working on his dream today. Let your school’s guidance and the children’s questions decide how much more to share.
  • Use the real words. Fair, unfair, equal, peaceful, march, speech and dream are all words young children can learn.

Why Do We Have MLK Day?

MLK Day became a national holiday by law in 1983, and it was first celebrated in 1986. In 1994, it was also named a national day of service. Many people call it “a day on, not a day off” and spend it helping their neighbors and communities.

Simple MLK Day Activities for Kids

Dream Clouds (Writing and Art)

Give each child a paper cloud. Kindergarten and first-grade students finish the sentence “I have a dream that...” and draw a picture. Preschoolers draw their dream and dictate one sentence. Hang the clouds together as a class “sky of dreams.”

Fair or Unfair? (Social-Emotional Learning)

Read short situations aloud: “Everyone gets a turn at the water table.” “Only children with blue shoes can play outside.” Children show thumbs up for fair and thumbs down for unfair, then fix the unfair rules.

Kindness Hands Wreath (Fine Motor)

Each child traces a hand on paper in the color of their choice, cuts it out and draws or writes one kind thing they can do. Glue the hands in a circle to show that many hands make one class.

A Peace Walk (Movement)

Make simple signs together, such as “Be kind” and “Be fair,” and take a calm walk around the school, like the peaceful marches of Dr. King and his friends.

A Class Day of Service

Choose one small project: make cards for a senior center, collect books or pick up litter on the playground.

Word Search and Kindness Awards

Make an MLK Day word search with our free word search maker using dream, peace, fair, kind, equal, march and hope. Then notice kind and fair choices all week and celebrate them with a Kindness Award from the certificate maker.

Keep the Dream Alive All Year

Dr. King’s message is about how we treat each other every day, not only in January. To build a fair and caring class community all year, try our free classroom community activities and read our guide to building a classroom family. Find more holiday ideas in our seasonal activities.

More teaching guides for January and February: Groundhog Day, Lunar New Year, Black History Month, the 100th Day of School and Valentine’s Day.