Indigenous Peoples' Day Activities: A Respectful Fill-In

Somewhere in the shared drive there is a coloring page with a feathered headdress on it, and you already know you are not using it this year. Indigenous Peoples' Day falls on Monday, October 12, 2026, and you want an activity that is accurate, respectful and still fun for a room of eight-year-olds or thirteen-year-olds.

This guide offers a fill-in puzzle built from foods, tools and games that Native peoples developed and still use today, with the story behind each word. It also points to sources written with Native communities, so the facts you share hold up.

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What Are Good Indigenous Peoples Day Activities for the Classroom?

The best activities teach specific, accurate things about particular Native nations and connect them to students' daily lives. A puzzle of Native foods and innovations, a read-aloud by a Native author, and a lesson from a museum that works with tribal communities all fit that bill in one class period.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian runs Native Knowledge 360°, a free K-12 program whose lessons are created with Native communities. It is the most reliable place to check a fact before you teach it.

There are more than 570 federally recognized tribal nations in the United States, each with its own history. Whenever you can, name the nation rather than saying "Native Americans" in general.

What Is in the Fill-In Puzzle?

The puzzle uses sixteen words in three groups: foods first cultivated by Indigenous peoples of the Americas, tools and games still used around the world, and words about nationhood and community. Students place each word in the grid by its length, like a crossword without clues.

• Foods

  CORN, BEANS, SQUASH, POTATO, TOMATO and CACAO. Each was domesticated by Indigenous farmers in the Americas thousands of years ago.

• Tools and games

  CANOE, KAYAK, SNOWSHOE, TOBOGGAN, HAMMOCK and LACROSSE, all still in everyday use.

• Community

  NATION, LANGUAGE, HOMELAND and COMMUNITY, the words that keep the focus on living peoples.

Try it at the top of this page in the Play it here tab, then print the same puzzle from the Printable page tab.

Where Does Each Word Come From?

Every word in the puzzle has a real origin students can research. Use this table as an answer key for a follow-up discussion, or give each small group two words to report on.

The community words need no table. Ask students what makes a group a nation: a government, a homeland, a language and a shared history. Many tribal nations run language programs so children can learn the language of their grandparents.

How Do You Teach Indigenous Peoples' Day Respectfully?

Teach about specific nations, in the present tense, using sources created with Native people. Skip activities that ask students to dress up or act out Native identity, since those turn living cultures into costumes.

• Name the nation: "the Cherokee Nation" or "the Diné (Navajo) people" tells students far more than a general term.
• Use the present tense, and include modern life: tribal governments, businesses, athletes, scientists and artists.
• Replace headdress crafts with a Three Sisters seed-planting or a map of the nations nearest your school.
• If a local tribal nation has an education or cultural office, ask whether they offer classroom resources or visits.

Books written by Native authors do a lot of the work. Three picture books that suit grades K to 5 are We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom (Anishinaabe and Métis), Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard (Seminole Nation), and We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation).

How Do You Adapt the Puzzle for Different Grades?

One word list works from third grade through middle school. Change what students do after the puzzle, not the puzzle itself.

For a second sheet, the same words work as a word search for younger students or a word scramble for spelling practice. If you want both on one page, the Worksheet Builder can combine them on one page (free to build and preview; the combined PDF needs a Day Pass or a paid plan).

To build your own version around the nations near your school, use the maker at the bottom of this page or the free word fill-in generator. Type your list, preview the grid, and download it with an answer key.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2026?

Indigenous Peoples' Day falls on Monday, October 12, 2026. Many states, cities and school districts observe it on the second Monday of October.

What are good Indigenous Peoples' Day activities for kids?

Read a picture book by a Native author, solve a puzzle about foods and innovations like corn, kayaks and lacrosse, and plant or draw the Three Sisters. Each activity teaches something specific and accurate about living Native nations.

What words should be in an Indigenous Peoples' Day puzzle?

Choose words with clear, verifiable origins, such as CORN, POTATO, CACAO, KAYAK, TOBOGGAN and LACROSSE, plus words like NATION and LANGUAGE. Pair each word with its origin so students learn where it comes from.

Where can teachers find accurate Indigenous Peoples' Day lessons?

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian offers free K-12 lessons through Native Knowledge 360°, created with Native communities. Local tribal education or cultural offices are another excellent source.