How to Make an Indian Tepee for a 5-Year-Old's School Project

The challenge for parents in helping their child with a school project is picking a way to do it that doesn't rely on the parent to do all the work. Craft projects should be chosen to match the child's ability. A parent can help make an Indian tepee for a 5-year-old's school project without doing too much of the work. Using simple household items and some poster paint, the child can create a diorama that will teach them more about how Native Americans lived and satisfy the assignment.

• 1

  Cut the bottom off a brown paper bag.

• 2

  Cut along one seam on the bag (from top to bottom) and open the bag, so it lays flat.

• 3

  Pick up both ends of the bag paper and bring them together, so they overlap. Keep pulling one end over the other at a slight downward slant until the paper forms a cone shape. Tape the paper edges down to hold your tepee model together.

• 4

  Cut the narrow point of the cone (the top of the tepee) about 2 inches down from the point and at a slight angle. The top should be open, but have one side that is slightly higher then the other.

• 5

  Cut the wide bottom of the cone, so it is even. Make this cut 1-inch longer then the height of the tepee. For example, if the tepee will be 9 inches high, cut the bottom at 10 inches.

• 6

  Cut 1 inch into the paper from the bottom of the cone into the tepee body every 3 or 4 inches along the edge. This will make is appear as if it has a kind of "fringe."

• 7

  Fold the "fringe" pieces up at a 90-degree angle to the body of the tepee. Put glue on the underside of each piece of "fringe" and then place the tepee on the 12- by 12-inch piece of cardboard. The cardboard is the base for the tepee. Let the glue dry for 30 minutes.

• 8

  Paint the tepee with a variety of Native American-inspired designs and the cardboard base like grass.

• 9

  Place twigs through the opening in the top and and use rubber band to hold them together, so they look like a tepee frame. The sticks should protrude at least 1 1/2 inches past the top of the tepee when set inside at an angle. Let the sticks cross each other. The sticks should point in different directions and not be in one bundle.