Make a Jackie Robinson Baseball Card

What You Need:

• Cardboard
• Construction paper in various colors
• Tape
• Markers, colored pencils, or crayons

What You Do:

1. Begin by telling your child just how important Jackie Robinson was in terms of African-American history and breaking boundaries. Feel free to both look online and reference the introduction and "Did You Know" section below as a refresher of Jackie Robinson's achievements. Once your child has soaked up some knowledge, it's time to get to work!
2. Encourage your child to cut out a rectangle in the shape of a baseball card from the cardboard. It's okay if it's a bit bigger than usual; it will just be easier to write on and illustrate. Aid your child in covering the cardboard with construction paper.
3. For the front of the card, ask your child to draw their best representation of Jackie Robinson. Invite your child to check out a photo of the player, and then have your child start drawing with either markers, colored pencils, or crayons.
4. For the back of the card, ask your child to jot down some of the key facts or stats that made Jackie Robinson both such a great baseball player and a key icon in history. Ask your child to write "Brooklyn Dodgers" at the top of the card, copying the logo from the Internet if they so choose.
5. After the front and back of the card have been decorated, invite your child to show off their creation. If your child is already a collector of baseball cards, perhaps they would like to put it near their collection. Or, maybe display it on the fridge.

Did You Know?

• Jackie Robinson was the first African-American baseball player in the Major Leagues.
• Jackie Robinson was the Rookie of the Year in his first season with the Dodgers.
• Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Jackie Robinson played in a full 8 World Series.
• Jackie Robinson earned the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times with the Brooklyn Dodgers.