Create a Stamp

Celebrate Your Community!

Stamps like the one Carmen tracks down in Episode 8 can be valuable when learning about other countries. They often feature people, places, and things that are important in that culture. As your kids make their own stamps, they reflect on the special things in your community.

Activity Instructions

Kids create a postage stamp depicting something important from their own community.

Estimated Time: 20–35 minutes

Materials Needed: Art supplies, images of stamps from around the world

1. Share that the black on magenta stamp was designed and printed in 1856 in Guyana by a newspaper printer when a shipment of stamps did not arrive from Great Britain. Not many were printed, and only one is known to exist now. This stamp is now very valuable to collectors because it is so rare.
2. Share the examples of stamps from around the world. Explain that countries create a variety of stamps in part to appeal to philatelists, or stamp collectors. Stamps often have art depicting people, places, or things that are important to the country printing the stamp.
3. Have each kid create a stamp design that depicts an important person, place, or thing from the local community. Each kid should also write a brief explanation of what is depicted on the stamp.