Let's Talk About Identities
Create a personal identity collage using photos, drawings, and words to explore and share your interests, family, culture, and talents with others.
About this activity
Create a personal identity collage using photos, drawings, and words to explore and share your interests, family, culture, and talents with others.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Gather all the Materials Needed and place them on a clear table or floor space.
- 2
Step 2
Pick your poster board or large paper as the base for your collage and lay it flat.
- 3
Step 3
Think of four to six things that show who you are like hobbies family foods or talents and write them on a scrap piece of paper.
- 4
Step 4
Find photos drawings or magazine pictures that match the things on your list and put them in a pile.
- 5
Step 5
Use scissors to carefully cut out the photos and pictures you want to use.
- 6
Step 6
Draw at least three original small pictures on blank paper that show your interests or talents.
- 7
Step 7
Choose short words or phrases to label each photo or drawing and write them neatly on small pieces of paper.
- 8
Step 8
Arrange your cutouts drawings and word labels on the poster board until you like how it looks.
- 9
Step 9
Glue or tape each piece to the poster board starting with the pieces you placed at the back.
- 10
Step 10
Stick on stickers or add scrap paper decorations to make your collage colorful and fun.
- 11
Step 11
Write a title for your collage at the top and sign your name at the bottom.
- 12
Step 12
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Fun facts
How do I create a personal identity collage with my child?
Start by talking about what identity means—interests, family, culture, and talents. Have your child select photos, drawings, and meaningful words or symbols. Arrange items on a poster or sturdy paper before gluing. Encourage layering, labels, and small captions to explain each piece. When finished, invite your child to share the collage with family or classmates and ask open questions to prompt reflection and conversation about the stories behind each item.
What materials do I need for an identity collage activity?
Gather photos, magazines, printed images, colored paper, markers, crayons, scissors, glue sticks, stickers, and a poster board or large cardstock. Optional items: fabric scraps, ticket stubs, or natural materials for texture. If digital, use a simple collage app and a printer. Keep child-safe scissors for young kids and supervise cutting. Have extra paper and tape available for changes and to protect surfaces with newspaper or a craft mat.
What ages is the "Let's Talk About Identities" collage suitable for?
This activity works for ages 4–18 with adaptations: preschoolers (4–6) can glue photos and drawings with adult help; elementary kids (7–11) can write simple labels and arrange layouts; tweens and teens (12–18) can explore deeper identity topics and design more complex collages. Adjust vocabulary, discussion depth, and materials for maturity. It’s also a good family or classroom activity to support mixed-age sharing and reflection.
What are the benefits of making a personal identity collage?
Creating an identity collage builds self-awareness, communication, and pride in personal and cultural background. It strengthens fine motor skills and planning, encourages storytelling and vocabulary, and can boost confidence when shared. In group settings, collages promote empathy and understanding among peers, spark conversations about diversity, and provide a safe way for children to express feelings and values. It also fosters family bonding when done together.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use if we don't have poster board or magazines?
If you don't have poster board or magazines, use a flattened cereal box or cardstock as the base and substitute printed family photos, old drawings, fabric scraps, or colored paper for magazine pictures while using a glue stick or double-sided tape instead of liquid glue.
My pictures keep slipping or the collage wrinkles when I glue—what should we do?
To prevent slipping and wrinkling, follow the instructions to arrange all cutouts and labels on the poster board first, glue pieces starting with the ones placed at the back, use small amounts of glue or clear tape for heavier items, and press each glued area flat under a heavy book until dry.
How can we adapt the activity for younger or older kids?
For younger kids, pre-cut the photos, use stickers and help with scissors and labels, while older kids can write longer word labels, add more detailed original small drawings as instructed, experiment with layering and mixed media, or include short captions about each identity item.
How can we make the collage more special or longer-lasting?
Enhance the collage by adding textured scrap paper decorations like fabric or buttons, creating a painted or paper border, writing a clear title at the top and signing your name at the bottom as instructed, and then share the finished creation on DIY.org.