This coloring and pasting project works well for younger children. Print out Native American totem pole graphics from the Internet websites, such as Scissor Crafts: PaperTotemPoles and TeacherVision. There are quite a few sites offering free totem pole printables. Let the children pick four or five symbols of their choice and have them cut them out with safety scissors. They should also cut out a narrow strip of brown construction paper, which they then glue onto a sheet of white letter sized paper. The children should color the cutouts and paste them onto the brown paper strip.
For this project, the children draw totemic animals on a sheet of white letter-sized paper with black felt marker. Have them color them in with colored pencils or markers. Then, they should attach a paper towel roll to a 4-inch square cardboard base with masking tape, and cover the paper towel roll with brown construction paper. They can cover the base with green construction paper. Many totem poles have a pair of eagle wings at the top, and the students can cut wing-shapes from white paper and fasten them with school glue. Finish the totem pole by gluing the symbols to it.
Your children can sculpt a totem pole from mesh wire and oven- or no-bake clay. Wearing protective gloves, cut the mesh wire with metal shears to a 6-by-12-inch rectangle. Shape it into a 12-inch tall cylinder and tie the sides together with wire. Then, have the children roll the clay into a 1/4-inch thick sheet, cut it to size and wrap it around the wire tube. They can then carve the totem symbols into the pole with clay tools and paint them after drying or baking.
If your children are old enough to use wood-carving tools, they can carve their totem pole out of a thick branch or piece of store-bought doweling. The diameter should be at least 2 inches. Keeping that in mind, there is no limit to how thick and tall the totem pole can be. Wood-carving tools need to be kept sharp. Therefore, this project requires close adult supervision. The children need to wear safety goggles and protective gloves. After the pole is carved, they paint it.