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Making a Pinata
At the company picnic this summer, the social committee decided to include a pi?ata. That reminded me that pi?atas add such fun to birthday parties and other celebrations and they are fun to make too!
One suggestion I have is that you make this into a learning experience by taking the time to discuss the cultural background of this craft. Plan a trip to your local library to view pictures in their cultural context or do some internet research. The craft will have so much more meaning as a result.
You might be interested to know that there is a debate about where the pi?ata originates. While most people believe it descends from native Mexicans before the arrival of the Spanish in South America, there are others who believe that it actually comes from sixteenth century Italy or possibly even China around the time of Marco Polo. The mystery surrounding its origin may make the craft all the more appealing for certain youngsters and there's a chance it may even stimulate an interest in further reading!
Making a Pi?ata
At least two days prior to the big event, gather all the necessary materials:
- a round balloon
- old newspapers torn into strips 1 inch wide and 6 inches long
- school glue poured into a plastic bowl
- scissors
- tape
- crayons or markers
- tissue paper or construction paper
- string or yarn
- a craft knife
- plenty of candy and small prizes to fill the pi?ata
You might want to do this project outdoors or in the garage as it?s very messy. Whether indoors or out, clean-up is made easier by working on old newspapers spread around the workspace. A little advance preparation will definitely save you clean-up time later. Children should wear aprons or old large shirts over their clothes.
Here comes the fun part ? blow up the balloon and secure it with a knot. Dip the newspaper strips into the bowl of glue and put them all over the balloon in one layer. Let dry. Repeat this process twice. It takes time for it to dry so you and your child need to be patient!
If you are doing this with young children you might want to have them cut up or tear more strips of newspaper while they wait. It?s easiest just to make a simple round shape that they can decorate as their imaginations inspire them!
When the final layer is dry, cut a hole on the top of the oval and save the cut out piece. Pop the balloon and take it out. Cut two small holes on either side of the opening. Thread a string through them and tie a knot in the end and you?ll be able to hang your creation from the ceiling later. Decorate with pieces of colorful tissue paper, construction paper and paint. You can also try adding other things like buttons, paper egg cartons cut up, streamers. The possibilities are limited only to what is able to be glued securely onto the form.
Fill the pi?ata with goodies and tape the saved piece back over the hole. You?re ready to play the pi?ata game!
(extra safety note: Grandpa Richard has seen some injuries over the years. When one child's turn at hitting the pi?ata is over, and the next child is taking their place, there is a tendency for everyone else to move forward. This is obviously very dangerous, as the children do not forsee the reach of the stick as it is swung. Take the opportunity to move everyone back before swinging starts.)
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