African Craft Ideas for Kids.
October 10, 2018 by Staff
Filed under Education, Weekly Columns
(Akiit.com) Craft activities are a brilliant way to improve children’s motor skills, keep them busy, and teach them about colours and shapes. African craft activities don’t only have these advantages, they also teach children about African culture and produce an appreciation for it. Below are some amazing African craft ideas to start the learning process, so grab some art and craft supplies from an online store such as Raaaft and follow the instructions!
Make an African Drum
The materials you require for this activity include paper cups, Styrofoam, glue, masking tape, rags, shoe polish and permanent markers. First you need to glue the bottoms of the cups together. You then need to cover the holes at both ends with 4 to 5-inch pieces of tape. Next, cover the rest of the cups with smaller pieces of tape.
When fully covered, paint with the shoe polish and then wipe off any excess with the rags. Finally, use the permanent markers to make geometric designs on the drum. This African drum is a miniature version of the real thing.
Make an African Spear
To create an African Spear, you will need a cardboard wrapping paper roll, tape, a Styrofoam meat tray, scissors, and grey, brown and black paint. You need to begin by cutting the tube lengthways and re-rolling it to make the shaft as narrow as can be. You then need to cover this in masking tape. Next, cut out a dull-edged spear tip from the Styrofoam and tape it to the end of the spear shaft you have just made. Finish by painting the spear.
Make Kente Cloths
Kente cloths are brilliant for children to make. They are cloths in African colours that are hand-woven. Kente cloths are used during times of celebration in Ghana. You will need 8 by 4-inch strips of good quality paper, tempera paint in red, blue, green, yellow and a marker pen. You need to encourage the children to paint geometric patterns, such as triangles and stripes on the paper strips. You then need to let the paper dry. When everything is completely dry, you can outline the shapes using a marker pen and then weave the strips to make the cloths.
Adinkra Painting
In Western Africa, Adinkra is a type of cloth. The cloth is printed with grid patterns which are made of grid lines. When this is complete, a small shape is printed in the centre square. For this activity you will need some paper, black paint, a potato and a wide toothed comb. To make the lines, you should dip the comb into the paint and then drag this across the paper. You have finished this part when you have created a grid pattern. You then need to cut the potato in half and cut out a shape from one side. When this is complete, you need to dip this in the paint and print it in the empty centre square.
Learning about different cultures and ways of life is important for children of all ages. Not only does it stimulate children’s minds, it also fosters understanding. This enables children to develop sympathy with others. It also enables children to realise there are multiple ways of doing something and more than one approach to life.
Staff Writer; Karl Brown