No matter which continent you live on or what culture you are a part of, there is one language that can be communicated without words...
LOVE!
All it takes is kindness, time, and genuine caring to "speak" this language to children all around the world! We took some time to communicate love and friendship specifically to children whose parents have recently gone through a divorce. Many times these children just need a little bit of extra love and to know that someone cares. We did this by making small gifts for them.
Supplies:
pony bead assortment
stretchy cord (can be found by the pony beads or in the jewelry making aisle)
foam sheets
geometric foam stickers
sharpie pens
cello bag
candy
Approximate cost: less than a dollar per gift
Directions:
First, the children made friendship bracelets. We chose to make simple beaded bracelets with pony beads.
Cut the cord into 11-12 inch lengths to give plenty of room for tying off at the end.
Tape one end of the cord to the table so that the beads do not fall off.
String on the beads.
Tie an overhand knot.
There are hundreds of options for making friendship bracelets. I chose this way because of the variety of ages I was working with and my time constraint. If you have more time or want a little more of a challenge check here (embroidery floss version), here (fabric version), and here (finger knit version) for a few more ideas.
We then used foam sheets (3 1/2 x 5 in) and foam stickers to make cards to go along with the bracelets, letting the children know that Jesus loves them. I put a ton of stickers and some sharpie markers on the table and let the kid's be creative in the design. Some looked like robots, some looked like this one, some looked like a pile o' stickers.
Insert the card, bracelet, and a few pieces of candy (which is a universal language of its own) into a cello bag and you have a simple, inexpensive gift that speaks volumes to a hurting child.
Whether they live in America, Africa, or the Islands, whether their parents have gone through a divorce or not, children of every culture need to know that they are loved.
As always, I couldn't have done it without my partner in crime! Thanks, Megan, for willing subjecting yourself to crowds of kids, multiple repetitions of directions, late nights, and the general chaos that comes with crafting with children. You are a gem!
That wraps up this year's Multicultural Crafts for Kids session! I hope you've enjoyed it. For more multicultural craft projects to do with children, check out the archives. Happy crafting!
