Doing arts and crafts activities with your children is a great way to pass the time and encourage creativity. As we now know, creativity is just as important to a child’s development as academics are. If you need some fun hawaiian crafts to do, here how you can turn your house into a gazebo on Maui for a day!
Making a Lei
This will improve your child’s motor skills. It also helps with color, texture and shape association.
Supplies needed to make a lei: paper in various colors, scissors, hole punch, colored macaroni (or colored straws cut into pieces that are 2 inches long), string or wool, and beads (optional)
1. The parent should draw a few different shapes onto a piece of paper to use as templates. You can go with just a few flower designs, or add things like stars, hearts, and even animal shapes if you have the talent.
2. Cut out your templates and use them to draw the patterns on the different colored papers.
3. Carefully cut out all the shapes you’ll be using.
3. Make a hole in the center of each shape with your hole punch
4. Thread the flowers and straw pieces (or macaroni) onto the string. Alternate between the shapes you cut out and straw pieces. You can also put the beads on if you want to use them.
5. Tie the string into a knot when you’re done and put your lei on your neck.
Making a paper fish
This can be a fun craft to do at the beginning of a summer party (or a party to make the winter seem a little less cold!) Depending on how old the kids (or adults) are at your party, you can decide how much of the cutting and assembly you want to have done before hand. If most of the assembly will be done at the party, use materials that will dry quickly for coloring. Paint and sparkle glue would probably not be a good idea.
What should you do with your paper fish? Here are some ideas.
Make them into place holders or napkin rings. Write each guest’s name onto the fish and attach the fish to half of a decorated toilet paper roll. Put napkins through the rolls and place them around the tables. The guests will have fun looking for their seats.
Use them as name tags on necklaces. Write the names of your guests on the fish. Make holes in the top and slide a string through it. If you have time, you can cover the fish with clear contact paper, which can easily be found at office supply stores (you will end up paying around $5 to cover 20 fish). Also, you can put the fish onto cardboard to make them more sturdy. Just cut up an old cereal box to get the cardboard.
Your children or party guests are sure to enjoy the crafts that you’ve made together. These hawaiian crafts are both simple and fun.
