Preview draft. Activities have not been tested with caregivers.
Celebrations · The activity desk
Kwanzaa paper weaving mat
Weave paper strips into a mat while learning about the Kwanzaa mkeka.
Let's play →
A little plan for play
Open interactive activity →Add to play journal →What you need
Two colors of paper, child-appropriate crayons and a glue stick
Age: 3–5 years; choose for the individual child.
Stay with the child throughout. Check the space and supplies, including anything within reach of younger siblings. Skip any activity that is unsuitable. Stop if a child puts non-food material in their mouth or becomes distressed. Use intact books, full sheets of paper, a large child-appropriate crayon and a clean, dry towel. Follow product labels; remove torn paper and keep broken crayons and caps away from children. Adult handles and stores supplies.
Set up: An adult cuts several wide strips and makes parallel slits in a full sheet, leaving its edges joined.
Adult's role: Handle scissors, demonstrate weaving and explain that the mkeka is a mat used among Kwanzaa symbols.
Let's make it happen
- Slide a strip over the first paper band and under the next, continuing across the sheet.
- Weave another strip through the bands and gently push the strips together.
- Glue down loose ends and add a drawing of people working together around the mat.
Make it simpler: Weave one wide strip through two slits with help.
Clean up: Close the glue stick and collect paper scraps.
An adult handles scissors and stays nearby. Keep paper and glue away from mouths.