Did somebody say MORE HOLIDAY STEAM??? We are happy to oblige! In honor of Kwanzaa, which began on Thursday, on this STEAM Saturday, you and your child can work together to make a woven Kinara Placemat!
The kinara is the special candle holder that is used during Kwanzaa. It holds seven candles – one to represent each of the seven principles of the holiday. A new candle on the kinara is lit each day during the holiday. Kwanzaa also ends with a celebration feast, and celebrants often use woven placemats (mkekas) as part of the table settings during this celebration.
Today, we are combining two of these Kwanzaa traditions to create a placemat that also doubles as a Kinara… Your child can add a “candle” to the placemat each day!
Here’s what you’ll need to make your kinara placemat:
- 5 sheets of heavy cardstock holder – black, yellow, read, green, and one more color of your choosing as the base to weave all of your other colors into.
- Scissors or a paper cutter
- Glue stick
First, take your main piece of cardstock and fold it in half. Using your scissors, cut 6 to 8 equally-spaced slices through the paper, starting at the fold and being careful not to cut through the outer edges of the paper. Unfold your paper.
Next, you will cut strips of paper to weave into your placemat. Each strip should be 8 inches long and 1 inch wide. You will need 3 red strips, 3 green strips, and 1 black strip. Now, cut out seven 1 inch by 1 inch squares of yellow paper and glue them to one end of the long strips. These are the flames of the kinara candles.
On each of the seven days of Kwanzaa, weave a new candle into the kinara. At the end of the holiday, you will have a completed placemat to use at the celebration feast!
Check out the full activity from Make and Taks here.
As always, be as creative as you want, and above all, have lots of fun learning together!
We’ll see you right back here next Saturday for another STEAM Saturday activity! Scroll through the rest of our website to learn how Critchlow Adkins is Building Brighter Futures for the children and families we serve!
