Tag Archives: activity

Get Crafty With a Haitian Beaded Flag Pin

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Every week we feature a fun and/or educational activity you can try at home or in the classroom. Last week, Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari attended the Clinton Global Initiative and reaffirmed our commitment to strengthen social capital, support community building and develop rural enterprises in Haiti. This week, our activity centers on an activity that not only displays the country’s personality, it is a livelihood for many Haitians.

Haitian flags

Photo credit: Bay State Banner

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, but that doesn’t mean it is without personal expression through arts and crafts. The country has been influenced by African, French vodou, Catholic, tribal cultures, and it shows. Not only are the arts and crafts unique and colorful, they provide a livelihood for many Haitians who rely on money made from selling them to live.

Here is a perfect activity to get you started on the road to creating Haitian crafts:

http://www.makingfriends.com/safepin/haiti_flag_pin.htm

Photo credit: www.makingfriends.com

Haitian Beaded Flag Pin

  • 6 size 4 safety pins
  • 1 safety pin without coil, 2 1/4″
  • Red, white and blue pony beads
  • Letter beads to spell out Haiti (or any other 5-letter word)

Put six beads on each size 4 pin following the pattern in the picture (4 pins with 3 red and 3 blue beads; 2 pins with 2 red, 2 white and 2 blue beads). Close the pins. Thread the base of the beaded pins onto the pin with no coil, in the same order shown on the pattern. In between each pin you thread, place the lettered pin starting with “H” and ending with “I” to spell Haiti. Close the pin.

Google Haitian bead art under images to see all the intricate and beautiful designs possible. You can also find patterns online if you are interested in creating more adventurous designs.

For more information on this and other craft activities, go to www.makingfriends.com. For a simpler activity for those who like to color, we found this page in our search with some fun coloring pages.

To read about Heifer’s work in Haiti, see these recent blog posts by Jason Woods, Regional Program Assistant for Heifer, who traveled to Haiti this past summer to visit several projects. Or, you can learn how to help Heifer in our work with Haiti.

Be an Olympian in Your Own Home

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Once a week we will be featuring a fun and/or educational activity you can try at home or in the classroom. This week we’re going to share fun kid-sized Olympic sports you can create and play at home or in class.

Hammer Throw
Materials: Small paper bag, newspaper, 12″ string
Stuff newspaper into a small paper bag and tie off with the string. Hold the end of the string and spin he bag around 3 times; Let go. Record how far the hammer travels; longest distance wins.

Javelin Throw
Materials: 4 soda straws, waste paper basket, tape
Tape the straws together end to end. Mark a line behind which all players must stand. Place a wastepaper basket five feet from the starting line. Players throw the straws into the wastebasket. Each player gets five turns. Whoever gets the most straws in the basket wins.

Standing Broad Stretch
Materials: Tape
Mark a line with tape that players must stand with toes behind to start. Players take one giant step; longest step wins.

Shot Put for Distance
Materials: Aluminum foil
Make a ball out of aluminum foil. Hold the ball in the palm of one hand; place that hand next to your ear and then push the shot into the air extending your arms. Do not move your feet. Record distances; the longest distance wins.

Discus Throw
Materials: Frisbee or tape and two heavy paper plates
Use a Frisbee or tape two heavy paper plates together. Hold the “discus” like a flying disk. Throw away from the waist. Record distances; longest distance wins.

And of course, when you are done, don’t forget to recycle the materials you used.

For more Olympic activities, go to kidactivities.net. To learn more about Heifer International and its work around the world, check out the In Context series on the Heifer blog.

Make a Bowl and a Statement on Earth Day

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Once a week we will be featuring a fun and/or educational activity you can try at home or in the classroom.

Bowl made from magazine pages

Photo Credit: artprojectsforkids.org

This year to help celebrate Earth Day we have compiled a number of activities you can try on a Pinterest board. One I’ve always wanted to try is making recycled magazine bowls. I’ve seen them at craft shops for the last few years and have always been intrigued by them.

All you need to do this activity is:

  • 1″ x 12″ cardboard stick
  • Scotch tape
  • Magazine

Tear out the magazine pages, the more colorful, the better. Put the stick on the corner of the page and wrap the paper around it tightly, carefully folding and creasing. When done wrapping, pull the stick out add tape the corner down to prevent unwrapping. Coil the completed strip tightly, and tape the end. Each new strip is attached with tape where the last one ended. The result will be a flat roll. Keep adding strips until it is the desired size and shape it into a bowl. Apply a generous coat of Mod Podge on one side and let dry. After it is dry, coat the outside.

For a more detailed description of this activity, go to the original blog post on Art Projects for Kids. For ideas and inspiration of different bowl designs, check out these pins we found on Pinterest.

Other cool Earth Day activities can be found on the Earth Day board on Heifer’s Pinterest or in the Classroom Resources section of Heifer’s website.

As always, once you do this activity, we’d love to hear about your experience in the comments and/or see photos that we can share to inspire others.