Kwanzaa Cards

Make and send these attractive cards for Kwanzaa, a relatively new holiday honoring African American families, communities, and cultures.

1. Kwanzaa is a 7-day holiday primarily celebrated by African Americans. Kwanzaa means first fruits in Kiswahili, a language that many people speak in the eastern part of Africa. It is a time to reflect upon the past year and to celebrate one's African heritage. Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday, but has many symbolic meanings connected with it.

2. Seven is an important number in Kwanzaa celebrations. There are seven symbols and seven principles connected to the seven nights. A candle is lit each night, when one of the symbols and principles are celebrated with family, food, and fun. Find out more about the meanings of the symbols (fruits of harvest, mat, unity cup, candle holder, candles, ears of corn, and gifts) and the principles (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith). These ideas can be represented in greetings for family and friends.

3. Fold construction paper in half to form a card. Decorate the cover and inside with Kwanzaa symbols and sayings, leaving space for a candle pop-up.

4. With Crayola® Scissors, cut a long strip of red paper that fits inside the card. Fold the red paper six times, accordion-style. Draw a candle on the top red panel and on each of the other seven surfaces with Crayola Gel Markers. The first candle lit is black and that candle in turn lights the other three red and three green ones. Attach the red insert to the inside of card with a Crayola Glue Stick. Happy Kwanzaa!

Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.

Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.

Crafts

crayola supplies

• Gel Markers
• Glue Sticks
• Blunt-Tip Scissors
• Construction Paper

"My kids drew candles and the candleholder on the cover and inside. We cut out the cover candleholder and added lighted candles inside."
Coretta S., mom of 8- and 10-year-olds.

"We are studying symbols, so exploring Kwanzaa was fertile approach to understanding their use and power."
Aimee N, community center volunteer

Kwanzaa was started in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, an educator and community leader, to restore African cultural traditions to African American people. His first name means master teacher in Kiswahili.