Today's Classroom Activities :

Kwanzaa Activities and Crafts

Happy Kwanzaa
Poetry/Math Check with your librarian for a Kwanzaa picture book to read to your class before doing the following counting rhyme. Read the poem to the class, and then read it again, having students act it out. They may also create pictures of the actions to hold up.

Kwanzaa Guests

by Jacqueline Schiff

1 Kwanzaa Guest
Kindling a light,
2 Kwanzaa guests
Drumming at night.
3 Kwanzaa guests
Eating some fruit,
4 Kwanzaa guests
Playing the flute.
5 Kwanzaa guests
Stringing their beads,
6 Kwanzaa guests
Planting some seeds.
7 Kwanzaa guests
Dancing away,
8 Kwanzaa guests
Painting their clay.
9 Kwanzaa guests
Singing out loud,
10 Kwanzaa guests,
Smiling and proud.

On the last line, all join hands, raise them say "Harambee!" (hah-rahm-BAY-ay), which means "Let's all pull together!"

Also read The Kwanzaa Contest by Miriam Moore and Penny Taylor (Hyperion, 1996). Kids compete for a prize by sharing African stories and crafts.

Celebrate Kwanzaa in the United States
In this lesson, children will learn about the celebration and will discuss the seven principles on which Kwanzaa is based: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. This lesson will also help your students understand how different people might celebrate the holidays during the same time as they do, but in a different way.

Kwanzaa Symbol Strips
In this art project, students will learn about Kwanzaa and traditional Adinkra weaving patterns used on Kente cloth.

Kwanzaa Kinara
See how your students can create a kinara for Kwanzaa by using a paper plate and ice-cream sticks.

A Colorful Necklace to Wear During Kwanzaa
Here is an easy to make necklace that students can wear in celebration of Kwanzaa.