Fun projects to do at home!

Tissue Paper Mexican Flowers


On the Day of the Dead, many families in Latin America celebrate their ancestors and loved ones who have passed away. You might think it would be a sad day, but it is a happy day to celebrate with memories and stories from the past. One craft that people make for the holiday is tissue paper flowers. These flowers are bright and colorful and are used to decorate altars and graves. In the United States, we often give flowers on birthdays and on Mother's Day. People in Latin America use them to make the Day of the Dead a festive and fun celebration.


To make your own Mexican flower you will need:
4-6 pieces of tissue paper
1 pipe cleaner
Scissors

1) Put all of the tissue paper into a pile and fold all pieces together back and forth like an accordion.
2) Hold the folded papers in the middle, and cut one triangle into the paper on each side. (This will make it easier for the pipe cleaner to hold your flower together.)
3) Fold the pipe cleaner around the middle of the paper and twist it to make it tight.
4) Use the scissor to cut scallops, triangles or any other shape into the ends of the folded paper.
5) Gently pull apart the layers of tissue paper. These are the petals of your flower.

You can make lots of different flowers! Make a rainbow flower by using different colors of tissue paper! You can also cut the tissue paper big or small to make flowers of all different sizes. When you're done, use the bright flowers to decorate your room or give them to someone you love to say thank-you.



Musical Shaker  
Carnaval is a time of feast, celebration and revelry. Currently it is celebrated in Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico and many other countries in Latin America. One of the highlights of the festival is the samba parade led by the local samba school. At the parade you will see vibrant costumes and hear a steady beat of pulsing drums and music. The rhythmic percussion instruments provide the heartbeat for the entire celebration.

The ganza, a type of shaker, is a traditional instrument commonly found in samba schools. It is made from a thin metal cylinder with beads, shells, or seeds inside and is sometimes called "xique-xique" ("shoo-shoo") because of the sound it makes.

You can join in the Samba Celebration at Festival Latino by making your own ganza! With a few supplies and a little creativity you can make your own instrument and share your musical and cultural expertise.

Supplies:
Two cups-styrofoam or plastic
Rice, beans, or lentils
Masking tape
Crayons, markers and finger paints

First, put about two tablespoons of rice into one cup. Next place the empty cup on top. Carefully use tape to close the edges of the cups-make sure the rice won't fall out! Finally, use your crayons and other art supplies to decorate your new ganza!

Experiment using different materials and different sizes of cups. What happens if you use pebbles or macaroni instead of rice? Try using two soup cans or 20 oz. water bottles instead of cups to make your ganza. How many rhythms can you make?

 
 
  Music in the Air
420 W. Whittier St.
Columbus OH 43215
(p) 614.645.7995
mita@columbus.gov

Columbus Recreation
& Parks Department

City of Columbus
Mayor Michael B. Coleman