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Early Childhood Activity Bank

Make a
Kwanzaa Drum

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Do any of your students celebrate Kwanzaa? Invite those children to talk about their special holiday. Then let your class make a Kwanzaa drum to give as a gift or to share with families. Provide each child with a coffee can with a lid. Help children cover their cans with a sheet of yellow construction paper. Let children press pieces of red and black vinyl tape (available at craft stores) around the can to form vertical stripes. A small amount of the yellow construction paper should show between each piece of red and black tape.

The final pattern should look like this:
black tape stripe,
small yellow paper stripe,
red tape stripe,
small yellow paper stripe,
black tape stripe,
and so on around the can

Children might add safari animal stickers on top of the stripes to create an African motif. Finally, you might choose several Kwanzaa songs to play for the class (from CDs that are readily available in stores and online) and invite children to tap the lids of their drums to the beat of the music.

 

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ABOUT SUE LaBELLA

Sue LaBella was Education World's early childhood editor, and is a former teacher who loves writing activities and poems for young children. She lives in Connecticut with her family and her bulldog named Daisy.

Activities by Sue LaBella
Education World®
Copyright © 2009 Education World

Last updated 12/05/2014.