Kwanzaa gifts and crafts

Since Kwanzaa gifts are mainly given to children, here are some gift ideas for the holiday.

One of the key components in celebrating Kwanzaa is to recognize one’s heritage, culture and history.  To this end, one of the most important gifts you can give a child is a book on African history.  This serves to enhance a child’s knowledge on African culture and reinforces the continuity of education as a primary source for every child to understand African values.  Along with a book, a symbol of their heritage should also be included.  This symbol can be in the form of art, a CD or hand-made beads to invoke a sense of history and tradition. 

In keeping with the first fruit theme, one can also prepare homemade cookies which can be presented in a basket and tied with the traditional colors of Kwanzaa – black, red and green.

African dolls are also perfect gift ideas for children.  Dressed in African garb, these dolls are yet another symbol of African pride and heritage.

An African basket is another gift idea or a lovely Shona carving made out of soapstone.  There are several renditions of these carvings, most of which include a family theme.  For example, you can purchase a Shona sculpture signifying a family of four.  This is not only quite beautiful, but will act as a constant reminder of the importance of family unity to the child as well.

Articles of clothing would also be perfect gift ideas for children.  Accessories such as hats, belts or scarves made in typical African fashion encompassing the colors of Kwanzaa would be appropriate.

Kwanzaa is not only a time of celebration and gift giving to children, but to each other as well.  Perhaps you and your children can make a homemade Mkeka, which is the straw mat that holds the seven symbols of Kwanzaa and give it as a gift to a family member. 

Another gift idea is to give the seven Kwanzaa candles to complete the Kwanzaa setting for a friend.

The importance of gift giving during the week of Kwanzaa is based on meaning.  Therefore, whether a gift is homemade food, straw mats or books on African culture, the idea is to reinforce one’s heritage and to continue the education process that allows children to fully understand the significance of Kwanzaa as a celebration of ancient and historical unity. This will also help children to understand the importance of family, community and pride. 

Kwanzaa games and crafts for kids

One of the many facets of celebrating Kwanzaa is for kids to engage in games and crafts for the holiday.  Here are some ideas you can incorporate into your seven-day Kwanzaa celebration.

• Purchase Kwanzaa jig-saw puzzles and have the kids put together its colorful pieces.  There are a number of interactive online games your kids can play as well.
• Have your kids play a multitude of online Kwanzaa games one of which is printing out a sheet of Kinara candles, then place them in their correct order.
• Purchase the Nguzo Saba board game, which is not only educational since it is designed as the map of Africa, but it utilizes pictures to symbolize the 7 Kwanzaa Principles as well.
• A wonderful craft idea is to fashion a basket utilizing red, green and black ribbons and placing fruit inside as a centerpiece for the table.  Weave the ribbons through the basket to symbolize the three colors of Kwanzaa.
• Make necklaces out of red, green and black beads using a satin cord.  You can find these beads in any craft store.
• Make a homemade Kwanzaa mat using black construction paper with red and green ribbon.  Cut the construction paper into strips and intertwine the two colored ribbons alternately.
• Another interesting and recommended game for kids is to teach Swahili. Choose specific words and have them repeat it.  One of the most familiar words in Swahili is Jambo, which means hello.  There are also interactive word puzzles online similar to Jumble, in which kids are given a list of words and the object is to find them in a word maze.
• Another wonderful craft idea for kids is to start a Kwanzaa scrapbook wherein they can record what they have learned each year about Kwanzaa.  Perhaps they can write their thoughts about their heritage, stories they may have been told and observations on books they may have read.  They can decorate the front of the scrapbook with the 7 Symbols of Kwanzaa. 

Kwanzaa crafts and games are an ideal way to pass down from generation to generation the values that are indicative of Kwanzaa as it relates to family and community.