What better way to chase the winter blues away than a family luau! Music, colorful decorations and easy craft activities can warm up even the coldest home!
To make Leis you'll need:
- 3 X 3 squares of colored construction paper
- a one-hole puncher
- scissors
- thin yarn or thin ribbon
- plastic straws cut into 1-inch pieces
- pencil
- Using the pencil, draw the shape of a flower on the colored squares of paper and cut them out.
- Punch a hole in the middle for the flower shapes.
- Tie a knot on one end of the ribbon or yarn.
- Take a piece of straw and slide it onto the string or ribbon, creating a spacer.
- Next take a flower shape and slide it onto the string, then slide another straw, then another flower shape.
- Continue this pattern until you have a lei that is as long as you like it.
- Wear and enjoy!
Tropical Placemats require:
- 12 X 18 white construction paper
- water color paints and brushes
- crayons
- Draw an ocean or tropical island picture onto the paper. Draw in light colors (yellow, orange, pink, white, etc.)
- Make sure to press down hard with the crayons.
- When your picture is done, use the water colors to paint over your drawing creating a resist technique. Use cool colors like green, blue, purple and turquoise.
- Let dry. When dry, you can use as placemats on your table!
A luau wouldn't be complete without music and games. You can get Hawaiian music from your local library. Try some classic Don Ho or instrumental drums! The Lilo and Stitch soundtrack has some really great music on it. Teens and kids also enjoy Don Ho's daughter's music! Her name is Hoku, (it means star), and her album has some great dance tunes on it (Perfect Day, Another Dumb Blonde).
Games to Play
- Freeze Dance: kids dance while music is playing and freeze when it stops. Anyone moving must sit out one turn and control the music.
- Low Limbo: Use a broom for the limbo stick and have everyone squat-walk under (bending at the knees as far as they can go and walking) the limbo stick. Crawling on your belly at the end is perfectly acceptable!
- Hula Hoop Frenzy: See who can go the longest with the hoops. Try spinning them on different parts of your body (neck, arms, legs).
- Hawaiian Hello:Learn how to say "hello" and other words in Hawaiian. "AA"(ah-ah) and "PAHOEHOE"(pah-hoy-hoy) mean lava! Find out which one means smooth lava and which one means chunky lava!
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