Archive for the ‘crafts’ Category

The idea for this post was submitted by my dear friend (and faithful Gnaana reader) Madhuri.  She pointed me to the book Monsoon Afternoon.

I haven’t read it, but it’s a story about a little boy who is bored on an Indian monsoon afternoon and starts folding paper boats with his Dadaji (grandfather).  They float the boats in a washtub and then take a walk together along the post-monsoon streets, chatting about seasons and change.

The book inspired her and her kids to make paper boats together (following this simple video tutorial) – which they sailed in makeshift puddles.  Sounds like a wonderful afternoon!

With all the hurricanes, floods and rains these past few weeks – I’d love to have this book on hand for a rainy day. 

Thanks Madhuri!

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Thinking back to one our very first posts – food flags of Indian and Pakistan – made with oranges, cheese cubes, spinach and avocado, and blueberries.  It’s a great hands-on visual exercise for children.

A celebratory snack you can prepare with your kids this Independence Day!

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What does Lord Krishna inspire in you?  Joy?  Complete devotion?  Or perhaps he is a supreme symbol of hope – the lifeblood of human existence?

Sri Krishna Janmashtami is on August 22nd this year – and it’s a time of colorful celebration and cheer throughout the world (check out our post last year on The Global Gopi).  Crafting diorama displays of Krishna’s life is a popular activity in homes and temples.  This month, we challenge you to create your own diorama with your kids!

Start by having the kids pick their favorite Krishna story and then a specific scene from that story (for inspiration, scroll down this gallery).  Then, gather supplies from your garage, playroom or from a visit to a craft store.  Get the kids involved as much as possible, although fine detailing may require adult hands.

The scene we picked was of Krishna stealing butter.  We used old boxes, paint, craft ribbon, wooden poles, sheer fabric and cardstock to create the basic alter.  We adorned the alter with moss, toy animals and a Krishna figurine.  We also made dolls from wooden pegs found at a craft store – and dressed them up in tissue paper “sarees” – a big hit with the kids!

Did we inspire you to make your own?  Start now and slowly build your diorama – so you can display it with pride throughout the month of August!

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You’ve probably heard of some of these Hindu prayer iPhone apps apps floating around:  iPuja (“Need to pray on the go?”) and iMantra (even keeps track of the number of mantras you’ve said).  I was meddling with them to see if any of them could help my 5-year-old remember the mantras I’ve been teaching him.  Not really – too complicated for him to find the few he knows – and why hand over custody of the phone to him?

My vision was quite simple:  since mantras are best learned by hearing them over and over (and over) again, I wanted to create a utility through which he could press a button to select among 5 or so images of Hindu deities, and the corresponding mantra would play.

So I’ve undertaken to DIY such a utility via my FLIP video recorder.  I focus the camcorder on an idol or image of a deity (Ganesh, Lakshmi, Vishnu, Krishna, etc.) and record the mantra in my own voice, along with a (very) brief explanation.  He can scroll through the images and listen to Mom reciting mantras for him.

Best part is he can listen even when I’m not there!

Image of Lakshmi Devi via ganesh.us

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Did you have a secret code when you were little?

You may not have ever seen or learned the numerals in your Indian language.  But they do exist – and we thought it important to include them in our Bindi Baby Numbers books.  Why?  On principle perhaps – to retain the true form of the Indian scripts.  And with all the new evidence on the benefits of bilingualism (e.g. how the regular use of at least 2 languages sharpens the mind and, as a recent New York Time’s article highlights, may even delay the onset of Alzheimer’s) – the simple task of  learning a new way to write numbers is a terrific brain exercise!

So this month we’re featuring Bilingual Clocks – a simple craft you can do at home with your kids to reinforce the content of our Bindi Numbers books.  Simply tape your own numbers to an existing clock – and the digits are sure to sink-in to everyone’s heads eventually.  As an alternative to Indian languages, you can also use Roman numerals.  Whatever you choose, it’s the exercise of alternative thinking that’s important.

And, of course, learning new ways to write numbers is a perfect way for kids to devise their own secret code!

Featured above is a Clock using Telugu numbers.

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We’ve never properly introduced Pankaj – our adorable lotus-character logo.  The story is we just found him floating around in our papers, so we decided to adopt him into our happy home.  We suspect he’s a distant great grand-nephew of Goddess Saraswati – the goddess of knowledge and learning.  Whatever his origins, he makes kids smile!

Why the lotus?  It was a rather obvious choice.  This beautiful flower is an important symbol in Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism – representing Supreme Knowledge and total mental purity – ideals which we’d want to steer kids towards.

If you’ve been fortunate to receive a package from us, you know to expect that little orange envelope with a Paper Pankaj attached - our special gift of handmade whimsy that sets us apart from the average shop.

Paper Pankaj is very easy to make (and very fun for kids).  All you need is a square sheet of paper and a few minutes to view this video tutorial.

Happy folding!

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“Hey Mommy, salt is salty [insert cackle],” my son announced the other day.  I think he thought it was the best joke he’d made in a long while.

We had been talking about the different types of taste lately - sweet, sour, salty, bitter and spicy – and trying to identify them as we cook and eat.  Thankfully, he is an adventuresome eater who is curious enough to try anything – though he made the most adorably-awful face when he tasted raw grated ginger while we were making upma last weekend.  “Bitter!” he cried. 

As our family celebrates Ugadi today (the Telugu/Kannada/Konkan New Year, also celebrated by Marathis as Gudi Padwa), I’m excited to make our traditional Ugadi Pachadi (chutney) with the kids.  As I’ve done in the past, I have the kids taste each of the flavours before I mix them together (I do a “quickie” version – with jaggery (or brown sugar), lemon juice, salt, methi powder and red chili peppper).

This year, given my son’s interest in tastes, I’ll take the lesson to the next level by printing out a tongue map (pictured above) and trying out a Tongue Map Experiment I found at PBS Kids, though we’ll be using our chutney ingredients instead.

And for the Telugu folks, take this Ugadi quiz for fun – Happy Ugadi!

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Holi is almost here – and we have a colorful craft to bring in some springtime cheer, as featured in our March Newsletter.  Just tell the kids it involves glue – that will get their attention!

Featured here is an OM suncatcher, along with a window display of a little girl and boy and tissue-paper flowers, but you can use any shape.  Complete the look with pretty craft butterflies and a special holiday placesetting just for the little ones.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Colored carsdtock or construction paper
Several sheets of vellum paper
Colored tissue paper, cut into small rectangles or squares
Mod Podge (or other non-toxic, clear adhesive)
Scissors
Clear tape

You’ll want to pre-cut the shape(s) for the suncatcher(s) ahead of time.  Simple trace your desired shape onto the colored cardstock and cut away the inside.  When the kids are ready, place the tissue paper squares into a large bowl and give each child a sheet of vellum paper.  Have them brush the vellum with the Mod Podge and create a mosaic with the tissue paper squares.  When dry, tape the vellum mosaic to the back of the cardstock.  Place in a window and let the sun pour in!

You can take it a step further and tape other tissue paper shapes to the window to create a window display – perhaps even a scene to illustrate the story of Prahlad and Holika.

And if you dare, you can let the kids “play Holi” with the remaining tissue paper squares.  Caveat cleaner-upper…

Tags: Holi Kids Craft
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In planning treats for the upcoming Holi, I thought it only befitting (and fun) to use food dyes in the recipes (rainbow muffins and halwa are on the agenda).  I haven’t bought food colouring in quite some time and personally don’t find coloured foods very appetizing.  But the kids lust after green cookies and blue frosting – even though my 4-year-old declares them to be “extra junky.”

Of course you can always make your own colours (see last year’s post on Natural Eco Friendly Holi Colors), but I fear they may taint the food with unwanted flavours.  Not to mention that by the time I’m done making the colours, I won’t have any energy left to make what I had planned.

There seem to be 2 options for natural food colouring:  India Trees’s Natural Decorating Colours ($18 for red-blue-yellow) and Chefmaster ($6 per colour).  Both are pricey and have mixed reviews, but better than having the kids eat chemicals, no?

Tags: Holi
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(Sonal means “Golden”)

As kids write out Valentines this month, names are most definitely on everyone’s minds.  Names are beautiful, symbolic and, most importantly, graced with radiant and evocative meanings.

Do your kids know what their name means?

Here’s a simple (and surely memorable) project for kids from our February Newsletter:  have them create a name poster – with drawings or pastings of all of the elements which give meaning to their names.  This is a great opportunity for self-exploration.  Here are few tips to get you started:

1.  First, if you’ve never done so, ask them if they know what their name means.  It may not be something they’ve even thought to ask!
2.  Tell them, in an age-appropriate manner, what their name symbolizes.  Why did you choose it?  Is there a special family history behind it?  If the name is taken after a particular deity, what aspects of that deity are embodied in the name?
3.  Make a list of 5-10 words that relate to their name – include colors, objects, and qualities.  For the words that are more of an esoteric nature (e.g. “patience”) help your kids think of an object or animal that embodies those qualities.
4.  Gather a paper or canvas (perhaps in one of the colors you identified) and paints, markers and other craft items and urge your child to include as many of the words as he can.  If your child is too young to draw more complicated objects, use stickers or cut-out images from magazines.
5.  Of course, don’t forget to include your child’s name on the artwork!

Get creative – and have fun!

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