Mexican Pinata

Posted 2013-07-19 by Lucy ⇒ follow

Hola amigos - a traditional is the perfect way to liven up any party and bring on the spirit of a fiesta. It's actually not too difficult for kids to make a simple pinata (or several) at home themselves. All you need is a bit of newspaper, flour and a balloon to get started. Just be prepared to make a bit of mess with the pasting. The hardest part is choosing what to fill them with and who will have the first bash at the end.

Our home made pinata

Time: 60 minutes (also allow around 24 hours drying time)
Age: 5-10's
Level: Medium

Materials

1 balloon

2-3 sheets of newspaper

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons flour

Scissors

Knife

Sticky tape

Colored crepe paper or tissue paper

Craft glue

String

Lollies/treats/party poppers etc.

Materials for a pinata

Method

Blow up your balloon.

Use the scissors to cut the newspaper into strips - this will be used for the "papier mache" technique soon.

Mix together the flour and water to make a smooth paste, then soak each newspaper strip in the paste before applying it to the outside of the balloon.

Cover the balloon in papier mache

Continue to cover the entire balloon in the paste soaked newspaper. Make sure there are not bits of balloon showing through or else the lollies will fall out before their time has come.

Allow 24 hours for the paste to completely dry (or you could use a hair drier or put it in front of a heater).

Cut a hole to hide the treats

Cut a small hole in the balloon so you can hide the lollies/treats inside. The balloon will break when you cut the paper, however the newspaper outside should remain as a hard shell. Fill with lollies/treats and seal with some sticky tape.

Add the colored paper to decorate

Add the final touches to cover the newspaper

Use colorful strips of crepe paper or tissue paper, cut into "ruffles", and glue/tape these around the outside of the balloon shape to create a bright, fluttering dome. This part is a bit fiddly, but is worth taking the time to do neatly. Traditional Mexican pinatas are much more elaborate than our orange one, so feel free to get creative. Your pinata is finally ready for a party.

Tie your pinata up with strong string and let the fiesta begin. This is the really fun part. Each person takes a turn to hit the pinata with a stick, until the goodies inside fall all over the place. This is a great way to let out any pent up stress while laughing at the same time. Have fun, and adios.

Our pinata moments after impact

Categories
#party
#paper
#balloons
#5_to_10 's
#games
#mexican
#around_the_world
#medium

%mykidcraft

238020 - 2023-07-18 02:18:24

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