Pinatas

Materials Needed: large paper bag (grocery size); approximately half a bag full of candy and/or small treats (balloons, pencils, stickers, small toys, etc.) mixed with colored paper (weight of contents should not exceed three pounds); tape; various colors of tissue paper; glue sticks; small paper bags (lunch size); old newspaper.

Fill large bag with treats, fold down top, and tape closed. As a class, decide on a design for the pinata. (Animals work particularly well.) Use pieces of tissue paper to cover paper bag and decorate. Small bags filled with newspaper and covered with tissue paper can be used to create features like ears, noses, legs, tails, and so forth.

After pinata dries, use heavy yarn or twine to suspend from sealing. Let students take turns hitting it with a long ruler until it breaks and treats fall out.