Easy Kwanzaa Candle Craft for Young Children

Even very young children can enjoy making this Kwanzaa candle craft, while older children can test their creativity to decorate it. Use this hands-on craft to teach your children about the history and meaning behind the Kwanzaa holiday. Tell your children about Kwanzaa's founder, Dr. Maulana Karenga, in the 60s. Karenga wanted a holiday specific to the African American culture to encourage them to celebrate their African heritage.

Provide a clean, empty toilet paper roll. Help your children paint the toilet paper roll in stripes of green, red and black. Use this opportunity to talk to your kids about why these colors are connected to Kwanzaa. Green represents the land of Africa and hope. It can also represent the fertility of the harvest. Black represents the black race of African American people. Red symbolizes the blood shed by African Americans and the hardships they have endured.

After the paint has dried, your children can decorate the outside of their Kwanzaa candle craft. Consider using craft glitter, sequins, ribbons, and stickers to add some pizzazz to the candle craft. Remember to use the Kwanzaa color scheme. You can also add silver or gold to accent the colors.

Finally, "light" your Kwanzaa candle craft with yellow and orange tissue paper. Layer squares of yellow and orange tissue paper in a stack. Grab the center of the squares and fold up the edges. Push the center into the top of the Kwanzaa candle craft roll. Let the edges push up out of the candle for the flame.

Make several Kwanzaa candle crafts and display them on the Kwanzaa table or around the room for a Kwanzaa party. Set the craft candle on a circle of black construction paper to look like a candle holder.

Use the idea above to make matching Kwanzaa napkin rings to use during the Kwanzaa feast. Paint the toilet paper roll like above. Cut the roll into three or four even sections. Add glitter and sequins to the cut sections and fill with Kwanzaa themed napkins.

To make a toilet paper roll Kwanzaa kinara, the seven candle menorah specific to Kwanzaa, use eight individual toilet paper rolls. Make three red candle crafts like above. Make three green candle crafts. Finally glue two toilet paper rolls together end-to-end to make one larger candle. Paint it black. Arrange the candles with the three green ones on the left, the large black one in the center, and the three red ones to the left. Remind your children of the meaning of the Kwanzaa candle colors.