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Each spring my First Graders dive into our Perú theme, focusing on culture and language at the same time. My favorite part (and theirs!) is making our own, 7-year-old friendly arpilleras. Inspired by arpilleras made in Chile and Perú, my students brainstorm elements to include in theirs- mountains, the sun, hills, rivers, trees and shrubs, vegetables, flowers, houses and of course, people and animals. We make them in two parts- the background, made of construction paper, and a person and animal, both of which are three dimensional. Here’s how we do it, no sewing involved! (a materials list follows the instructions):
How to Make a Simple Arpillera with Kids
The background
Each of my students receives a piece of blue construction paper to start- this forms the basic background upon which they layer the rest of their elements. Mountains, hills, lakes, trees, houses, vegetable gardens, etc are cut out of colored construction paper provided and glued in layers onto the blue paper. I show them an example I have made with some layers only partially glued on to give them a sense of how they can create the layers, mimicking the layers of cloth that are used to make real ones out of fabric. I encourage them to include lots of detail, just like the arpilleras we explore in my classroom, full to the brim with objects. Once the background is finished, we set it aside. Now, on to the three dimensional people and animals!
Animals
Each kiddo gets to make one animal (due to limited class time) of their choice: a sheep, a llama or a donkey. I have already copied the design out on stiff drawing paper using our school copier and cut them out; the shapes are a bit challenging for little hands to cut out, so doing this part ahead of time really helps. Once they choose an animal, I put their name on the back, they color the front, and then choose a yarn- I have a variety of all natural yarns in browns, grays, black, and white. The yarn is wrapped around the bellies of the animal to the kiddo’s poofiness preference. I place a dab of glue on the back and stick the end of the yarn into it and let it dry. Super cute!
People
Each kiddo also makes a person (again due to limited class time), either a girl or a boy. Before we start the project I create the bodies out of pipe cleaners, attach a head and put hair on the head, using alpaca wool a friend of mine gave me. If no alpaca wool is available, sheep wool roving is just as great! You can get it at most yarn stores now as it is used for needle felting, or perhaps you know someone who spins wool or has fiber animals and is willing to donate.
I also cut out small rectangles of fabric in a variety of colors for the skirts, and pants (2 identical pieces for each pant) as well as a narrower rectangle for the shirt, in which I cut a slit half way lengthwise (this goes around the neck and down the back to form the front and back of the shirt). Each kiddo gets to choose their clothing and then we construct the person! See the photo collage below for step by step instructions.
Before kiddos take their finished projects home, I safety pin their animals and people to a large arpillera background I made many years ago in the hallway outside my classroom. It is a fun and amazing display for the whole school to enjoy!
Materials List:
- Construction paper in a variety of colors
- Pipe cleaners- 2 types: a) multicultural colors for the bodies and b) various colors to be used as belts
- Multicultural wooden head beads, available in many craft stores or here
- wool in grays, black, browns
- yarn- grays, black, white, browns
- fabric
- stiff white drawing paper
- crayons, glue
For information about the history of arpilleras see these two links:
http://benton.uconn.edu/arpillera/what/
http://www.santiagocultura.cl/2012/11/07/tradicion-de-arpilleras-en-chile/
This post is part of our new series Global Learning for Kids. Each month we will feature a country and host a link party to collect all the various posts people about teaching kids about that country–crafts, books, lessons, recipes, etc. It will create a one-stop place full of information about the country.
This month we are learning all about Perú, so link up below any old or new posts designed to teach kids about Perú–crafts, books, lessons, recipes, music, and more!
We are so excited for our FOURTH annual Hispanic Heritage Month series and giveaway! Through the month (September 15 – October 15), you’ll find great resources to share Hispanic Heritage with kids, plus you can enter to win in our great giveaway and link up your own posts on Hispanic Heritage!
Hispanic Heritage Month Activities and Giveaway from Multicultural Kid Blogs
Multicultural Kid Blogs is excited to be hosting its FOURTH annual Hispanic Heritage Month series and giveaway! Throughout the month (September 15 – October 15), you’ll find great resources to share Hispanic Heritage with kids, plus you can enter to win in our great giveaway!
Visit our main page for a full schedule of the articles in this series. Enter below for a chance to win one of these amazing prize packages! Some prizes have shipping restrictions. In the event that a winner lives outside the designated shipping area, that prize will then become part of the following prize package. For more information, read our full giveaway rules. Giveaway begins Monday, September 14 and goes through October 15, 2015.
Grand Prize
Home Learning Series Level A Curriculum from Calico Spanish US Shipping Only
Puzzle and app from Mundo Lanugo US Shipping Only
Sheet of Mexico themed nail wraps from Jamberry US & Canada Shipping Only
Complete set of If You Were Me and Lived In… books (15 countries) from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only
Latin American prize basket (scarves, purse, bracelets, books, map) from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only
Growing Up Pedro & Mango, Abuela, and Me (in English or Spanish) from Candlewick Press US & Canada Shipping Only
The Giraffe That Ate the Moon and Caroline’s Color Dreams (bilingual books in English and Spanish) from Bab’l Books US, UK, & Europe Shipping Only
Bienvenidas las raras (bilingual book in English and Spanish) from Delia Berlin
Los Animales CD from Mister G US Shipping Only
Hola Hello CD from Mariana Iranzi US Shipping Only
Bananagrams game in Spanish from Bananagrams US ShippingOnly
Kids’ T-shirt from Ellie Elote US Shipping Only 
First Prize
Perú, México and Portugal books from the If You Were Me and Lived In… series from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only
Latin American prize basket (scarves, coin purse, bracelets, map) from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only
Bienvenidas las raras (bilingual book in English and Spanish) from Delia Berlin
Los Animales CD from Mister G US Shipping Only
Hola Hello CD from Mariana Iranzi US Shipping Only
Bananagrams game in Spanish from Bananagrams US Shipping Only
3 picture books: Finding the Music/En pos de la música by Jennifer Torres Water Rolls, Water Rises/El agua rueda, el agua sube by Pat Mora The Upside Down Boy/ El niño de cabeza by Juan Felipe Herrera (in honor of his recently being named the Poet Laureate) from Lee and Low Books US Shipping Only
3 Board Books – Loteria, Zapata, Lucha Libre from Lil’ libros US Shipping Only
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage – Musical Craft and Coloring E-Book from Daria Marmaluk Hajioannou
Kid’s foreign language T-Shirt (available in Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Swahili, Hawaiian, Italian, in infant onesies, toddler and youth sizes tees and tanks; women’s tees and tanks SM-XL) from Mixed Up Clothing US Shipping Only 
Second Prize
Perú, México and Portugal books from the If You Were Me and Lived In… series from Carole P. Roman US Shipping Only
Latin American prize basket (scarves, coin purse, bracelets, map) from Spanish Playground US Shipping Only
2 picture books: Maya’s Blanket/La manta de Maya by Monica Brown Call Me Tree/Llámame Árbol by Maya Christina Gonzalez from Lee & Low books US Shipping Only
Bienvenidas las raras (bilingual book in English and Spanish) from Delia Berlin
Los Animales CD from Mister G US Shipping Only
Bananagrams game in Spanish from Bananagrams US Shipping Only
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage – Musical Craft and Coloring E-Book from Daria Marmaluk Hajioannou
Bonus Prize!
Mexican luchador piñata from Las Piñatas de Laly EU Shipping Only a Rafflecopter giveaway.
by 
Julie Hoffman
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