If you are going to do crafts with children, it is of course nice to give a theme to the craft activity. Lots are often drawn for Sinterklaas, which you can also link very well to a craft activity, also for smaller children.
Intention
It is the intention that each child draws a lottery ticket. Each ticket has a word that has to do with Sinterklaas. So each child gets a different word. Each child should use his or her word to make a craft or drawing. You can choose the way in which this is done.
You can use the crafts or drawings to decorate the classroom or another room, if this activity is not done with a school class.
Choice of material
When organizing this activity, it is important that you choose materials with which the children will craft. For example, you can choose to let the children draw, paint or chalk, but you can also let the children make the crafts with cardboard or fabric. You can of course also prepare different materials and let the children make their own choice.
Some ideas
You can perform this activity in many different ways. Some ideas are:
- Black Petes: Each ticket has the name of a Zwarte Piet, for example: Muziekpiet, Kookpiet and Brilpiet. The intention is for each child to tinker his or her Zwarte Piet. That way you get all different Zwarte Pieten.
- Objects: Each ticket has an object written on it, for example: steamer, Sinterklaas’ bag and parcels. It is then the intention that each child makes that object that is on the lottery ticket. Ultimately, these objects can also be made into one whole, for example to stick on the window or the wall.
- Make a song: Each lottery ticket contains a sentence from a Sinterklaas song. It is the intention that every child will make a craft project or drawing with this sentence. You can also choose to have each child make a craft project and have the sentence incorporated into it. If you keep all the craftwork in sequence, you will create a depicted Sinterklaas song.
- Make a surprise: When you think of Sinterklaas and drawing lots, you soon think of making surprises. Have each child make a surprise for someone else or let everyone make a general surprise and then play the well-known dice game.
In groups
You can also draw lots in groups. This stimulates the children to work together, but you can also make the activity a bit more difficult. Some ideas for a group activity:
- Competition: Make the activity a competition! Let the groups choose what they make with regard to the Sinterklaast theme, let them draw a lottery ticket or come up with a theme such as “Which group makes the most beautiful Zwarte Piet?”.
- Other material: Let the groups draw a lottery ticket with a material written on it. The groups have to make crafts with this material. Do you want to get the kids to think “out of the box”? Then let them tinker with materials such as newspapers, wallpaper and plastic. You can optionally place materials (such as rope and knots) on a table that each group may use.
- Dress up contest: Each group chooses one person to be dressed. You can of course let the children decide for themselves what the outfit will be, but you can also draw lots in this. For example, you can use different Zwarte Pieten, but you can also let the children work with one material, as described above.
For the group assignments you can of course also use the ideas that were described earlier.
Other themes
Because you can go in many directions, you can also draw lots to other themes such as Sinterklaas. For example, you can use other holidays, but also consider the seasons or countries.
Tip: Many primary schools organize a themed evening once a year. You can also link this activity to the theme that is used at your school.