Book Excerpt from:
Kids Around the World Create!
Welcome to My Room
Indian Welcome Message
Reprinted with permission of the author.
All rights reserved. ©2000 Arlette N. Braman

Many cultures use symmetry (balance in which one side of a design is the mirror image of the other side) in the designs they create on their clothing, pottery, weaving, and jewelry.   The English who first settled in America couldn't buy wallpaper, so they decorated the walls of their homes with stenciled designs, many of which were symmetrical.  A popular design, the pineapple, meant "welcome".  Early Canadian settlers made symmetrical cut paper leaf designs as decorations to remind themselves of the coming spring.

In Southern India, mothers and daughters begin their day with an interesting custom.   At sunrise they go outside and clean the porch or front steps of their home with water.  After it dries, they draw a symmetrical design, called rangoli (pronounced ron-GO-lee), with white powder.  First they make dots then they connect the dots with lines.  This design welcomes people into their home.

Each morning the women make a new symmetrical design.  Some use chalk so they don't have to change the design every day.  On special occasions the inside spaces of the designs are filled with colors.  Then the mother or daughter writes a welcome message under the design.

Look at the symmetrical Indian welcome design shown here.  You can make an Indian welcome design for your bedroom door.  When it's taped to your bedroom door it means "come in".  If you take it off, it means "stay out".

Here's what you need

• Pencil Scrap paper
• Colored construction paper
• White chalk
• Colored chalk
• Masking tape

Here's what you do:

1. Using pencil and scrap paper, practice a few designs of your own, or copy the design shown at the beginning of this activity.  Make dots in a symmetrical pattern first.  This means you make the dot on the left side of the paper, then make a dot in the same place on the right side of the paper. Connect the dots with lines.
2. Make your design on the construction paper with chalk.   Remember to start with the dots.  If you make a mistake, just use the back of the paper.  Blow off any excess chalk dust.
3. Tape your finished design to your bedroom door with a small piece of masking tape.  CHECK WITH AN ADULT BEFORE YOU DO THIS.  You can change your design every week.

Art Choice:

• For special occasions you can fill in the spaces of your design with colored chalk.
• Remember to keep the colors symmetrical, so that what you do on one side is done in the same place on the other side.
• You can also write a message under your design.

interview with Arlette

Interview 1: Kids...Cook!
Childhood Memories
Cultural "Tidbits"
"Similar, Yet Diverse"
Foods That Kids Can Make
FREE recipe:
Mexican Hot Chocolate

Interview 2: Kids...Create
Connecting Cultures
Special Holidays
Basic Craft Materials
FREE Craft:
Indian Welcome Message

Kids Around the World Cook!:
The Best Foods and Recipes from Many Lands
by Arlette N. Braman, Jo-Ellen Bosson

An international compendium of recipes introduces kids to a world of delicacies that are easy and fun to make. What do Jamaican kids eat for breakfast? What do Japanese families have for dinner? What kinds of treats do Norwegian children have for dessert? Kids Around the World Cook! helps young readers develop an appreciation for other cultures by introducing them to a banquet of recipes from around the world. Kids learn how to make lots of fun meals, including: Indian Sweet Lasi (a yogurt drink), Ethiopian Injera Bread (a thin pancake-shaped bread), Polish Strawberry Soup (which is served cold on hot summer days), and Japanese Kushiyaki (meat and vegetables broiled on skewers). The recipes come from many countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, Mexico, Israel, Cuba, Egypt, South Africa, and Thailand, among many others. In addition, text and sidebars supply plenty of background information on cultural food traditions to help kids learn as they eat!

Kids Around the World Create!:
The Best Crafts and Activities from Many Lands
by Arlette N. Braman, Jo-Ellen Bosson

From Italian carnival masks to Egyptian jewelry,a fantastic collection of Earth-spanning activities Kids Around the World Create! is an excellent way for parents and teachers to introduce children to dozens of diverse cultures from around the world and throughout history. Each of the projects and activities in this collection is original, fun to do, and accompanied by a host of interesting facts about the culture. Author Arlette Braman helps kids recognize the similarities between cultures as well as appreciate the value of diversity. Perfect in the classroom or at home, the many multicultural projects include making an Egyptian bead necklace, designing an Amazonian Indian headdress, sculpting an Inuit spirit figure, and many more. *Includes original activities from many countries, including India, Ghana, Japan, Korea, and Mexico *All projects can be done with easy-to-find and inexpensive materials