traditional german crafts

[kaffee_bohnen]

I'm new to craftster!  So hi everyone!

I'm looking for ideas or books of traditional German crafts for children - if you know of anything (especially holiday-themed) then please make a suggestion! 

I'm looking for this because I teach a German class, and like to slip in some crafty activities to keep the students' interest and keep class fun!

(Wenn Sie auf deutsch antworten moechten, ist es auch OK!)

[Kerstin]

Hi,

could you give us a hint as to what age the children are? I think this will make quite a dfference because of the skill required. Also, I didn´t think it was that hard for me to think up a traditional german art. Cross stitch? If I was a child I´d probably run for it if my teacher would make me do that *g*.

A thing you could do for Xmas are Stars made from straw (Strohsterne) and hang them up on a tree:
http://www.kidsfun.de/weihnachten/tor/7.html

Do you use Adventskalender? If not, have them build one of the sort that can be filled with small things and make them force their parents to fill it with sweets *harhar*

Is traditional a definite requirement? Would it suffice if you did a Germany-themed window colour painting, for example?

As soon as I can think of anything better I´ll post it.

Kerstin (Munich)

[kaffee_bohnen]

thanks, Kerstin!

The students who will be making the crafts are all ages - from age 5 or 6 to adult - so there's a real diversity of skill level.  Also, there's a time limit, since the Easter and Xmas things only last about 2 hours - so anything that can't be done inside of 30 minutes is usually too much.

(We do Strohsterne nearly every year, and everyone loves them! but I think it's important to switch things up from time to time)

And traditional is preferable, but not necessary.  I'm really looking for a book of traditional crafts, though, since images really inspire me, and a book is something that can be referred to in years to come. 

[Bastelmutti]

Would Schultüten count? Here's one I made when my daughter started kindergarten:

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=46188.0

Maybe some sort of a Karneval mask?

[LaughingLark]

This thread is making me miss my German grandma.

When I was little, she had a tree covered with perlensterne, and she taught me how to make some simple ones out of wire and plastic beads when I was around six or seven years old. When I was a little older, and after Grandma has passed away, my mom and I would make a few of these every year for our tree. We always called them "perlensterne", and one day I was google-ing around on the computer, looking for German crafts, and found this great tutorial for them. They are very addictive to make, and maybe you can use some of the simpler patterns for the kids, and the older ones could do some that are more complex?

http://www.basteln-mit-elisabeth.de/perlenst.htm

I know it is yet another kind of "sterne", but they are fun to make!

Wish I still spoke German! My Grandma died when I was seven, and I used to speak some German with her, because she spoke almost no English. Thirty-five years later, I only remember enough words to get thoroughly confused.  Someday I'd like to take a class, because maybe, hopefully, I still remember some of the language in my subconscious and lessons would bring it back.


Good luck with your projects!

--Lark

[kaffee_bohnen]

oh wow, that website has some cool stuff on it - I'll definitely try out the Perlenstern tutorial - that looks like a fantastic Christmas craft.  (I know it's not all traditional German, but I'm sure I can use some of the ideas and incoporate sort of a German theme)

anwyay, thanks for your help everyone - but anyone who has further suggestions, please leave 'em.  I'm all ears!

[gloing]

in Kindergarten we built a gingerbreadhouse(or is it a cottage  ) every year, sometimes small ones for everyone one, sometimes one big one.
dont know if its typical german(but its out of Grimms Tales and they are german)

not traditional but it combines two things important to many germans and / or important for the german image:
beer and soccer
 

before easter some eggs can be easily painted/dyed, fake eggs like plastic eggs would make it easier. traditionally they are hung on a birch tree, i dont know if there's a similar tradition where you live.

and you could do easy "Fastnacht", "Fasching", "Karneval" masks out of paper plates. 

http://www.bastelstunde.de/Papier___Pappe/sonstiges/Masken/masken.html

and for st martin 11th november you could do paper lanterns

If you dont have enough time for an advent calendar, let everyone make a" door" and then everyone draws a number and gets that door (you will have to make it class size fitted)
Or you can "wichteln" (Wichtel and especially the "Heinzelmännchen" are typical german story figures), I looked it up and it said in English its called "secret santa, everybody crafts something or brings some tiny good and those are put into a bag and then everyone draws something.

and you could light an advent wrath http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath in the time before christmas.
the information on this page may be right, but i'm from germany an had advent wrath all my live and i didnt know about most of the meaning.
and no one i know cares about the colors of the candles. today the colors are chosen to match the decoration, many people using it arent religious at all.

Hope you like some of my ideas.

[tibo]

Hallo

Perhaps you find some interesting ideas at this german forum.
http://www.creadoo.com/themen.php?bereich_id=11

In Germany we make for christmas paperstars.
http://www.creadoo.com/Content28629

You can make "Salzteigfiguren"
http://www.creadoo.com/themen.php?bereich_id=11&rubrik_id=81

Or "Kochlöffelkerlchen"
http://www.creadoo.com/themen.php?bereich_id=11&rubrik_id=12&kategorie=9316

Very up to date are "Tontopf - Figuren"
http://www.creadoo.com/themen.php?bereich_id=11&rubrik_id=22
http://www.creadoo.com/Content53934
http://www.creadoo.com/Content49581
http://www.creadoo.com/Content28374

Here some links for work with children
http://www.praxis-jugendarbeit.de/spielesammlung/sp-bastel-ideen.html
http://www.winter-wonderland.de/article/archive/53/
http://www.blinde-kuh.de/bksearch.cgi?query=weihnachtsbasteln
http://www.kidsaction.de/basteln.htm

So, ich glaube das sind schon viele Seiten zum anschauen. Vielleicht ist ja etwas für dich dabei  .

Lieben Gruß

Tina

[trashtash]

Well, I found a private crafts site with lots of projects.
I´m not sure if these are traditional, but they look quite old-fashioned.
The projects are on a high crafting level, but they can be used as inspiration (especially the Easter eggs with faces or the straw stars).
http://www.basteln-mit-elisabeth.de/index.html

[oneshypisces]

I am doing a class on medieval Germany and would like some ideas for children's games and songs.  The age group will be from 3-adult and the time frame is 12th-15th century.  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated and the more interactive the better.  Thank you.