Before you dive straight in to make a pinata let me tell you how it all started.
It is thought that the word Piñata is derived from the Spanish verb apiñar, 'to join or bind in a bundle', although some say that it originated in Italy in the 16th century.
Today the game Pinata is closely associated with the Mexican celebration of Christmas whereby festive occasions called Posadas are held every night from the 18th - 24th of December. Families and friends get together to sing, dance and make merry but for the children the highlight of the evening is the breaking of the Pinata.
The original Pinatas were made from simple clay pots or earthenware jars that were filled with trinkets, coins and sweets. The jar was suspended from a tree or frame by a rope and a blindfolded person had to try and hit it with a stick whilst it was swung back and forth. Once the pot was broken, all the guests would rush forward to collect the contents.
Today the pinata is an integral part of Latin-American tradition although it is rapidly spreading to other continents where it is used as part of Christmas and birthday celebrations. Although clay is still used, today the pinata is more commonly made out of papier maché and can take various shapes. Flowers, fruit, animals and birds are the most common although the star representing the star of Bethlehem is still popular.
Even if you are not very craft minded, it is very easy to make a pinata and it requires only the minimal of creative skills. Get the kids to help you but be prepared for some mess!
Coloured lengths of crepe paper (cut into 5 cm wide strips and approximately 40-50 cm long
Poster paints and brush
Sweets, trinkets
Method to make a pinata
NOTE: Make a Piñata at least a week in advance of the party in order to allow it to dry out completely.
Tear the newspaper into strips, roughly 3 cm wide and 20 cm long
Using the bowl, make the papier maché or make up the glue according to the manufacturer's instructions
Blow up and tie the balloon
Dip individual strips of newspaper into the glue and then apply the strips in a roughly even layer all over the balloon, overlapping each strip slightly. The strips can be laid horizontally and vertically which adds to the strength of the Piñata. Make sure to leave the balloon knot exposed.
Once you have done three layers of papier maché (2 for the pre-schoolers), drape one piece of string over the top and down the sides of the balloon. Both ends of the string should extend beyond the knotted end of the balloon by approximately 30 cms. Repeat this process with the second piece of string but this time lay it at right angles to the first piece.
Cover the balloon and strings with 1-3 more layers of papier maché. Make sure that you don't papier maché the strings right to the top of the balloon as you will need to cut a 7-cm hole later and you don't want to cut the strings. Aim to do about 3-6 layers in total. The more layers you do, the harder the Pinata is to break so only do 3 layers for the pre-schoolers.
Leave the papier maché to dry completely. This may take from 2-5 days depending on the environment.
Once the Pinata is completely dry, burst the balloon with the pin. Then using the craft knife carefully cut out a hole from the top (the end where the balloon's knot was) about 7-cm in diameter. Don't cut the circle completely off, as you will need it to recover the hole later on.
Fill the Pinata with sweets and trinkets and then close the hole over. Secure the circle lid with either masking tape of a couple of strips of papier maché
Now comes the fun bit whereby you can let your imagination run wild. Paint the Pinata in vibrant bright colours and patterns and then glue on the strips of coloured crepe paper so that they hang down from the Pinata
However, if you really dont' want to make a pinata or don't have the time, why not buy a ready made pinata. Below are two of my favourite Pinata suppliers:
Equipment: Piñata, blindfold, stick or bat, somewhere to suspend the Pinata
Using the 4 pieces of string, attach the Piñata to a tree branch, beam, climbing frame or any other suitable hanging place, at a height that will allow the Piñata to swing freely and where the guests can reach it with the stick.
Line the children up at least 4 metres from the Piñata. Blindfold the first child and give him the stick. Older kids could also be turned round a couple of times of the spot. Bring the hitter within a metre of the Piñata and ask him to try and hit it with the aim of breaking it. Each child then gets a turn or possibly several. I normally find that the children are a bit unsure and timid at first but once they get the hang of it, there is no stopping them!
Be warned - Don't let the children who are waiting in line move forward towards the hitter, as a blindfolded child with a swinging bat can be pretty dangerous.
As soon as the Pinata breaks open and the treats shower down, the children can scramble to pick up the goodies. It can turn into quite a scrum which can be a bit frightening for the younger children, so make sure that you have a bit of control over the scramble and that everyone gets their fair share of the treats.
Using the 4 pieces of string, attach the Piñata to a tree branch, beam, climbing frame or any other suitable hanging place, at a height that will allow the Piñata to swing freely and where the guests can reach it with the stick.
Line the children up at least 4 metres from the Piñata.