State of Hawaii

Throw a Luau Party - Make Hawaiian Leis, Hula skirts, and pretty flower decorations. Get Hawaiian music from the library and do the limbo. Use a broom handle for your limbo stick. Also look for Hawaiian cookbooks and prepare some Hawaiian style foods. (Oriental Trading Company has Hawaiian decorations and games for a great Luau.)

Leis - Print out the flower pattern (large file or small file) onto colorful paper. Staple about five more sheets of different colors of paper to the back of the pattern sheet. Cut out the flowers cutting through all the layers of papers. Punch a hole in the middle of the flowers with a hole punch. Cut up plastic straws into one- inch pieces. Cut lengths of yarn long enough for the lei. Wrap a piece of tape around on end. String on two or three flowers and then a piece of straw. Keep going until you have fill up the whole yarn. Tie the ends together. Bend the ends of the flowers in opposite directions so that they stand out from each other.

What you will need: Flower-shaped Fun Noodles (Aqua Noodles from Wal-mart or pool store), cord, fun foam beads, and chenille stems (pipe cleaners). You can buy foam beads from Oriental Trading Company,. Type in 57/205 in the search box at the top of their home page.

What to do:

1. Slice fun noodles into 1-inch slices with a serrated knife to create flower shapes.

2. Drill a hole through the slices from side to side to make large beads.

3. Let children string several fun noodle flowers and beads to form lei.

4. To make an easy threader fold chenille stems in half and tie cord onto the folded end of the wire.

This craft idea was sent in by Vicki Lepick

Pinecone Pineapples- These make great decorations for the table at your luau.

What you will need: yellow acrylic paint, green paper, hot melt glue gun, and scissors.

What to do:

1. Paint the tips of the pinecone with yellow paint and let dry.

2. Cut a length of green paper 11" x 4". Cut 1/2" slit all the way down the length of the paper leaving about 1/2" on one side not cut. It should look like grass. Roll the paper up and tape it together. Glue the side that wasn't cut to the top of the pinecone. You may have to snip off the top part of the pinecone to get the leaves to stay on. When the glue is dry bend down the leaves and snip the ends to a point. Snip the top leaves a little shorter than the bottom ones.

Maps and Facts -

1. Enchanted Learning's Zoom School has a map and important facts about Hawaii worksheet.

2. www.50state.com has a blank map of Hawaii.

Nene - State Bird

1. 50states.com has information on the Nene

State Flower

1. Yellow hibiscus (pua ma‘o hau hele)

State Song

Lyrics and song file

State Flag -

1. Go to 50States.com for an exclamation of what the pictures on the flag represent.

About.com Homeschooling Page for a picture of the state emblem and an exclamation of what it stands for.