This day, established in 1999, was designed to promote languages and cultural diversity. This could also be a good avenue to explore some crafts from different countries and incorporate learning a little bit from a different language as well. It is my own personal belief that the more we learn about, and learn to appreciate others, we will learn more about and appreciate ourselves. This is a fun way to create this type of opportunity.

My first suggestion would be to choose a country. How might that be done? Is there a country that interests your child? For a while, my children were really interested in Japan because of the anime/manga/cartoon items and programming. If this is the case, use this chance to try to show your children that there is more to the country than just what they see in cartoons. Many countries have crafts that are steeped in tradition. While trying to find a craft from their country, maybe your child could learn why it is done or if there is a special significance for that craft.

What nationality background does your family have? Make a simple family tree and try to trace, not only the people, but also the countries that your family may be from. Armed with this information, it would be easier to look into some crafting ideas. If you have an Irish background, why not duplicate the Blarney Stone? It could a fun and interesting way to teach your children some history or geography, as well as challenge their creativity.

Never underestimate the power of food. There are several ways to incorporate this into some crafting ideas. Find out how imaginative your child can be by creating a building or other symbol from a chosen country using food. How about constructing the Eiffel Tower out of pretzel sticks? I’m sure there are so many other things that can be done to construct different structures. Just look at how artistic some gingerbread houses have become and the possibilities are endless! In addition to building, try making a favorite food from that country.

If your children are younger and enjoy dressing up, explore various countries and their traditional method of dress. If your children are older, there are many types of hats, jewelry and other accessories that would inspire most budding artists. My oldest, who is a senior in high school, has found several different jewelry styles that she would like to try that have been inspired by other countries.

I hope this has helped to inspire you to seek some diverse crafting ideas for you and your children to enjoy. It is also my sincere wish that you are able to learn more about others and instill this interest in your child as well.