DLTK's Crafts for Kids Simple Paper Bag Pinata This is a very simple version of a Pinata making it a suitable craft to do with large groups of children.  It's a lot less messy than the paper mache version. The one in the photo was made by my 8 year old.  Age 3+ could make this craft.

Materials:

• paper lunch bag
• newspaper
• candy or other treats
• different colors of tissue paper
• scissors
• glue
• hole punch
• string

Instructions:

• Put candy or treats into the paper bag
• Scrunch up a piece of newspaper and put it in the bag.  Repeat until the bag is full, with the newspaper about 1 inch below the top of the bag (we need the inch so we can close the bag later)
• Cut strips of tissue paper 3 to 6 inches wide and long enough to wrap around the bag  (the wider you cut the strips, the quicker the craft will go)
• Fringe the strips by using your scissors to cut about 1/2 way up each strip, 1 to 4 inches apart

• Glue the strips around the bag, starting at the BOTTOM -- only glue the uncut part, don't get any glue on the fringes.

 

• When you glue on the second strip, overlap it so it comes about to where you cut the fringe.

• Repeat until you've covered the entire bag again leaving about 1 inch free at the top
• Punch holes all the way around the top of the bag.
• Lace a piece of string or wool around the holes and pull tight (You may need to pull out a bit of your newspaper or add a bit extra at this point).  Tie in a loop so you can hang it
• Cut 4 or 5 long strips of tissue paper and glue them to the bottom of the bag as streamers.
• When all the children have made their pinatas, you can hang them up for decorations OR you can let them whack their bag with a stick until their candy falls out 
  • be very careful that they don't hit each other...
  • I use skipping ropes, to rope off a small circle inside a large circle.
  • The stick (and whoever is using it) stays inside the small circle.  When the person's done using it, they have to put the stick down inside the small circle before they go back to the audience.
  • The audience stays outside the large circle
  • At most parties, remembering the rules of the circles becomes as much of a game for the kids as whacking the pinata.