January is the anniversary of Cuba’s Triumph of the Revolution, making it the perfect time to learn about Cuba – with colorful Cuba crafts for kids!

“The Cuban people have an amazingly strong and unbroken spirit” ~ Wim Wenders

When we talk about Latin America, most people start talking about large countries like Brazil, Argentina or Mexico, but there’s another tiny country that holds its own among these giants – and that country is Cuba!

Cuba is located in the Caribbean Sea, and its neighbors include Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica and the United States. It was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and is actually a collection of over 3500 islands.

So why are we talking about Cuba today? Well, it’s because this is the month of the anniversary of Cuba’s Triumph of the Revolution. This is the month in 1959 when Fidel Castro’s rebel group successfully established the present Cuban government. This day is celebrated in a grand manner across the country, with parades, fireworks and musical shows.

Cuba is a socialist country today but it has seen a lot of political unrest in past decades. The Cuban population reflects an array of ethnicities, which makes for a very colorful culture. So let’s kick off our world tour of 2022 with Cuba – by making some colorful Cuba crafts for kids!

Contents show

10 Colorful Cuba Crafts for Kids

1. Cuba Coloring Pages

Art is an important part of the Cuban life, especially in cities like Havana. The city has some good art galleries but the real deal is what you find outside – street art! A lot of Cuban art pertains to its history of revolutions, and you’ll find many portraits of Fidel Castro or Che Guvera out in public spaces. Get a feel for Cuban art by filling in these Cuba-themed coloring pages by The House that Lars Built!

2. DIY Banana Leaf Table Decor

Thanks to its history and multi-ethnic culture, Cuban food is quite an interesting mix of Spanish and Carribean cuisines. Most Cuban meals feature rice, black beans and plantains, while meat is often cooked in a curry-like sauce with spices. Banana leaves appear in Cuban food a lot – people eat on them and they also steam food in them. Let’s try and make our own banana leaf place mats with this easy project from Mamacita Spins the Globe.

3. Cuban Yarn Dolls

Cuba’s culture is rich and packed with elements of other cultures that have made a presence in the country. Simply walking down the streets will help you see crafts from Africa, Spain and the Latin American countries. Yet, many Cuban art forms are still relatively unknown internationally. Let’s try to change that with these Cuba crafts for kids, that also includes some cute yarn dolls from The Craft Train.

4. Martí’s Song for Freedom

Marti’s Song for Freedom is a lovely bilingual book in English and Spanish, and features the story of Cuban national hero José Martí. Martí played an important role in Cuba’s liberation, and he was also a talented poet and writer. In fact, Havana’s main airport is named after him – the José Martí International Airport. This book works as the perfect introduction for kids to Cuban history, and is the ideal accompaniment to our list of Cuba crafts for kids.

5. Tody Bird Craft

Cuba has some interesting wildlife, and features some unique creatures that are rare in other parts of the world. For instance, the bee hummingbird, the smallest bird in the world, lives in Cuba. Cuba is also home to the world’s smallest frog, the Mount Iberia frog, which is just one centimeter long! Mamacita Spins the Globe has a pretty project based on the Tody bird, a bird native to Cuba that has a bright green and red body.

6. Bongo Shaker Güiro

Cubans take their music very seriously, and it is the most popular art form in the country. In fact, Cuba has produced some famous Grammy Award-winning artists, like Gloria Estefan. Like other Latin American countries, Cuba has some musical instruments that are unique to the region, like shakers, Tumbadoras, Makutas, congas, batas and bongos. The bongo drums have African origins, and you can make your own with this fun project from Mini Eco.

7. Havana Nights Party Ideas

If making these Cuba crafts for kids and learning about Cuba has got you interested, why not try a Havana Nights-theme party? Get inspired from Kara’s Party Ideas, where they’ve gone all the way with a pastel decor theme and even Cuban themed food! Look at how cute those hat and cigar cookies look!

8. Pom Pom Cuba Flag

Learning about any country is incomplete without knowing its flag, which is why we had to include it in this list of Cuba crafts for kids! Booklandia has an easy project that even little kids can do, using pom poms and cardboard. Look at the colors – aren’t they similar to the red, white and blue American flag?

9. Paper Bag Cuban Puppet

Some iconic things to emerge from Cuba are the Cuban hat, the Guayabera or the Cuban shirt and of course, their cigars! Cool Moms Cool Tips brings all these icons to life in this absolutely adorable paper bag puppet of a Cuban man. We love how detailed the puppet is – look at the cigars peeking out of his pocket!

10. DIY Taíno Rock Carvings

While present Cuban culture has many African, Spanish and American influences, they also have a rich heritage of their indigenous people. One part of this are the Taíno petroglyphs, which can be found across the Caribbean. These are basically carvings or etchings on rocks of ancient symbols and are found in caves or near rivers. You can create your own versions with this project from Parents by using modeling clay.

We hope these Cuba crafts for kids have helped in learning a little more about this tiny country, and also appreciating the people there after everything they’ve been through. If you’d like to learn more facts about Cuba, you can check out these Cuba Country Study Printables from 123 Homeschool 4 Me. As we always say, nothing like some arts and crafts to learn about the culture and people of a place!