I cannot say that the piñata is already a huge success so far, but it is taking confident steps towards popularity :-). I think the most difficult question for our holiday lovers is where to hang it. Of course, this fun, more suitable for outdoor activities, and a tree branch is used as a support, but it is quite possible to hang it in a room with a high ceiling.
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What Is a Piñata?
The original Spanish form of the piñata is the star. Designation – the Star of Bethlehem, showing the way to wanderers during the Christmas period (from December 16 to 24). And not simple, but seven-pointed, which marks the seven deadly sins. In Spain, such a star is made from a clay pot, on top of which paper and cones are glued, which are responsible for its ends. A safer version of the piñata, typical for European countries, is glued from paper (papier-mâché).
Piñata is a large hollow toy inside which you can hide sweets, small gifts, serpentine, and confetti.
The figurine can be in the form of a ball, a funny animal, a flower, or a house. And don’t forget the brighter, the better! The toy is pasted over with multi-colored ribbons, corrugated paper, pieces of foil, or artificial flowers. A piñata can only be dyed one color, but more often, you can find multi-colored toys with delightful shades that will instantly attract the attention of children and give a lot of pleasant emotions.
You can find many master classes on making such a toy with videos and step-by-step photos on the Internet. The decor of the piñata can be absolutely anything. For decoration, satin ribbons and shaggy feathers, delicate watercolor and bright gouache, sparkling rhinestones and various buttons, as well as colored paper, cardboard, and other stationery can be used.
What’s inside of a piñata?
The piñata itself is a hollow toy. But inside it, you can find all the most interesting things: sweets and small sweets, lollipops and chewing marmalade, oranges and even toys. When the question arises of what to put in it, then remember what is usually found in New Year’s bags.
Almost all of their ingredients are great for this purpose. The only thing to remember when composing the filling is that sooner or later, it will all fall out of the piñata, so you should not put in something that can break or injure guests.
What size can a piñata be?
A separate story is the size of the piñata. To make it convenient to break it, it must be quite large. But at the same time, not too bulky because it will still need to be filled with stuffing and hung out, and the larger it is, the heavier it is.
However, you can not hammer it to the bone with goodies if you want a bigger piñata. On average – from 50 cm to 1 meter.
How and where is the best place to hang it?
Of course, the outdoors is ideal. It would be nice to choose a sprawling tree under which grass grows. Sweets and toys will fall down, and it’s a shame if all this joy gets on a dusty road. However, you can spread a beautiful blanket or a bright film.
In rooms with high ceilings, there are often handy hooks. We hung in the music hall of the kindergarten on a hook designed to secure the Christmas tree :-). The toy itself should be at such a height that the children can take it in turn with a stick.
If there is absolutely nowhere to hang it, you can instruct two adults to hold the toy on a rope. Here’s how it is in the video (it lasts 6 minutes, all the children try to break it in turn, you can immediately scroll closer to the final :-)):
How and what to break?
The stick is the main tool for extracting goodies from the bowels of the piñata. You can order a bright “bat” if you buy a ready-made toy. Save it, so you don’t have to pay every time. The game begins with the child being blindfolded, after which he spins around with a stick in his hands.
The rest of the guests move away to avoid getting hit on the head. And the player begins to zealously wave his weapon against the unyielding hanging chicken, the sun, or another mischievous character that the piñata has been turned into. However, you can not close your eyes.
It is rarely possible to break the first time, but this is good since all children want to try it. It often ends up with someone’s dad or a very clever mom :-).
To play with kids who still have a hard time waving a stick, you can use a simplified version of a piñata with ribbons; when pulled, the toy opens itself.
Where to buy ready-made piñata in Moscow?
A huge selection of piñatas in the USA is presented in various online stores like Amazon, Walmart of goods for organizing holidays. Prices are quite reasonable – from 20 to 50 dollars, depending on the size and decor of the toy.
There are forms that do not need to be broken. Here, for example, is this. Diameter – 45 cm, thickness – 10 cm.
Piñatas are sold in many stores, here are the best prices.
Toys are sold empty! In the description for each product, you will find how many sweets and confetti are recommended to put in each piñata. Fillers are usually sold in the same online stores. However, gifts can be selected individually for each holiday, and it’s even more interesting, you must agree!