This Elena of Avalor DIY for Mateo’s Tamborita is easy to make and perfect for an Elena of Avalor party activity. Thanks to Disney-Hyperion for sponsoring this post.
Has Elena of Avalor made her way into your child’s heart? Kayla quickly fell in love with Elena so we made this Elena of Avalor DIY project. As a parent, I appreciate that Elena’s story is full of Latino culture. So not only is she a charismatic female role model, but she introduces Kayla to a culture different than her own. Diversity in my friends is something I am proud of and strengthened by. Now more than ever it’s crucial that our children learn to embrace and respect the culture and heritage of others as they would want others to do with their own.
When I think about the future and what matters to me as a mother, I am less focused on traditional societal success markers. I don’t care if Kayla grows up to be a doctor, lawyer or president nearly as much as I care about her growing up to be culturally aware, compassionate, brave woman.
Reading and creating are two favorite pastimes Kayla and I have in common. We’ve made Elena of Avalor flower clips before and after a hectic Saturday we decided to spend Sunday afternoon cuddled up reading some new books including Elena and the Secret of Avalor.
Which led us to make some DIY versions of Mateo’s Tamborita.
If you are not familiar with Mateo yet, he is one of Elena’s best friends and a wizard in training. Obviously the role of a wizard in training has major appeal to a seven year old. Mateo’s wand doesn’t look like a traditional wand because it is a tamborita inspired by the Machi (shaman) in Chile. I love that in a world dominated by wands being only for princesses there’s a male character in Elena’s story who also carries a very neat wand of his own.To make my Elena of Avalor DIY Mateo’s Tamborita you’ll need:
- Small paper plates
- Wooden dowels cut to about 12″ long.
- Crayons
- This printable (optional) you can choose to draw your design or use this printable for younger children or a large group. Print it at 70% scale and it should fit quite well on a dessert sized paper plate.
- Glue stick (only if you choose to use the printable)
- Hot glue gun
First, either use the printable or decorate your paper plates. My printable is designed to mimic Mateo’s tamborita design but I’m a big believer in letting kids just do their own thing. Kayla decided to create her own colorful design for a tamborita.
Your child can draw their design directly on the backs of the paper plates or you can print the printable, cut it out and use a glue stick to glue it on the backs of the paper plates. Once that is done you’ll want to use hot glue to glue the paper plates together. Glue halfway around the plate and attach. Then insert your dowel and glue the rest of the way. I waited a couple of minutes for the glue to dry and added a bit extra right around the dowel to ensure it stayed put.
That was it! Kayla’s tamborita was done and ready to go. Of course she insisted on using it exactly as Mateo would, which includes striking it. I cringed a bit because, hot glue and paper plates. However, her tamborita stood up to the test which was performed over and over again.
Soon her tamborita became a banjo as well. A refreshing reminder of the power that a homemade, battery-free toy has to bring out the creativity in your child.
If you’re thinking of trying my Elena of Avalor DIY Mateo’s Tamborita but not quite ready yet you can pin the image below and it will be waiting for you.
Of course my little bookworm truly loved reading Elena and the Secret of Avalor by Craig Gerber and Catharine Hapka This first book is the perfect introduction to Elena of Avalor. It gives the backstory and explains the relationship between Elena of Avalor and Sophia the First through what felt like the right amount of text and some beautiful illustrations. Want to win Elena and the Secret of Avalor as well as A Palace Fit for a Princess? I’ll be giving them away over on Facebook.
