Global Citizens Club for Kids: Virtual Trip to Brazil: Brazilian Arts and Crafts for Kids
Join us for a trip around the world as we “virtually” learn about different countries, cultures, foods, music, and famous landmarks with Brazilian arts and crafts. Each week we will post about a different country with tons of great activities to engage with children of all ages. This week we will be learning about Brazil. Join us on an adventure around the world with Brazil crafts for kids and lots of fun activities! This unit is perfect for homeschool families, travel-loving families, and teachers with our sample Brazil lesson plan. Let’s start! All about Brazil for Kids!
Grab this fun passport kit as an add-on to our global adventures. The kit includes a “passport”, stamps, stickers, and other items to get kids excited about their adventure. You’ll see our passport used throughout the lessons. It’s perfect for our homeschooling Brazil unit.
Each unit we locate the country of study on the map and complete our passport as we progress through the different activities. It makes it seem like we are really traveling the globe together!
Save this Brazil Lesson Plan for the future.
Want to travel to more countries? Check out all of my previous travel units by clicking on the name of the country.
Be sure to read through all the Brazilian craft ideas & activities, gather or purchase any needed supplies (most are what you have around the house), and then decide which activities you’d like to cover each day. Each activity has suggestions on how to modify it for younger and older children, but feel free to get creative and share your experience with us.
The following activities work great as Brazilian lesson plans for preschool-aged children, toddlers or elementary students.
If you like a schedule, here is a suggested 3-day “schedule” to complete all the Brazil classroom activities. It makes a great schedule for a Brazil homeschool unit.
Day One
- Read Books About Brazil
- Locate Brazil on the map and do the map activity
- Create the Brazil flag
- Listen to Brazilian music
- Learn some Portuguese phrases
- Pick some Brazil Arts and Crafts for Kids from the list
Day Two
- Make your own pão de queijo (cheese bread) and Brazilian lemonade
- Learn about famous landmarks and festivals with carnival dancers
- Have fun with Brazil Arts and Crafts
- Learn a Brazilian dance
Day Three
- Watch Rio on Netflix or Amazon
- Read some Brazilian Folktales
- Enjoy a Brazilian dinner
- Plan a Field Trip or your future trip
All About Brazil for Kids
- The Brazilian people speak Portuguese.
- Brazil is the largest country in South America.
- The capital city of Brazil is Brasilia.
- The Brazilian landscape is very varied. It is most well known for its dense forests, including the Amazon, the world’s largest jungle, in the north.
- Brazilians LOVE soccer and their country has produced some of the best players in the world.
- Brazil has the greatest variety of animals of any country in the world. It is home to 600 mammal species, 1,500 fish species, 1,600 bird species, and an amazing 100,000 different types of insects.
Books About Brazil for Kids
We found quite a few great books for kids about Brazil. We’ve included a few options that you can either purchase on Amazon via the links or you can reserve them at the library for a low-cost option. Grab a few options, even if the reading level is too high for your child, they can still look at the pictures and maps or have an adult read the book to younger children.
Do your kids enjoy watching YouTube? I know my son is always finding fun little videos. Here is a great video with some great facts about Brazil. Learn about Brazil’s culture, geography, and animals.
Brazil Map Activity
Brazil is a country located in South America. It is the largest country in the southern hemisphere. Brazil is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east; French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, and Colombia to the north; Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina to the west; and Uruguay to the south.
If you have a globe, help your child(ren) locate Brazil on the map. If you have the passport kit from Amazon, it comes with a fun colorful map that you can hang up.
- Ask your child what they know about Brazil
- Write down any questions your child has about Brazil
Print the map below (right-click on the image, save it and then print).
Color Brazil GREEN on the map. Then use different colors to show the various countries surrounding Brazil.
You can use watercolors, crayons, markers or colored pencils. I’ve linked to our favorites if you need more supplies.
Preschool Kids: Color the map
Elementary Ages: Talk about the various regions. Ask questions about the map:
- What is the Capital City of Brazil? Mark the capital on the map with a star and write Brasilia.
- Add the location of the Amazon river with a thick blue line. The amazon river runs through the northern part of Brazil into the top of Peru.
- Add the neighboring countries names
Brazilian Flag Activity
The Brazil flag is known in Portuguese as Verde e amarela, or less usually Auriverde, is a blue disc depicting a starry sky spanned by a curved band inscribed with the national motto “Ordem e Progresso”, within a yellow rhombus, on a green field.
Make a flag of Brazil.
For preschoolers, practice cutting and gluing with the instructions below.
Older kids can choose to paint or hand draw and color.
For this craft, all you need are: (if you need supplies, click on the links)
Step 1. Draw and cut out the shape of a rhombus on the yellow construction paper.
Step 2. Glue the yellow rhombus in the center of the green construction paper.
Step 3. Print out the center blue disc and glue to the center of the rhombas.
Step 4. Voila! Display on a string or use painters tape to add it to the wall.
Brazilian Recipes
Grab the kids and make your very own Brazilian cheese puffs! They are a perfect light and fluffy snack warm out of the oven.
Here is the recipe we used to make Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pao de Queijo). The balls are a gluten-free cheese bread with a unique, chewy texture that is made from tapioca flour
Step 1: Lay out all the ingredients.
Step 2: Heat the ingredients on the stove before adding in the tapioca flour and garlic. Let it sit.
Step 3: Mix in the cheese and egg. Then drop 1/4 cup sized balls onto a cookie sheet.
Step 4: Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes and then enjoy!
Looking for more ways to enjoy Brazilian foods? Visit a Brazilian Bakery or steakhouse Restaurant to try new foods (or order take out). Some of our favorite Brazilian foods include:
Click the links above if you are ready to try your hand out at cooking some fun Brazilian recipes.
Brazilian Folktales
Brazilian folklore includes myths, legends, and folk tales from Brazil. The population of Brazil was diverse with people from Africa, South American, Portugal and aboriginal people and this “melting pot” atmosphere contributed to many of Brazil’s traditions. The folklore stories explain how the night was formed or how an animal got their coloring.
Here are some of our favorite stories for children that you can read online:
Looking to add to your library collection? Here are some other books below.
Brazilian Music
Listen to traditional Brazilian music while you complete the activities. Ask Alexa to play “Traditional Brazilian Music“, or check out this youtube video with various songs from traditional bands.
The music of Brazil features various regional musical styles influenced by African, European, and aboriginal forms. Brazilian music developed some unique and original styles such as samba, maracatu, and Brazilian versions of foreign musical styles, such as rock, soul, classical music, and gospel.
Let the kids make some fun music of their own with their own rain sticks. A rainstick is a long, hollow tube partially filled with small pebbles or beans. When the stick is tilted from side to side, the pebbles fall to the other end of the tube, making a sound like rain falling.
Items needed for this craft:
Missing some supplies? Click the link to grab them from Amazon.
Step 1: Cut out leaf patterns from the two green colored construction paper.
Step 2: Glue the blue paper to the paper towel roll and then glue on the green leaves.
Step 3: Tape a piece of round paper to the end of the tube so it is closed.
Step 4: Add in 1/2 a cup of rice to make the noise of rain falling.
Step 5: Seal the top of the tube with another round piece of paper and tape.
Step 6: Slowly lift and lower the tube to make the sound.
Animals Native to Brazil
Brazil has the largest diversity of animals in the world. The Amazon rainforest is home to many of these animals and is a popular tourist destination to see the famous pink dolphins, jaguar, squirrel monkey, sloths, and macaws.
The pink river dolphin is found in the Amazon river and known as Amazon river dolphin. It is a species of toothed whale which is one of the largest species of river dolphins.
The scarlet macaw is one of the most popular parrots and most recognizable thanks to its bright red, yellow, and blue plumage. It favors humid, evergreen forests and can be found in several areas of Brazil.
Unfortunately, more than one-fifth of the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil has been completely destroyed from deforestation, and more than 70 mammals are endangered.
The Brazilian parrot is absolutely stunning and makes for a fun craft for kids.
For this craft, you’ll need the following supplies:
Step 1: Paint four cupcake liners red, two green, two yellow and two blue.
Step 2: Cut out a branch, white circle and beak (my son and I do this project together, so hence the double supplies)
Step 3: Glue the branch at the bottom of the green paper.
Step 4: Glue one red cupcake liner on top the branch to the right of the green construction paper.
Step 5: Fold the yellow, green, blue and red cupcake liners in 1/2 and glue. Then slide them underneath the red body and glue with a bit of overlap.
Step 6: Add two folded red cupcake liners for the wings. Tuck one under the body and one overlapping over.
Step 7: Add another red cupcake liner for the head. Glue the white circle and black beak to finish the head.
Step 8: Use a marker to add an eye and Brazilian Parrot (optional)
Famous Landmarks & Festivals
Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world and includes a diverse landscape with many famous landmarks. Some of its landmarks are manmade, while many are exotic wildernesses.
The famous Amazon Rainforest and River is a wide stretch of river, known as Rio Amazonas that runs between the cities of Manaus and Belem. It is the longest river in the world and home to diverse wildlife.
Iguazu Falls are a spectacular series of waterfalls in Southern Brazil. Visitors enjoy the views of 275 separate drops, some of which reach heights of nearly 300 feet from the boardwalks surrounding the Falls.
One of the most iconic sites in Brazil is the statue of Christ, sitting atop the Peak of Mount Corcovado. It can be seen from almost any point in the city of Rio de Janeiro during the day or at night when the statue glows from the lights. Visitors can take the Corcovado Train to visit the mountain peak and the statue, known as Christ the Redeemer.
Carnival in Brazil is one of the most recognized festivals. Events take place in Rio de Janeiro with samba competitions and parades. The Carnival is an annual event that always begins on the Friday before Ash Wednesday. If you aren’t able to schedule a trip during Carnival, you can still experience the beautify of Samba at the Sambadrome.
Celebrate Carnival in Brazil with two fun crafts below.
Brazil Carnival Crafts for Kids & Activities
There are so many fun crafts that you can do to learn more about Brazil. I’ll share some of our favorite Brazil crafts for kids below. If you find more activities that you love, please share them with me and I’ll add them to this list.
1. Coloring Pages – Click the link for tons of great coloring pages
2. Brazil Carnival Craft Samba Dancers
Samba was created by African people in Brazil from the music and dance culture they brought from Africa. It is most commonly associated with Carnival that is celebrated each year in the town of Rio de Janeiro. The dancers wear colorful clothing celebrating their culture. The craft is meant to be representative of more traditional clothing, compared to the scantly clad outfits in today’s festivities.
Supplies Needed:
Step 1: Layout the supplies including various colors of felt, glue, body cut outs (see below), crayons, white cupcake liners, markers, and a spray bottle for water.
I also added a cookie drying rack and cookie sheet.
Step 2: Color various patterns on the white cupcake liners. Lay them on a cookie drying rack and spray water on the cupcake liners until the colors blend together.
Step 3: Print the dancers body shape (below) and color.
Step 4: Cut out the body shape, choose a piece of felt for the dress and lay the body on top the felt. Make marks for the outline.
Step 5: Glue the felt to the body.
Step 6: Fold your dried cupcake liner into the shape of a skirt (fold it in half and then make an accordion style fold). Add a strip of felt to make the belt.
Step 7: Draw on a face and add yarn for hair.
Step 8: Use felt scraps to make a bow in her hair.
Step 9: If you make multiple dancers, you can string them together like garland for a cute decoration for this unit.
Brazilian Samba: Get Moving!
One of the most recognizable dances and music that comes from Brazil is Samba. Samba emerged in Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century and is now most associated with Rio’s Carnival.
The word “samba” is thought to be derived from the Kimbundu (Angolan) term semba, which referred to an “invitation to dance”. These dances involved gyrating hip movements (called umbigada) and had roots going back to the colonial period in the Congolese and Angolan circle dances.
My son and I had fun with some samba dances. Check out a fun one below.
Grab some fancy pom poms here.
Family-Friendly Brazil Movies
There are a couple of choices for family-friendly movies set in Brazil. I’ll share a few of our favorites below.
Rio(rated G)- When Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town Minnesota, meets the fiercely independent Jewel, he takes off on an adventure to Rio de Janeiro with the bird of his dreams.
Rio 2 (rated G)- It’s a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids after they’re hurtled from Rio de Janeiro to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel, and meets his father-in-law.
You should be able to find the movies on Amazon, Netflix or Hulu. If you’d like to buy the DVD, click the photos below. There are also some educational films.
Learn some Portuguese Phrases/Words
Portuguese is the official and national language of Brazil and is widely spoken by most of the population (98%).
Common Portuguese Phrases.
- Hello: Olá (oh-la)
- Goodbye: Adeus (ah-deuzh)
- How are you?: Como está? (Coh-moh esh-tah? or Coh-moh es-tah? in Brazil)
- My name is…: Me chamo [your name] (Mee sham-oh)
- Nice to meet you: Prazer em conhecê-lo/a (Prazh-air eh con-yo-see-lo/la)
My 5-year-old is a huge fan of Little Passports, a monthly subscription service for kids focused on global learning. They have two versions, Early Explorers is meant for ages 3-5 years of age and it focuses on various themes such as music, oceans, and dinosaurs.
World Edition is meant for children 6-10 years of age and it focuses on a different country each month.
After the
first month (when kids receive their world map and suitcase), your child will
receive souvenirs, activity sheets, photos, stickers for their map and
suitcase, and access to more activities online.
Field Trip: Brazilian Style
Can’t travel to Brazil, but want to experience more? Check out these ideas for celebrating Brazil while staying in the United States.
- Celebrate Brazilian Day in cities like NYC (Sunday before Labor Day weekend)
- Passport DC- dozens of embassies open their doors to the public with music, food, art and dance
- Visit a Brazilian steakhouse restaurant for a Brazil-style meal
Plan your trip!
If you loved learning about Brazil and are looking to plan a trip, check out these great resources from our family travel blogger friends. They’ve got all the best insider tips and tricks.
Before you start your planning, check out some great tips from our friend Keryn about how she took her young son on a river cruise.
You can’t miss a visit to Rio de Janeiro during your trip to Brazil, so don’t miss this post about the top things to see and do in Rio with kids.
Lastly, if you are like me, you love it when someone gives you all their packing advice. So here it is, what to pack for your fabulous trip to Brazil.
I hope you’ve enjoyed taking a virtual trip to Brazil with your kids. Learning about new countries and cultures can be a fun experience for both children and adults. I created this travel blog for families to inspire others to travel and create memories with their families.
Don’t miss our first Virtual trip to Greece, Virtual trip to Japan, Virtual trip to England, Virtual trip to France, Virtual trip to Switzerland and Virtual trip to China. Click the link to head to that post.
Please share your fun activities with me on Facebook or Instagram. Looking to plan an adventure with kids, but not sure where to start? Check out my top posts on my homepage to discover more of our favorite places to travel with kids around the globe.
Like this post? Save it and help spread the word!
Disclaimer: Pack More Into Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and its partners. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
