The flag of South Korea is of striking design and simple to reproduce. Show the class a picture of the flag and explain the representation of Heaven and Earth, fire and water (see Resources). Ask the children to recreate the flag on small pieces of card stock. String the flags together to make a decorative banner for the classroom.
Tigers are prominent in Korean folk art. Show the children examples of the tiger in historic Korean art. Use modeling clay to form miniature tigers to display around the room. Roll a large cylindrical shape for the body and a smaller, round shape for the head. Press the two main pieces together, then add legs, a tail and pointed ears. Finally, fashion the tiger's face and shape its body.
Paper fans are both decorative and useful in a hot country like Korea. Show the class how to decorate a paper plate with brightly colored flowers and birds. Fix a colored craft stick to the back of each plate to make a unique Korean fan.
The jaegi is a Korean toy, traditionally made from a coin with a hole at its center with feathers and strips of leather wrapped around it. Children can make their own version of a jaegi by stacking two sheets of tissue paper and placing two quarters at the center. Gather the tissue paper around the coins and hold it in place, with the coins below your fingers and the free paper forming a fan-like shape above. Tie string around the paper, immediately above the coins, and snip the free paper to form tassels. The object of the game is to kick the jaegi and keep it off the ground for as long as possible, using only their feet and legs. Children can play the game individually or in groups.
Hanji, traditional Korean paper made from mulberry bark, has been used for centuries by craftsmen to cover and decorate doors, windows, furniture and other household items. If you are unable to source Hanji, use tissue paper for this project. Provide each child with a cardboard tube and ask the children to glue one end on to a circle of card with a larger circumference, making a pot to hold pens and pencils. Decorate the pots with glued tissue paper, using several layers. Once the glue has dried, seal the paper with a coat of clear varnish.
Korean artists have produced beautiful works of art by using torn paper, instead of paint, to apply color to canvass. For this project, download coloring pages of people in traditional Korean dress, known as hanbok (see Resources). Ask the children to color the pictures by using glue and tiny, torn pieces of tissue paper.