Make T'Challa's Kimoyo beads

You’ll need

10 large wooden beads (10 per person)
Permanent markers, paint or other decorating materials
Elastic cord or paracord
Paper and pens
Paper plate (1 per person)

Before you begin

Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.

Planning and setting up this activity

You may wish to have an example bracelet made or a photo of T’Challa’s Kimoyo beads to show everyone.
The beads need to fit on the chosen elastic, thread or paracord.
You may want to have a pipe cleaner to hold the beads on while they’re being painted to avoid getting paint on hands or fingers. This also helps keep the beads still.
You may wish to show a clip in this activity. You can find a variety of clips that can be shown without licences on the Marvel HQ YouTube page. Use our movie licensing guidance to find out more and ask parent and carer permission before watching any clips.

Making the craft

Gather everyone together and ask if anyone knows the Super Hero Marvel's Black Panther. Anyone who wants could talk about what they know about Black Panther.
Explain that in the first Black Panther film, Black Panther is King T'Challa, who's the King of Wakanda. Wakanda is seen to be in East Africa. T'Challa’s the eldest child of T'Chaka and Ramonda. In Wakanda, they have lots of advanced technology and are the owner of the most precious metals in the Marvel Universe, vibranium. Kimoyo Beads are pieces of advanced communication technology used by the Wakandans from vibranium. Captain America’s shield is also made from vibranium.
Ask if anyone knows anything about The Kimoyo Beads. The Kimoyo Beads are specially made, often form a bracelet and can have different purposes, depending on who’s wearing them and what they need. Each bracelet has a Prime Bead, which provides a lifetime worth of medical knowledge and is given to the individual at birth. The other beads can help people to communicate, track people, project holograms, hold information or help to heal people. Kimoyo means ‘of the spirit’ in Bantu, an African language.
Explain that everyone’s going to make their own Kimoyo Beads.
Give out pens and paper to each person. Ask them to reflect on their own traits and characteristics, then decide on 9 qualities they have that are their super powers. They should try to just use one word. For example, their superpowers could be kindness, respect, resilient, gymnastics, BMX biking and swimming. If anyone struggles, they could use their imagination and choose superpowers they want, such as the ability to be invisible, to fly, strength, to speak lots of languages or to heal people.
Now, give everyone in the group the name of someone else in the group. Each person is going to write down a super power of that other person. Explain how sometimes we can see super powers in other people that we cannot see ourselves.
Everyone should take 10 wooden beads, then decorate one for each of their chosen words. They may want to use patterns, symbols, pictures, logos or colours. They could use paints, marker pens, paint pens or something else.
Once decorated, leave the beads to dry as needed.
Next, exchange the bead made for another person and place all the beads on the elastic, thread or paracord. Then tie it loosely around the wrist, making sure it’s not too tight, and tie a knot securely to keep the beads in place. You may want to cut any excess cord or thread with scissors.

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Reflection

In this activity, you made your own Kimoyo Beads. What can you remember about Kimoyo Beads? What words did you think of when you thought about your super powers? What do you think the most important characteristics of a superhero are? Do you think Black Panther has these qualities too?

You had to design your own beads. What was it like trying to represent each word on the beads? What was easy about it? What did you find difficult? What design did you use for each of your beads? What will it remind you of when you look at it?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Sharp objects: Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.
Craft: Unusual substances: Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using unusual substances, such as powdered paint, ash or dirt. Be aware of any medical conditions that could be affected by what’s being used. Make sure you follow all relevant safety guidance or manufacturers guidelines, where available. Make sure you dispose of it appropriately too, in line with safety guidance.

Small beads chocking hazard