Henna and Temporary Tattoos

I’ve done henna tattoos on myself for years, and it’s something I’ve wanted to do ever since I started doing teen programs. My original idea was to do something on the culture of India, and have that as part of it. As it was, I ended up doing a program with temporary tattoos. I bought some face paint at Walmart (which was actually pretty good), but they only had one kit, and I had some pre-made henna in a tube at home, so I brought it along just in case.

I had warned some of the kids about it ahead of time and asked their parents – just to make sure it was ok. Henna can last several weeks, though I read somewhere recently if you use something that has alpha hydroxy acid in it (like sunscreen) on the area you tattooed, then it breaks the dyes down, and washes off more easily.

The teens had a lot of fun with this program, though I ended up

doing most of the work. They were more than welcome to use the face/body paint that I had bought, but few did. They all wanted the henna done, and because it lasts so long, I was the only person I wanted doing it. Besides, there was only one tube.

This is a great opportunity for your teens to get creative (provided that you have enough face paint to go around). I got out books that they could look through, and they really enjoyed looking at and learning about the henna tattoos and the traditions behind them. Since it was a popular program, I think maybe I will do my idea of a program on the culture of India - I'm sure they'll enjoy it.