I was asked to come up with an "edible" craft for high holidays... I thought about that for a moment and thought it would be a bit ironic to have an edible craft for Yom Kippur--a day we fast! So, I'm left with Rosh Hashana and my thought was... apples, honey, pomegranates... they're already edible so I gotta think outside the box! How about edible BEES or TREES (apple or pomegranate trees, of course!)
Edible Bees:
Materials
1 chocolate tootsie roll
1 lemon tootsie roll
2 sliced almonds
plastic knife
cut the tootsie rolls into slices approximately 1 cm wide. Alternate yellow and brown slices to form the body of the bee. (Only 3 or 4 slices will be enough) With remaining candy, form a yellow or brown head and contrasting eyes and mouth. Add a "stinger" to the other end. Insert 1 almond slice on either side of the body for the wings! VIOLA!
Edible Trees:
I made edible trees for Tu'B'Shevat last year (never got around to blogging about it).
Materials
1 batch green-tinted home made rice krispy treats (made with marshmallow fluff if you're keeping kosher)
pretzel rods (for trunks) [I found some honey ones that were shorter and thinner than regular rods-- they looked more like tree trunks to me]
mini bagels (for the ground)
green, pink, or yellow tootsie rolls for apples or pomegranates
Prepare rice krispy treats as you normally would, tinting the marshmallow before mixing with cereal and butter. Press into pan and let sit in the fridge until firm (a few hours)
Cut rice krispy treats into squares/rectangles. Mold one at a time into a ball, pressing the ball into a pretzel rod. Push the pretzel rod into the hole of the mini bagel so that it stands up.
Break/cut/pull off bits of the tootsie roll and roll into small balls. Press the balls onto the green leafy tree tops to resemble fruit on the trees.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Sunday, October 21, 2012
NOAH
Each year, I do something with the story of Noah's Ark when it comes up in the Torah--its the second parsha.
I've done edible Noah's Ark (I know, unbelievable, right?) which can be done several different ways--a tortilla or pita makes a good ark (cut in half), on which you can spread cream cheese or peanut butter or whatever and then stick on animal crackers. Pretty simple. Another ark can be created with graham crackers or wafer cookies to form a kind of square-ish shaped thing into which you can put animal crackers.
This year, having done so many edible crafts, I decided to do my "alternate" activity which is absolutely non-food related! :)
Class Noah's Ark
large piece of butcher paper
blue and white tempera paint
paint brushes (one per child)
large piece of poster board cut into an ark shape (or simple boat shape)
magazines
scissors
LOTS of glue
bark from trees that "shed" (don't peel bark from trees at all--it is not good for the tree, but once the bark has been shed, you can pick it up off the ground, let it dry out (if it happens to be wet) and let the critters crawl out of it (a surprising amount of bugs will come along with you when you pick up bark from the grass or ground.
This project can be set up in "stations" if you have a large class or, if you have a smaller class, you can have the children wander from one activity to the other. If there is time, you can have this project take a week or several days to complete.
1. Have children cut out pictures of animals from magazines. It doesn't matter if they're all different sizes and if the children cut out 100 pictures of dogs and cats... its more the practice of cutting and looking for "animals". Kids can also be very "creative" and cut out pictures of TOYS or pictures of ART (especially for baby rooms) that has an animal look. Encourage them to cut out a variety of animals and to choose pictures that you can tell its a certain animal without too much effort.
2. Dribble lots of blue an white paint on the butcher paper and have the children mix and spread the paint all over it, encouraging them to cover the whole sheet all the way to the edge.
3. Have children LIBERALLY apply white school glue (Elmer's) to the poster board and attach pieces of bark all over it. Because bark is bumpy and doesn't always lay flat, I usually "scribble" the glue all over the top of the bark when its complete to help hold it all on. You can also come in after all the glue is dry and hot glue down pieces that are not sticking.
4. Move the ark to the painted paper (the paint does not need to be dry).
5. Have children stick the animal pictures "into" the ark. If the paint is still wet, the pictures will likely stick to the paint and more glue will not be necessary. The adult can show the children how they can tuck the picture just under the "ark" to make it look like the animals are IN the ark. The children LOVE to make the animals "fly" and "swim" so don't worry too much about the realism of the project.
6. After everything has dried, check that everything is staying on. The ark may need to be glued down more effectively given the weight of the paper + bark + tons of glue. I have stapled this to the butcher paper and I've used hot glue to really attach everything without more waiting.
This project can also easily be modified to accommodate individual ark projects using construction paper for the background, a piece of heavy cardboard for the ark, and "smaller" pictures of animals or merely animal stickers.
An additional "add on" could be to have the children paint a rainbow or, for younger children, the teacher can cut out the a very thick arc of red, a slightly smaller orange, slightly smaller yellow, etc. all the way to the purple or indigo and have children arrange the pieces to make the rainbow. Attach the rainbow to the large class project.
I've done edible Noah's Ark (I know, unbelievable, right?) which can be done several different ways--a tortilla or pita makes a good ark (cut in half), on which you can spread cream cheese or peanut butter or whatever and then stick on animal crackers. Pretty simple. Another ark can be created with graham crackers or wafer cookies to form a kind of square-ish shaped thing into which you can put animal crackers.
This year, having done so many edible crafts, I decided to do my "alternate" activity which is absolutely non-food related! :)
Class Noah's Ark
large piece of butcher paper
blue and white tempera paint
paint brushes (one per child)
large piece of poster board cut into an ark shape (or simple boat shape)
magazines
scissors
LOTS of glue
bark from trees that "shed" (don't peel bark from trees at all--it is not good for the tree, but once the bark has been shed, you can pick it up off the ground, let it dry out (if it happens to be wet) and let the critters crawl out of it (a surprising amount of bugs will come along with you when you pick up bark from the grass or ground.
This project can be set up in "stations" if you have a large class or, if you have a smaller class, you can have the children wander from one activity to the other. If there is time, you can have this project take a week or several days to complete.
1. Have children cut out pictures of animals from magazines. It doesn't matter if they're all different sizes and if the children cut out 100 pictures of dogs and cats... its more the practice of cutting and looking for "animals". Kids can also be very "creative" and cut out pictures of TOYS or pictures of ART (especially for baby rooms) that has an animal look. Encourage them to cut out a variety of animals and to choose pictures that you can tell its a certain animal without too much effort.
2. Dribble lots of blue an white paint on the butcher paper and have the children mix and spread the paint all over it, encouraging them to cover the whole sheet all the way to the edge.
3. Have children LIBERALLY apply white school glue (Elmer's) to the poster board and attach pieces of bark all over it. Because bark is bumpy and doesn't always lay flat, I usually "scribble" the glue all over the top of the bark when its complete to help hold it all on. You can also come in after all the glue is dry and hot glue down pieces that are not sticking.
4. Move the ark to the painted paper (the paint does not need to be dry).
5. Have children stick the animal pictures "into" the ark. If the paint is still wet, the pictures will likely stick to the paint and more glue will not be necessary. The adult can show the children how they can tuck the picture just under the "ark" to make it look like the animals are IN the ark. The children LOVE to make the animals "fly" and "swim" so don't worry too much about the realism of the project.
6. After everything has dried, check that everything is staying on. The ark may need to be glued down more effectively given the weight of the paper + bark + tons of glue. I have stapled this to the butcher paper and I've used hot glue to really attach everything without more waiting.
This project can also easily be modified to accommodate individual ark projects using construction paper for the background, a piece of heavy cardboard for the ark, and "smaller" pictures of animals or merely animal stickers.
An additional "add on" could be to have the children paint a rainbow or, for younger children, the teacher can cut out the a very thick arc of red, a slightly smaller orange, slightly smaller yellow, etc. all the way to the purple or indigo and have children arrange the pieces to make the rainbow. Attach the rainbow to the large class project.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
CREATION
I've been thinking about what to do with my class for "Creation". Now that Simchat Torah has come and gone, we're starting "Bereshit"--the first word in the first book of the Torah ("In the beginning...") and I usually do Creation this week and Noah's Ark next week.
In previous years, I've done Creation placemats and Creation posters. Both kind of the same idea--one year I cut large numbers and divided a 12"X18" piece of construction paper in 8 parts, had the kids glue on the numbers in each of the squares (in the first square we wrote "the Story of Creation" or something like that) On each piece, the kids drew what was created each day. Briefly:
Day 1: Light (they colored the square or the number or whatever yellow)
Day 2: Sky or Heavens (they drew clouds)
Day 3: Land (and "vegetation") and Sea (they drew water waves and brown land with some green specks in it or something that resembled an island with trees and flowers on it surrounded by water)
Day 4: Sun, Moon, and Stars (they drew each of these--I think once we used star stickers, too)
Day 5: Sea life and Birds (the kids drew fish and birds)
Day 6: Land animals and people (the kids drew animals and people)
Day 7: G-d rested (Shabbat) (the kids drew the symbols of Shabbat--2 candles, a loaf of challah, and a glass of wine)
This year, I'm trying to change it up a bit so I'm thinking about an Edible Creation creation!
Edible Creation
.jpg)
Materials: for each child
1 paper plate
blue tinted royal icing
green tinted royal icing
white royal icing
Day 1: 1 chocolate and vanilla cookie (either a "black and white" cookie or a sandwich cookie that is chocolate on one side and vanilla on the other--if this cannot be found, a vanilla sandwich cookie and a chocolate sandwich cookie can each be broken in half )
Day 2: small piece of cotton candy or, if you have them, a few kosher marshmallows to represent the clouds in the sky
Day 3: 1 small graham cracker piece (about 1/8 sheet)
green (tree shaped or regular) "sprinkles" or colored sugar
blue "sprinkles" or colored sugar
Day 4: star-shaped sprinkles (available in the cake decorating area of your craft store)
1 white candy melt or 1 white (vanilla flavored) tootsie roll
1 yellow candy melt or 1 yellow (lemon flavored) tootsie roll
(optional) 1/2 orange tootsie roll for "sunrays"
Day 5: Swedish fish
bird-shaped fruit snacks (Target brand makes a cute bird shaped snack)
Day 6: Animal crackers
Gingerbread men (and women) or, if you can't find them, you can cut out a small person shape from a fruit roll up or a fruit strip
Day 7: miniature challah (make ahead if you want a "real" one made out of baked bread) or tootsie rolls
"wax bottles" candy (available at Oriental Trading Company) or, if you can't find them, make one from a tootsie roll
1. Prior to class, divide each plate into 8 "pie piece" sections (the sections should ideally be equal but some could be larger or smaller as needed) Sections can be drawn in with Sharpie. Depending on the age of the children, numbers could be written in ahead of time or the kids could write the number in each space along with what was created each day.
Each representation will be adhered to the plate with a small amount of royal icing. Depending on the age of the child(ren) an adult may need to put the icing on the plate in the correct spot, etc. Tinting it blue or green makes it look like "sky", "water", or "vegetation" and looks much nicer if it is visible. The children really enjoy "painting" with the icing.
2. As each "day" is discussed, give each child the item that represents that which was created. On the first day, the child sticks on the cookie. If using sandwich cookies, break the cookie in half and flip one over so that both sides can be facing up at the same time to represent dark and light. (I used one half of each half in my sample above.)
3. For Day 3, have the child crush the graham cracker and sprinkle the crumbs onto a dab of icing to represent the land. Or just use a small piece of graham cracker and sprinkle on a few "holly leaves" or "tree"-shaped sprinkles or a few regular green sprinkles to represent the vegetation. Add a bit more icing and have them add the blue sprinkles for the water.
4. For Day 4, have them place the whole yellow candy melt to represent the sun or, if using tootsie roll, mash it into a disk. Have them carefully bite the white candy melt to make a crescent moon or, if using tootsie roll, use about half to roll it into the proper shape, and attach that to the plate. Have them place a few stars on dots of icing or put them all down with a background of blue icing.
5. For Day 7, make a challah out of tootsie roll--kneed it until soft. Divide it into 3 pieces, braid them together to resemble a challah. Make a wine bottle from a wax bottle or pull off two corners (a very small bit) from one side of a tootsie roll then roll this thinner end to be the top of the bottle. Help the child make "candles" out of the fruit roll or left-over bits of tootsie roll. Attach all pieces to the plate. I found that tootsie roll really STICKS to a paper plate and is quite difficult to get off without tearing the plate so I recommend, if you want the kids to actually be able to eat this craft, adhering everything to the plate with icing. At least that way the icing breaks off of the plate and you can eat it. Alternatively, you could use a plastic plate instead.
If eaten all together, I think I'd get a stomach ache, so this edible craft should probably be viewed more like a gingerbread house--something they take home and share with their families or eat over several days--for this reason, I recommend using royal icing since it dries hard (as a rock) and lasts indefinitely without refrigeration. Its the same stuff they use on gingerbread houses.
6. On the last space, a teacher or older child could write "Creation" or something with edible marker or icing (or just in Sharpie).
In previous years, I've done Creation placemats and Creation posters. Both kind of the same idea--one year I cut large numbers and divided a 12"X18" piece of construction paper in 8 parts, had the kids glue on the numbers in each of the squares (in the first square we wrote "the Story of Creation" or something like that) On each piece, the kids drew what was created each day. Briefly:
Day 1: Light (they colored the square or the number or whatever yellow)
Day 2: Sky or Heavens (they drew clouds)
Day 3: Land (and "vegetation") and Sea (they drew water waves and brown land with some green specks in it or something that resembled an island with trees and flowers on it surrounded by water)
Day 4: Sun, Moon, and Stars (they drew each of these--I think once we used star stickers, too)
Day 5: Sea life and Birds (the kids drew fish and birds)
Day 6: Land animals and people (the kids drew animals and people)
Day 7: G-d rested (Shabbat) (the kids drew the symbols of Shabbat--2 candles, a loaf of challah, and a glass of wine)
This year, I'm trying to change it up a bit so I'm thinking about an Edible Creation creation!
Edible Creation
.jpg)
Materials: for each child
1 paper plate
blue tinted royal icing
green tinted royal icing
white royal icing
Day 1: 1 chocolate and vanilla cookie (either a "black and white" cookie or a sandwich cookie that is chocolate on one side and vanilla on the other--if this cannot be found, a vanilla sandwich cookie and a chocolate sandwich cookie can each be broken in half )
Day 2: small piece of cotton candy or, if you have them, a few kosher marshmallows to represent the clouds in the sky
Day 3: 1 small graham cracker piece (about 1/8 sheet)
green (tree shaped or regular) "sprinkles" or colored sugar
blue "sprinkles" or colored sugar
Day 4: star-shaped sprinkles (available in the cake decorating area of your craft store)
1 white candy melt or 1 white (vanilla flavored) tootsie roll
1 yellow candy melt or 1 yellow (lemon flavored) tootsie roll
(optional) 1/2 orange tootsie roll for "sunrays"
Day 5: Swedish fish
bird-shaped fruit snacks (Target brand makes a cute bird shaped snack)
Day 6: Animal crackers
Gingerbread men (and women) or, if you can't find them, you can cut out a small person shape from a fruit roll up or a fruit strip
Day 7: miniature challah (make ahead if you want a "real" one made out of baked bread) or tootsie rolls
"wax bottles" candy (available at Oriental Trading Company) or, if you can't find them, make one from a tootsie roll
1. Prior to class, divide each plate into 8 "pie piece" sections (the sections should ideally be equal but some could be larger or smaller as needed) Sections can be drawn in with Sharpie. Depending on the age of the children, numbers could be written in ahead of time or the kids could write the number in each space along with what was created each day.
Each representation will be adhered to the plate with a small amount of royal icing. Depending on the age of the child(ren) an adult may need to put the icing on the plate in the correct spot, etc. Tinting it blue or green makes it look like "sky", "water", or "vegetation" and looks much nicer if it is visible. The children really enjoy "painting" with the icing.
2. As each "day" is discussed, give each child the item that represents that which was created. On the first day, the child sticks on the cookie. If using sandwich cookies, break the cookie in half and flip one over so that both sides can be facing up at the same time to represent dark and light. (I used one half of each half in my sample above.)
3. For Day 3, have the child crush the graham cracker and sprinkle the crumbs onto a dab of icing to represent the land. Or just use a small piece of graham cracker and sprinkle on a few "holly leaves" or "tree"-shaped sprinkles or a few regular green sprinkles to represent the vegetation. Add a bit more icing and have them add the blue sprinkles for the water.
4. For Day 4, have them place the whole yellow candy melt to represent the sun or, if using tootsie roll, mash it into a disk. Have them carefully bite the white candy melt to make a crescent moon or, if using tootsie roll, use about half to roll it into the proper shape, and attach that to the plate. Have them place a few stars on dots of icing or put them all down with a background of blue icing.
5. For Day 7, make a challah out of tootsie roll--kneed it until soft. Divide it into 3 pieces, braid them together to resemble a challah. Make a wine bottle from a wax bottle or pull off two corners (a very small bit) from one side of a tootsie roll then roll this thinner end to be the top of the bottle. Help the child make "candles" out of the fruit roll or left-over bits of tootsie roll. Attach all pieces to the plate. I found that tootsie roll really STICKS to a paper plate and is quite difficult to get off without tearing the plate so I recommend, if you want the kids to actually be able to eat this craft, adhering everything to the plate with icing. At least that way the icing breaks off of the plate and you can eat it. Alternatively, you could use a plastic plate instead.
If eaten all together, I think I'd get a stomach ache, so this edible craft should probably be viewed more like a gingerbread house--something they take home and share with their families or eat over several days--for this reason, I recommend using royal icing since it dries hard (as a rock) and lasts indefinitely without refrigeration. Its the same stuff they use on gingerbread houses.
6. On the last space, a teacher or older child could write "Creation" or something with edible marker or icing (or just in Sharpie).
Saturday, September 29, 2012
HANUKKAH
Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights. It lasts 8 days. There are a billion crafts you can do for this holiday. Here are two of my favorites.
Edible Hanukkiah
Materials:
2 whole graham crackers
9 pretzel sticks
buttercream frosting or candy melts (yellow or orange)
melting pot for candy melts
wax paper or parchment paper
assorted candies for decorating (optional)
1. melt the candy melts in the melting pot.
2. dip one end of each pretzel quickly into the melted candy and quickly pull it out, forming a "flame".
3. lay each one on wax paper or parchment paper and allow it to dry completely. When dry it easily peels off the paper.
4. lay one graham cracker down, spread it with buttercream frosting or pour melted candy melts onto it.
5. arrange pretzels sticking out of the long end of the graham cracker (leave some room between the "flame" and the graham cracker). Make sure one is extending farther than the others (for the shamash).
3. pour more candy melt over the pretzel sticks (or spread buttercream frosting on the other graham cracker). Place the other graham cracker over the pretzel sticks forming a sandwich.
4. allow it to dry and then decorate, if desired with candies or frosting. stand it up and TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL CREATION! :) Then you can eat it!
Edible Dreidle
Materials:
fig newton (any flavor) or neutra grain bar, cut in half
1 pretzel stick
decorating icing
knife
assorted candies for decorating (optional)
1. if using a neutra grain bar, cut it in half with the knife.
2. cut off a small triangle on the 2 ends at the newton or neutra grain, forming the point of the dreidle
3. insert the pretzel into the flat end of the newton or neutra grain bar
4. write one of the letters on the top of the dreidle: nun (נ), gimmel (ג), hay (ה), shin (ש).
5. decorate with assorted candies or frosting as desired
Edible Hanukkiah
Materials:
2 whole graham crackers
9 pretzel sticks
buttercream frosting or candy melts (yellow or orange)
melting pot for candy melts
wax paper or parchment paper
assorted candies for decorating (optional)
1. melt the candy melts in the melting pot.
2. dip one end of each pretzel quickly into the melted candy and quickly pull it out, forming a "flame".
3. lay each one on wax paper or parchment paper and allow it to dry completely. When dry it easily peels off the paper.
4. lay one graham cracker down, spread it with buttercream frosting or pour melted candy melts onto it.
5. arrange pretzels sticking out of the long end of the graham cracker (leave some room between the "flame" and the graham cracker). Make sure one is extending farther than the others (for the shamash).
3. pour more candy melt over the pretzel sticks (or spread buttercream frosting on the other graham cracker). Place the other graham cracker over the pretzel sticks forming a sandwich.
4. allow it to dry and then decorate, if desired with candies or frosting. stand it up and TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL CREATION! :) Then you can eat it!
Edible Dreidle
Materials:
fig newton (any flavor) or neutra grain bar, cut in half
1 pretzel stick
decorating icing
knife
assorted candies for decorating (optional)
1. if using a neutra grain bar, cut it in half with the knife.
2. cut off a small triangle on the 2 ends at the newton or neutra grain, forming the point of the dreidle
3. insert the pretzel into the flat end of the newton or neutra grain bar
4. write one of the letters on the top of the dreidle: nun (נ), gimmel (ג), hay (ה), shin (ש).
5. decorate with assorted candies or frosting as desired
SIMCHAT TORAH OR SHAVUOT
The celebration of Simchat Torah is a joyous one. We have reached the end of the Torah and wind it all the way to the beginning and start all over again!
A super-simple craft for Simchat Torah is an edible Torah! You can also do this project for Shavuot (when Moses was given the Torah on Mount Sinai.)
Edible Torah--Candy
Materials:
mini twizlers (easily available at Halloween)
Fruit by the Foot roll up
1. unwrap the twizlers, separate.
2. unwrap the fruit roll
3. peel away the paper backing from one end of the fruit roll and attach it to one of the twizlers.
4. keep the paper on the fruit roll and roll the whole thing onto one twizler piece, leaving about 2 inches at the end.
5. Peel off the paper from the end an attach it to the other twizler piece. Fold the paper back and roll up enough to cover.
6. Roll back and forth as desired! :)
Still trying to figure out a way to make an edible Torah cover for it! :)
I've also done an edible Torah with pretzel rods and flour tortillas.
To do this:
Edible Torah--slightly healthier
Materials:
Kosher flour tortillas (yes, they exist!)
cream cheese
pretzel rods
black decorating icing or grated cheddar cheese
1. cut off the two inches or so from the top and bottom of the tortilla, forming a piece about 3" wide by the diameter of the original circle.
2. spread cream cheese all over the tortilla
3. place a pretzel rod on either short end of the tortilla, wrapping a bit of the tortilla around the rod.
4. using the black decorating icing, (or for a healthier version, the shredded cheese) form the letter bet (ב) which is the first letter in the Torah. Ideally, it should be placed at the top of the right hand edge.
5. You can enjoy it as is or roll it up like a Torah scroll!
Another project that is great for this holiday (instead of the standard flag or banner) is a NON-Edible Torah.
Materials:
two small branches from a tree in your backyard or park (the straighter the better) or two skewers
five sheets of white computer paper or newsprint drawing paper
scotch tape or clear packing tape
4 beads that will fit onto the ends of the skewers (if you used skewers) or ends can be wrapped with pipe cleaners.
ribbon or pipe cleaner
1. have children draw one "scene" from each of the books of the Torah. Some are kind of difficult...
Genesis (Bereshit) : Creation, Noah's Ark, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Joseph
Exodus (Shemot) : Moses, the Passover Story, the golden calf
Leviticus (Vayikra) : laws, kashrut
Numbers (Bamidbar) : taking census
Deuteronomy (Devarim) : rewards and punishments, death of Moses
2. Tape the stories together in order (starting from the right!) making a long scroll.
3. Tape the right side of the first sheet (Genesis) to one of the branches or skewers. Tape the left side of the last sheet (Deuteronomy) to the other branch or skewer.
4. If using skewers, glue a bead on either end (you might also snip off the pointy part) to prevent injuries. If you can't find beads, you can use a piece of pipe cleaner to wrap up the ends (that's what I did in the above photo).
5. Roll up the Torah scroll and close it with ribbon or a pipe cleaner.
6. A Torah cover can also be made for it with a piece of construction paper wrapped around. You can even make a yad (pointer) and a mantle for the scroll if you're really ambitious (from foil or silver paper).
Fat Torah
Another way to have the children make a Torah (or make one together as a class project).
Materials:
Four 2-liter bottles, empty (for a class project) or two 8-oz water bottles and two 16-oz water bottles, empty, for individual Torahs.
hot glue or packing tape
construction paper (12" X 18" preferred, but smaller sheets can also be used.)
2 pipe cleaners (12" long each) silver will be most realistic but any color can be used.
brown paint (tempera paint with a bit of Elmer's mixed in, or acrylic paint--something that will stick to plastic).
yarn (about 24 inches) silver color will be most realistic but any color can be used.
silver colored poster board (or use any color poster board and paint it silver)
hole puncher
1. Hot glue or tape 2 of the bottles together so that their bottoms meet. This will make one part of the Torah. Do the same for the other 2 bottles. (if using smaller water bottles, glue or tape one 8-oz to one 16-oz so that the set will be the same size).
2. Paint the 2 sets of bottles with brown paint to resemble eitzei chayim (the sticks onto which the scroll is mounted). Allow them to dry completely.
3. A small amount of hot glue can be used to glue the two eitzei chayim together when dry. Or, if you want to make it even more realistic, you can do as in the above Torah project, taping sheets together to make a long scroll, then tape each end to the bottles (you will need more than 5 sheets of paper, though, to allow for the width of the bottle).
4. While you're waiting for your eitzei chayim to dry, you can make the dressing for the Torah. Using a large piece of construction paper, wrap the eitzei chayim so that the pointy part of the bottles shows. Use more than one piece of construction paper if necessary, taping together. After you have a piece that fits around the scrolls snugly, remove it and decorate it as desired.
5. Replace the cover and make the yad (pointer). Twist together 2 pipe cleaners and bend back the last 1 inch to form a fatter part. Manipulate the pipe cleaners to resemble a tiny pointing hand. If the yad is too long, fold the "handle" part back onto itself and twist again.
6. Insert a piece of yarn into the handle of the yad and tie. Tie the other end to the top of one of the bottles.
7. Make a mantle for the Torah using a piece of stiff poster board painted silver. Cut it to desired shape (a rectangle approximately 6" X 8" if using 2-liter bottles is about right, but adjust to fit the size of your bottles). Punch holes in the top (one in each upper corner) tie yarn forming a "necklace" and hang it over the Torah cover.
A super-simple craft for Simchat Torah is an edible Torah! You can also do this project for Shavuot (when Moses was given the Torah on Mount Sinai.)
Edible Torah--Candy
Materials:
mini twizlers (easily available at Halloween)
Fruit by the Foot roll up
1. unwrap the twizlers, separate.
2. unwrap the fruit roll
3. peel away the paper backing from one end of the fruit roll and attach it to one of the twizlers.
4. keep the paper on the fruit roll and roll the whole thing onto one twizler piece, leaving about 2 inches at the end.
5. Peel off the paper from the end an attach it to the other twizler piece. Fold the paper back and roll up enough to cover.
6. Roll back and forth as desired! :)
Still trying to figure out a way to make an edible Torah cover for it! :)
I've also done an edible Torah with pretzel rods and flour tortillas.
To do this:
Edible Torah--slightly healthier
Materials:
Kosher flour tortillas (yes, they exist!)
cream cheese
pretzel rods
black decorating icing or grated cheddar cheese
1. cut off the two inches or so from the top and bottom of the tortilla, forming a piece about 3" wide by the diameter of the original circle.
2. spread cream cheese all over the tortilla
3. place a pretzel rod on either short end of the tortilla, wrapping a bit of the tortilla around the rod.
4. using the black decorating icing, (or for a healthier version, the shredded cheese) form the letter bet (ב) which is the first letter in the Torah. Ideally, it should be placed at the top of the right hand edge.
5. You can enjoy it as is or roll it up like a Torah scroll!
Another project that is great for this holiday (instead of the standard flag or banner) is a NON-Edible Torah.
Materials:
two small branches from a tree in your backyard or park (the straighter the better) or two skewers
five sheets of white computer paper or newsprint drawing paper
scotch tape or clear packing tape
4 beads that will fit onto the ends of the skewers (if you used skewers) or ends can be wrapped with pipe cleaners.
ribbon or pipe cleaner
1. have children draw one "scene" from each of the books of the Torah. Some are kind of difficult...
Genesis (Bereshit) : Creation, Noah's Ark, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Joseph
Exodus (Shemot) : Moses, the Passover Story, the golden calf
Leviticus (Vayikra) : laws, kashrut
Numbers (Bamidbar) : taking census
Deuteronomy (Devarim) : rewards and punishments, death of Moses
2. Tape the stories together in order (starting from the right!) making a long scroll.
4. If using skewers, glue a bead on either end (you might also snip off the pointy part) to prevent injuries. If you can't find beads, you can use a piece of pipe cleaner to wrap up the ends (that's what I did in the above photo).
5. Roll up the Torah scroll and close it with ribbon or a pipe cleaner.
6. A Torah cover can also be made for it with a piece of construction paper wrapped around. You can even make a yad (pointer) and a mantle for the scroll if you're really ambitious (from foil or silver paper).
Fat Torah
Another way to have the children make a Torah (or make one together as a class project).
Materials:
Four 2-liter bottles, empty (for a class project) or two 8-oz water bottles and two 16-oz water bottles, empty, for individual Torahs.
hot glue or packing tape
construction paper (12" X 18" preferred, but smaller sheets can also be used.)
2 pipe cleaners (12" long each) silver will be most realistic but any color can be used.
brown paint (tempera paint with a bit of Elmer's mixed in, or acrylic paint--something that will stick to plastic).
yarn (about 24 inches) silver color will be most realistic but any color can be used.
silver colored poster board (or use any color poster board and paint it silver)
hole puncher
1. Hot glue or tape 2 of the bottles together so that their bottoms meet. This will make one part of the Torah. Do the same for the other 2 bottles. (if using smaller water bottles, glue or tape one 8-oz to one 16-oz so that the set will be the same size).
2. Paint the 2 sets of bottles with brown paint to resemble eitzei chayim (the sticks onto which the scroll is mounted). Allow them to dry completely.
3. A small amount of hot glue can be used to glue the two eitzei chayim together when dry. Or, if you want to make it even more realistic, you can do as in the above Torah project, taping sheets together to make a long scroll, then tape each end to the bottles (you will need more than 5 sheets of paper, though, to allow for the width of the bottle).
4. While you're waiting for your eitzei chayim to dry, you can make the dressing for the Torah. Using a large piece of construction paper, wrap the eitzei chayim so that the pointy part of the bottles shows. Use more than one piece of construction paper if necessary, taping together. After you have a piece that fits around the scrolls snugly, remove it and decorate it as desired.
5. Replace the cover and make the yad (pointer). Twist together 2 pipe cleaners and bend back the last 1 inch to form a fatter part. Manipulate the pipe cleaners to resemble a tiny pointing hand. If the yad is too long, fold the "handle" part back onto itself and twist again.
6. Insert a piece of yarn into the handle of the yad and tie. Tie the other end to the top of one of the bottles.
7. Make a mantle for the Torah using a piece of stiff poster board painted silver. Cut it to desired shape (a rectangle approximately 6" X 8" if using 2-liter bottles is about right, but adjust to fit the size of your bottles). Punch holes in the top (one in each upper corner) tie yarn forming a "necklace" and hang it over the Torah cover.
SUKKOT
Sukkot is the holiday of Harvest. We build a temporary structure, called a sukkah, and we're supposed to eat, sleep, and play in the sukkah throughout the seven (or eight) days that we are celebrating. The kids love Sukkot because its kind of like making a playhouse that we get to enjoy for a week. We also get to decorate the sukkah with fruits, vegetables, popcorn garlands, wind chimes... the list is endless.
If I had the kids make apples and pomegranates for Rosh Hashana, these, after they've been sprayed with something that will protect them from the elements, can be hung in the sukkah making lovely decorations. This year, we made "wind chimes"!
Wind Chimes for the Sukkah
Materials:
disposable pie plates (1 for each child)
hole puncher
beads
ribbon
Sharpie markers
First, have the children use the Sharpies (after a good discussion about not putting them in their mouth, on their clothing, or anywhere else that will be difficult to clean) to decorate the pie plate--front and back.
Next, punch holes in the rim of the plate (at least 3 but as many as you like).
Tie a ribbon for hanging in the top-most hole.
Tie ribbons to the other holes and have the children string beads onto them, tying a knot at the end to keep the beads on.
Those ribbons that are at the top of the pie plate will be pulled down by the weight of the beads and "chime" against the pie plate when the wind blows. Any ribbons that are farther down the rim will just hang down and look pretty and colorful.
And it simply wouldn't be Sukkot without an edible sukkah!
Edible Sukkah
Materials:
graham crackers
Royal icing (recipe follows)
fruit snacks (if keeping kosher, you will probably need to substitute them for chewy lemon heads and friends and or m&:ms)
pretzel "dipping sticks"
green food coloring
paper plate
First, prepare a batch of Royal icing. Use your favorite recipe or mine:
"A little bit of" Royal Icing
1 Tbls. water
1/2 tsp. meringue powder
1/16 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
In a small, Pyrex bowl, beat water, meringue powder and cream of tartar with a whisk (or hand mixer, if you don't want an arm workout) until light and frothy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue to mix for about 5 minutes (even longer if you're doing it by hand!) until stiff peaks form. If you're using a whisk you're going to wish you used a hand mixer. Add a couple of drops of green food coloring.
Using a spatula, scrape all of the icing into a small ziploc bag and squeeze out the air. Snip off one small corner.
1. Break the graham cracker in half then use a knife to saw the other half in half again.
2. Pipe a line of icing on the bottom edge of the half-graham cracker and stand it up on the paper plate.
3. Pipe a line of icing on the short edge and up one long edge of the 1/4-graham cracker and attach it to either side of the larger cracker, forming the back and side of the sukkah.
4. Do the same for the other side.
5. Allow it to dry for a few minutes. I usually do this part ahead of time when I'm working with the preschool kids because they have difficulty being careful and patient. Once dry, its a pretty sturdy structure.
6. Pipe on a line of icing on top short edges of the sukkah so that you can lay the pretzel dipping sticks across the top to form the roof.
7. Open up your fruit snacks or candies and put a dab of icing on the top of each piece so that they can adhere to the roof of your sukkah.
8. Use other candy or other edible decorations in any way you like to decorate your sukkah.
9. Don't forget your skhakh! Put some icing on top of the pretzels to simulate the palm fronds for the roof!
10. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A PICTURE because they're so cute! THEN you can eat it! :)
Next year, I'm going to figure out a way to put some edible Ushpizin (exalted guests) in the sukkah!
This year, I was struck with intense creativity which resulted in a new craft project for Sukkot--making a lulav and etrog!
Lulav and Etrog
First, we'll make the etrog.
Materials:
paper towel or newspaper
masking tape
Crayola model magic in yellow and light green
a small twig
1. ball up the paper towel or newspaper into a rough etrog shape
2. use the masking tape to hold the shape
3. mix a small amount of each of the colors of model magic then use it to cover the shape.
4. stick a tiny twig into the pointy end of the covered etrog and allow the whole thing to dry completely.
Next, the lulav. The lulav consists of three elements: an unopened palm frond, 2 willow branches, and 3 myrtle branches. These are wrapped together to form the "lulav".
Materials:
6" X 12" piece of tan or brown cardstock
12" piece of light green cardstock, cut on the diagonal
Three 1" X 8" pieces of dark green cardstock
Two 3" X 9" pieces of dark green construction paper
Clear packing tape or scotch tape
Scissors
Pencil
Stapler (optional)
1. Keeping the two 3" X 9" pieces of construction paper together, fold them in half lengthwise. You can staple the end to make cutting easier.
2. Trace a simple willow leaf shape as in the photo above and cut out the two pieces at the same time. Set aside. If this is too difficult (for pre-K, it takes some patience to cut out) have the children cut "fringe" instead--straight lines cut on the diagonal, about 1 centimeter apart, stopping about 1/2 centimeter away from folded edge.
3. Keeping the three 1" X 8" pieces of cardstock together, trace a simple myrtle leaf shape. You can staple the pieces together at the end to make cutting easier. Cut the shape out.
4. Fold the 12" piece of cardstock around to form the unopened palm frond--with the long side of the triangle facing you, fold about 1 inch up. Continue folding over and over until you are out of paper. Tape down the pointy flap. Fold up about 3 inches on one end to make this piece flat on one end and pointy on the other.
5. Lay the 6" X 12" piece of cardstock with one of the long sides facing you. Fold up one- to one-and-a-half inch up repeatedly, until you have formed a flat tube. Place the two willow branches into one end of the tube, the three myrtle branches into the other end then fold the tube in half so that both ends are facing up. Place the palm in between the two tubes. Tape it together.
Holding the etrog in your left hand and the lulav in the right, you are holding the "four species"!
If I had the kids make apples and pomegranates for Rosh Hashana, these, after they've been sprayed with something that will protect them from the elements, can be hung in the sukkah making lovely decorations. This year, we made "wind chimes"!
Wind Chimes for the Sukkah
Materials:
disposable pie plates (1 for each child)
hole puncher
beads
ribbon
Sharpie markers
First, have the children use the Sharpies (after a good discussion about not putting them in their mouth, on their clothing, or anywhere else that will be difficult to clean) to decorate the pie plate--front and back.
Next, punch holes in the rim of the plate (at least 3 but as many as you like).
Tie a ribbon for hanging in the top-most hole.
Tie ribbons to the other holes and have the children string beads onto them, tying a knot at the end to keep the beads on.
Those ribbons that are at the top of the pie plate will be pulled down by the weight of the beads and "chime" against the pie plate when the wind blows. Any ribbons that are farther down the rim will just hang down and look pretty and colorful.
Edible Sukkah
Materials:
graham crackers
Royal icing (recipe follows)
fruit snacks (if keeping kosher, you will probably need to substitute them for chewy lemon heads and friends and or m&:ms)
pretzel "dipping sticks"
green food coloring
paper plate
First, prepare a batch of Royal icing. Use your favorite recipe or mine:
"A little bit of" Royal Icing
1 Tbls. water
1/2 tsp. meringue powder
1/16 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
In a small, Pyrex bowl, beat water, meringue powder and cream of tartar with a whisk (or hand mixer, if you don't want an arm workout) until light and frothy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue to mix for about 5 minutes (even longer if you're doing it by hand!) until stiff peaks form. If you're using a whisk you're going to wish you used a hand mixer. Add a couple of drops of green food coloring.
Using a spatula, scrape all of the icing into a small ziploc bag and squeeze out the air. Snip off one small corner.
1. Break the graham cracker in half then use a knife to saw the other half in half again.
2. Pipe a line of icing on the bottom edge of the half-graham cracker and stand it up on the paper plate.
3. Pipe a line of icing on the short edge and up one long edge of the 1/4-graham cracker and attach it to either side of the larger cracker, forming the back and side of the sukkah.
4. Do the same for the other side.
5. Allow it to dry for a few minutes. I usually do this part ahead of time when I'm working with the preschool kids because they have difficulty being careful and patient. Once dry, its a pretty sturdy structure.
6. Pipe on a line of icing on top short edges of the sukkah so that you can lay the pretzel dipping sticks across the top to form the roof.
7. Open up your fruit snacks or candies and put a dab of icing on the top of each piece so that they can adhere to the roof of your sukkah.
8. Use other candy or other edible decorations in any way you like to decorate your sukkah.
9. Don't forget your skhakh! Put some icing on top of the pretzels to simulate the palm fronds for the roof!
10. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE A PICTURE because they're so cute! THEN you can eat it! :)
Next year, I'm going to figure out a way to put some edible Ushpizin (exalted guests) in the sukkah!
This year, I was struck with intense creativity which resulted in a new craft project for Sukkot--making a lulav and etrog!
Lulav and Etrog
First, we'll make the etrog.
Materials:
paper towel or newspaper
masking tape
Crayola model magic in yellow and light green
a small twig
2. use the masking tape to hold the shape
3. mix a small amount of each of the colors of model magic then use it to cover the shape.
4. stick a tiny twig into the pointy end of the covered etrog and allow the whole thing to dry completely.
Next, the lulav. The lulav consists of three elements: an unopened palm frond, 2 willow branches, and 3 myrtle branches. These are wrapped together to form the "lulav".
Materials:
6" X 12" piece of tan or brown cardstock
12" piece of light green cardstock, cut on the diagonal
Three 1" X 8" pieces of dark green cardstock
Two 3" X 9" pieces of dark green construction paper
Clear packing tape or scotch tape
Scissors
Pencil
Stapler (optional)
1. Keeping the two 3" X 9" pieces of construction paper together, fold them in half lengthwise. You can staple the end to make cutting easier.
2. Trace a simple willow leaf shape as in the photo above and cut out the two pieces at the same time. Set aside. If this is too difficult (for pre-K, it takes some patience to cut out) have the children cut "fringe" instead--straight lines cut on the diagonal, about 1 centimeter apart, stopping about 1/2 centimeter away from folded edge.
3. Keeping the three 1" X 8" pieces of cardstock together, trace a simple myrtle leaf shape. You can staple the pieces together at the end to make cutting easier. Cut the shape out.
4. Fold the 12" piece of cardstock around to form the unopened palm frond--with the long side of the triangle facing you, fold about 1 inch up. Continue folding over and over until you are out of paper. Tape down the pointy flap. Fold up about 3 inches on one end to make this piece flat on one end and pointy on the other.
5. Lay the 6" X 12" piece of cardstock with one of the long sides facing you. Fold up one- to one-and-a-half inch up repeatedly, until you have formed a flat tube. Place the two willow branches into one end of the tube, the three myrtle branches into the other end then fold the tube in half so that both ends are facing up. Place the palm in between the two tubes. Tape it together.
Holding the etrog in your left hand and the lulav in the right, you are holding the "four species"!
ROSH HASHANA/YOM KIPPUR
So every year I try to do something different for the kids for each of the Jewish holidays. Since the school year starts in early September, pretty much right off the bat, we've got the High Holy Days--4 major holidays all within about 2 weeks. First, we have Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. Traditions include eating apples and honey, hearing the shofar, eating pomegranates, and wishing everyone "L'Shana Tova!" We also spend a large part of the day in the synagogue for services. 10 days after Rosh Hashana, we observe Yom Kippur which is the Day of Atonement. Its a very solemn holiday so wishing your Jewish friends "Happy Yom Kippur" is kind of not kosher. The appropriate phrase is "Have an easy fast" because we don't eat. Or drink. For 24 hours. If you're really observant, you also don't bathe, shave, or do much more than go to services, wear white canvas shoes, take a nap to help pass the hours of fasting, and study. At services for both Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, we hear the shofar blast several times. Its a mitzvah to hear the shofar! After Yom Kippur comes Sukkot--see my next post for that one--then Simchat Torah.
Craft projects for Rosh Hashana aren't too hard--in the past I've done paper mache apples and pomegranates, painted glass plates and votive holders for apples and honey (have kids paint on the back of the plate so that it shows through onto the front), round challot made from salt dough (we used real cinnamon in the salt dough and added real raisins before baking), and round challah covers. Yom Kippur is harder because it just doesn't lend itself quite as well to crafts. This year, however, we made shofarim.
The project turned out much cuter than I imagined and it was pretty easy.
Kid's Shofar
Materials:
cardboard
kazoo
glue
twine
template
hot glue gun
First, draw a simple shofar shape onto the cardboard. It should only be about 6-7 inches long, total. Cut it out and then use it as a template to cut as many as you need. I teach preschoolers so I pre-cut all of them but older kids could cut out their own. You will need two cardboard shapes per shofar.
Next, using the hot glue gun, glue the kazoo to one of the cardboard cutouts so that the end that goes into your mouth sticks out about an inch from the cardboard (so you can play it!) Angle the kazoo so that the top part is about flush with the edge of the cardboard. Hot glue the other cardboard to the other side of the kazoo so that its like a kazoo sandwich! Allow it to dry completely. I did up to this point before school so that the kids' part starts now...
Now that you have your kazoo sandwich, squeeze a good bit of Elmer's glue to the fat end (the end farthest from your mouthpiece) so that twine will stick to it. Cut a good length of twine (length varies depending on age of kids--how much can they handle easily?) I gave my preschoolers about 2 feet. You may need to start them so they get the idea but you place one end of the twine into the glue then wrap the twine around the cardboard (its okay if the ends of the cardboard touch but try not to wind it too tightly). Once you've gone around a couple of times, most kids can continue to wind it around the cardboard. Once you have come to the end of the twine, tuck the end under the wrapped pieces and put more glue to secure it. Continue adding twine in the same manner until you reach the top of the cardboard piece (where your mouth will go when you play it). If you have left over twine when you reach the end, you can go backwards to add more or simply trim off the excess and glue it down.
Allow all of the glue to dry completely then play your shofar!
I like using a kazoo instead of a birthday blower because just like when you try to play a real shofar, if you just blow into the end, you're quite unlikely to get any sound to come out! It requires a lot of practice and, in my experience, a bit of a "trick" before you get the sound to come out.
Craft projects for Rosh Hashana aren't too hard--in the past I've done paper mache apples and pomegranates, painted glass plates and votive holders for apples and honey (have kids paint on the back of the plate so that it shows through onto the front), round challot made from salt dough (we used real cinnamon in the salt dough and added real raisins before baking), and round challah covers. Yom Kippur is harder because it just doesn't lend itself quite as well to crafts. This year, however, we made shofarim.
The project turned out much cuter than I imagined and it was pretty easy.
Kid's Shofar
Materials:
cardboard
kazoo
glue
twine
template
hot glue gun
First, draw a simple shofar shape onto the cardboard. It should only be about 6-7 inches long, total. Cut it out and then use it as a template to cut as many as you need. I teach preschoolers so I pre-cut all of them but older kids could cut out their own. You will need two cardboard shapes per shofar.
Next, using the hot glue gun, glue the kazoo to one of the cardboard cutouts so that the end that goes into your mouth sticks out about an inch from the cardboard (so you can play it!) Angle the kazoo so that the top part is about flush with the edge of the cardboard. Hot glue the other cardboard to the other side of the kazoo so that its like a kazoo sandwich! Allow it to dry completely. I did up to this point before school so that the kids' part starts now...
Now that you have your kazoo sandwich, squeeze a good bit of Elmer's glue to the fat end (the end farthest from your mouthpiece) so that twine will stick to it. Cut a good length of twine (length varies depending on age of kids--how much can they handle easily?) I gave my preschoolers about 2 feet. You may need to start them so they get the idea but you place one end of the twine into the glue then wrap the twine around the cardboard (its okay if the ends of the cardboard touch but try not to wind it too tightly). Once you've gone around a couple of times, most kids can continue to wind it around the cardboard. Once you have come to the end of the twine, tuck the end under the wrapped pieces and put more glue to secure it. Continue adding twine in the same manner until you reach the top of the cardboard piece (where your mouth will go when you play it). If you have left over twine when you reach the end, you can go backwards to add more or simply trim off the excess and glue it down.
Allow all of the glue to dry completely then play your shofar!
I like using a kazoo instead of a birthday blower because just like when you try to play a real shofar, if you just blow into the end, you're quite unlikely to get any sound to come out! It requires a lot of practice and, in my experience, a bit of a "trick" before you get the sound to come out.
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