Judaics

Our second week of school flew by in Judaics! We talked about blessings and what we have in our lives that we are grateful for. We also made a Blessing for the Home Hamsa craft so that our homes will be filled peace, love and happiness! We had a great time painting our Challah Covers and singing Shabbat songs! 

For the Challah Cover:

This is a Challah Cover that your children had a great time decorating this week as we continued our learning about Shabbat. The reason that we cover the challah is that it is the last object to receive a blessing on Shabbat (first we bless the candles and then the wine) and we don't want the challah to feel bad that it receives the last blessing. Rabbi Jacob ben Asher from the 13th century elucidates that since we are sensitive to the "feelings" of the challah we learn that we should be extremely sensitive in the way that we deal with those around us. In Judaics this week we have been discussing that it never feels good to be picked last and that we should always try to include our friends in any activities we are doing. The Hebrew words say "Shabbat Shalom" which is the greeting that we say to one another on Shabbat, wishing each other a good and restful day. I hope that you enjoy using these Challah Covers as much as your children enjoyed making them! 

For the Hamsa:

This is a Blessing for the Home Hamsa that your children enjoyed decorating this week. A Hamsa is a traditional Jewish symbol that is often hung in the home as artwork or worn as jewelry that serves to protect. The shape of the hand is reminiscent of the priestly blessing which is given with the hands raised above the head. I hope that enjoy the Blessing for the Home Hamsa!

Curly Birds

 Use your old paper scraps...

(Great Rainy Day Craft!)

 

Materials

• Card stock
• Scissors
• Tacky glue

• Clothespin
• Toothpick

Instructions

1. First, use this guide to measure and cut the card stock strips you'll need for each bird:
   
   Body: 5 (1-inch-wide) strips, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 inches long
   Head: 2 (1-inch-wide) strips, 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 inches long
   Tail: 5 (1 1/2-inch-wide) strips, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 inches long
   Beak: 1 (1- by 2-inch) strip
   Eyes: 1 (1- by 1 1/2-inch) strip
   
   
2. Roll the body strips into circles, overlap their ends about 1/4 inch, and secure with tacky glue. 
   
   
3. Nest the circles and glue them together. Tip: Use a clothespin to hold the pieces until the glue dries. Do the same with the head strips, then glue the head to the body.
   
   
4. Trim the tail strips into long triangles, then curl them a bit before gluing them together. Glue the tail to the body.
   
   
5. Fold the beak rectangle in half, then cut off the two folded corners at an angle, as shown. Fold in the tabs and glue them to the bird's head. 
   
   
6. Roll the eye piece around a toothpick to form a small tube. Secure the tube with a thin line of glue, then glue it in place.
   

Judaics Class

This week we had a great week in Judaics. We learned about how each of us and how everything around us has a name, and how this is a great gift from God because we can identify all of the things and people around us. We learned the Yiddush and Hebrew names for Grandma and Grandpa (Bubby and Zaidy, Savta and Saba), as well as the Hebrew words for Mommy and Daddy (Ima and Abba). We reviewed the symbols of Shabbat – Candles (Nerot), Challah and Kiddush, and also learned about a very important Jewish symbol – the Mezuzah. I hope you enjoy the Mezuzah craft that the children made! I am looking forward to next week when we learn about another Jewish symbol – The Hamsa and we discuss blessings!

-Mora Brenda

"First Day/Week" Photo Book

What You Need:

• Camera (digital is especially handy)
• Card stock paper
• Glue Stick
• Tape
• Markers

 What You Do:

1. Schedule some "run-through” time to practice the first day of school routine, and get your camera
ready. If you’re talking about a “new” school, your child may not realize that there will be many
aspects of her day that will actually be familiar!

2. For your first run-through, start with getting up in the morning. Invite your child to “act out” waking
up and take a picture. Have her put on a nice outfit, the kind she’d wear to school, and once she's
dressed to impress, take a picture again. Do the same for eating breakfast and then for putting on
a backpack or grabbing a book bag etc.

3. The next step, going to school, can be frightening. Have your child practice and “act it out,” whether
that means walking to, or hopping in your car. Photograph that, as well.

4. Finally, take some pictures of the afternoon transition. Your own family’s rituals probably vary, but
in general, try for 1-3 photographs that help your child know just what to expect and be reassured
that again, it’s all really very familiar. You can take a picture of her coming home, or eating her
after school snack or simply playing outside.

5. To assemble the book, print your pictures and invite your child to help you lay them out in order on
a table.
 
6. Now cut your card stock paper in half, to make a stack of pages 5-1/2”x8-1/2”. On the first one,
place a picture of your child, and write a title. On each succeeding page, place a photograph and one or two words, such as
“waking up,” or “my school” (you can have your child write the word). Use a
glue stick to attach all of the pictures.
 
7. You can make a traditional book by stacking the pages or you can even make an accordion style book.

Earth Sun Catcher Craft

What You Need:

• Clean Margarine Bowl Lid
• 2 Bottles of Glue
• Wax Paper
• Yarn
• 2 Bottles of Glue
• Food Coloring

Instructions:

Find a picture of the planet Earth and use that for a pattern. The 2 bottles of glue should be about 1/2 full (it is okay if there is more). Use the Colored Glue Recipe below and make the glue in one of the bottles blue. Make the glue in the other bottle green. Put the squeeze tops back on the glue bottles.

Carefully squeeze the glue into the lid to create a picture of the earth. Use your picture of the earth as a guide as to how much blue and how much green to use. Don't worry if you don't get it exact! Make sure you fill the lid completely with no gaps. Set aside to dry. Depending on how thick you make it, it could take up to 24 hours!

Once the glue is dry, it should easily pop out of the lid. set your earth on a piece of wax paper. Use a nail to poke a small hole in the top of your glue earth and then let it sit on the wax paper over night to get firmer. You can then tie a piece of yarn through the hole and hang your earth in a window!

 

Here's How (Colored Glue):

1. Get a bottle of glue.
2. Unscrew and remove the cap.
3. Add 5-6 drops of food coloring.
4. Replace the cover and shake the bottle to mix.
5. If you want a darker color, add a few more drops of food coloring and mix again.
6. Once you get the desired color, use your glue to create fun pictures and crafts.

Tips:

1. You do not need a full bottle of glue!
2. Start saving your empty glue bottles now so you can use them to mix many colors.
3. The amount of food coloring will vary depending on how much glue is in your bottle and how dark of a color you desire.

Paper Planetarium

Here's what you'll need...

 

• Construction paper, black and colored
• Glitter glue
• Scissors
• Large paint brush
• Wax paper

Here's how you make it...

 

1. Cut out circles in different sizes and different colors.

2. Cut a piece of wax paper about 12" long (make it longer if you'll be framing it with a paper bigger than the standard 81/2" X 11"). With a large paint brush, paint on glitter glue all over the wax paper and then place your planets on top of the glue.

3. Cut a frame from a black piece of construction paper (standard 81/2" X 11"). The border in the picture is 1" thick. Place on top of the wax paper to frame your solar system, and trim around the edge.

Puffy Paint Moon Craft

Check out this really fun and messy moon craft...

What you'll need:

• 1/4 cup white glue
• 3/4 cup shaving cream (you want the old fashion foaming kind, not the kind that starts as a gel)
• Bowl for mixing
• Light-weight cardboard
• Scissors

How to make the Puffy Paint Moon Craft

1. Mix together 1 part white glue to 3 parts shaving cream. 1 cup total is more than enough for this craft.
2. While your child plays in the goop, cut a large circle out of the cardboard.
3. Lay the circle out on lots of newspaper (to contain the mess).
4. Have your child glop on as much puffy paint as they want. The more they drag their fingers through the goop the better this craft will look in the end.
5. Once they are done, let the moon dry over night.
6. Paint your moon any color you would like.

Robot Craft

 

Supplies:

Empty container (we used a country time lemonade container)
Aluminum foil
Glue
Scissors
Black marker (a sharpie works best since you are writing on aluminum foil)
Silver Pipe Cleaners
2 googly eyes
Sequins
Soda bottle lids (optional as feet)

Instructions:

Put a few lines of glue on your empty container and wrap the container with aluminum foil. Make sure to glue the edges down. To make it easier use thinner, longer strips of aluminum foil or get it started and then have your child help you tuck in the ends.

Have an adult poke a hole in each side of the container for the arms.

Wrap the pipe cleaner around the marker and then remove it. This gives you a nice spiral pipe cleaner that works great as an arm. Do this with two pipe cleaners and then insert them into the holes on your container.

Glue on two googly eyes. Use the marker to draw a mouth on.

Glue the sequins on the belly of the robot to look like buttons.

Glue three bottle caps to the bottom of the container to serve as feet or wheels

Pom Pom Alien

Supplies:

One 1 ½” Pom Poms
Two ½” Pom Poms
One 1 ½” Pom Poms
Three ¼” Pom Poms
One 25mm Wiggle Eye
Five 7mm Wiggle Eyes
One Fuzzy Stick

Craft Glue

Scissors

Instructions:

Glue all wiggle eyes to 1 ½” pom pom.

Cut two 2” pieces off a fuzzy stick. Poke into the top for antennae. Glue a pom pom on each end.

Shape the remaining piece of the fuzzy stick into a three-toed foot. Glue to bottom.

Glue on ¼” pom poms.

Let your imagination run wild with Alien Adventures.

Space Mobile

What you need:

• - Yellow construction paper
• - String or yarn
• - 2 plastic straws
• - Hole puncher
• - Scissors
• - Pencil
• - Eraser
• - Stapler

Steps:

1. Draw 6-8 stars on the yellow construction paper. Each one should be a different shape or size.
2. When you’re finished, ask a parent to help you cut out the shapes. Cut around the outside of the lines and then use an eraser to remove the pencil marks.
3. Parent Alert: Using the hole puncher, pierce a hole at the top of each star.
4. Cut a piece of string for each of the stars and tie it around the hole. Tip: Vary the length of the string to help your mobile come to life.
5. Parent Alert: Pick up two straws and make the shape of the letter “X” with them. Staple the straws together where the two meet.
6. Cut and tie a long piece of string to where the staple is and then tie the rest of the strings to one of the four limbs of the X.
7. Hang your mobile by the long string in the middle and in your room from the ceiling or in a favorite corner somewhere around the house. Now, you can look at the stars anytime you want!