Tzedakah Stop Motion [Start Action!] Video

Every year, I contemplate how to take our Torah learning to the next level. I want my girls (and students) to grow in the knowledge and skills.
At the science museum, Cohava enjoyed making stop motion videos. We are going to attempt to make a short educational video each week.
We watched the educational modules provided by BimBam. These were very helpful.
Here is her first video!

Hanukkah games and projects

Every year I wonder, "Oh what activities should I do for Hanukkah?" And since I never remember what I do from year to year, I inevitably reinvent the wheel. This year we:

1) Made olive oil soap.
I bought the compound at Michael's (always use that 50% coupon!). The girls grated old crayons, added soap compound cubes, added essential oils, all inside of silicon trays.
Microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir melted compound gently. Place in fridge to harden.

The finish products were beautiful! We gave them to the teachers as small Hanukkah gifts. Olive oil in another miraculous form.

 2) Scientist Hanukiyah
This we did for the last few years. This Hanukiyah is not for lighting. It is a series of test tubes and pipets for children (and adults) to use for color mixing.

Here they are in action at the Torah Fair.

 3) Wooden Hanukkah art

We bought several packages of popsicles sticks (different sizes and colors) and clothespins (different sizes if possible). Then people were able to clip together whatever they wanted.

 4) This was someone else's game, which I thought was neat. Ring toss onto 'Hanukkah lights'.

5) SBH hosted a Hanukkah cookie decorating party before Hanukkah. We read Hanukkah Cookies with Sprinkles and money was donated for food for the poor.

6) Food Drive

The Giving Club at school organized a canned food drive.

Then they constructed a massive Hannukiyah 950 cans!!!

7) Dreidle Bingo! 


 There definitely more.
Day of darkness and light.
Reading Jodie's First Dig and having a mock archeology dig.
Latke party.
Decorating Donuts.

Lots of light and joy!

A New Way to Play Dreidel

I love Hanukah as much as the next person.  Every aspect of the celebration is beautiful, positive, and family friendly. Except maybe dreidel.
 This theoretically fun game always feels too much like gambling and always ends with a child crying.  For the last few years we've simply skipped the game and just eaten the gelt (just go for the gold!)
This year I created a new dreidel game, which can be played independently, non-competitively, reinforces letter recognition, and can involve strategy (instead of just luck). I present you Dreidel Bingo!

 

Here you can download the Game board! Unlike traditional bingo, there is only one board.
There are a variety of ways to play.

You need:

• printed game board(s) here
• a dreidel (per player or shared)
• bingo daubers or dot markers (you can use regular markers, but they aren't as fun)

Method 1- Independent Play:

1. player spins and announces their letter
2. mark it on the board
3. play for a row, or coverall

Method 2 

Everyone takes a turn spinning. Either everyone marks only their own letter, or everyone marks for everyone's spin. Then strategize, like Connect 4, to decide which spot on the board to mark.
We played it at home. I set my little ones up with it, and they entertained themselves while I made dinner. No one fought! We played it at school.

We put it out at a community Hanukkah celebration.

The kids loved it

Some parents got a little competitive, but it was all good!