LOVE ROCKS
As we start the new year fresh, it’s so important that we do our very best to act with love, kindness, and respect in everything we do. These beautiful Love Rocks can remind us to do just that! Have your kiddos paint a bunch of Love Rocks and then give them to people they care about. Make sure they save one or two for themselves so they can have their own reminders to be a mensch, too!
I’M SORRY CARDS
Many of our Jewish holidays are joyful, and making crafts to celebrate them is fun and easy. Yom Kippur, of course, is a serious holiday. As we shift gears from the merriment of Rosh Hashanah, we take a close and honest look at the mistakes we’ve made in the last year. And although children don’t fast or participate in the traditional Yom Kippur services, they definitely can understand the concepts of “I’ve made mistakes;” “I need to apologize;” and “I can try my best to do better in the new year.” Making I’m Sorry Cards (and also I’m Sorry Hearts) gives children a tangible way to think about what it means to make a mistake or hurt someone’s feelings and what we must do to make that right. Here’s hoping that this simple Yom Kippur craft will lay the foundation for your children to be dedicated to honesty, humility, kindness, and forgiveness throughout their lives.
I’M SORRY HEARTS
Yom Kippur gives us an opportunity to teach our children important lessons about recognizing that we’ve made mistakes, we need to apologize for them, and we need to try our best to do better next time. It can be tough to say “I’m sorry” at any age, but making “I’m sorry” hearts can make it a little easier. Your kiddos can decorate these mini wood hearts however they like and then write “I’m sorry” on each of them. When they feel ready, they can give an “I’m sorry” heart to someone whose feelings they’ve hurt. This gives them a tangible way to experience owning up to a mistake and hopefully experiencing forgiveness, too. How could you not forgive someone who’s given you a beautiful “I’m sorry” heart?
SHOFAR COLLAGE WITH MAGAZINE CLIPPINGS
Did you know that the central mitzvah of Rosh Hashanah is to hear the shofar? The shofar is also blown every day (except Shabbat) during the month of Elul, which is the Jewish month that leads up to Rosh Hashanah, and at the end of Yom Kippur. Hearing the shofar wakes us up, connects us to God and to each other, and reminds us that we still have work to do to make the world a better place. This shofar collage is a great way to explore the unique shape of the shofar and to talk about how it’s used during the high holy days. If possible, have a real shofar for your kiddos to touch and look at (and practice blowing!) while they’re making their collages!
MY JEWISH YEAR NECKLACE
Did you know that there’s a Jewish calendar that’s different from our secular calendar which starts with January and ends with December? The Jewish calendar starts with the month of Nissan and ends with the month Adar. Pretty cool! You’ll love wearing this fancy schmancy Jewish Year necklace that will help you remember all the Jewish months and be extra excited about the new year!