The Preschooler’s Busy Book (23 page)

Glue

Scissors

Glue Christmas cards onto heavy paper or cardboard.
When dry, cut into puzzles.
The puzzle can be very simple and consist of only one card, or it can be more complicated, with two or more cards overlapping to make patterns and designs.

Cardboard or three small paper plates

Felt scraps

Glue

Cotton balls (optional)

Paint or markers

Stapler

Scissors

Cut three circles of increasing size from small paper plates or cardboard.
Staple the circles together; one plate is the snowman’s head and two make his body.
Glue on cotton balls if you like.
Cut out a scarf, buttons, features, and hat from felt scraps and glue them on the snowman.
If you don’t use cotton balls, paint the face with paint or markers, then glue on the accessories.

Egg carton

Scissors

Yarn, string, or ribbon

Jingle bells

Glue (optional)

Glitter (optional)

Paint (optional)

Aluminum foil (optional)

Cut an egg carton into individual sections; paint, decorate with glitter, or cover with a small square of aluminum foil.
Make a small hole in the top of each egg cup.
Cut yarn, string, or ribbon into six-inch lengths, and poke one end through the hole in the top of each egg cup.
Thread the bottom piece of string through a jingle bell and back up through the hole at the top of the cup.
Knot the ends.
Hang on doorknobs (you may need a longer length of string) or on the tree as Christmas tree ornaments.

Large green poster board

Small yellow poster board

Scissors

Large colored clothespins or plastic paper clips

Glue

Hole punch

Ribbon

Heavy tape (optional)

Cut a green triangle and a yellow star out of poster board.
Glue the star to the top of the green triangle.
Glue paper clips or clothespins onto the green triangle Christmas tree.
When dry, punch a hole through the poster board where the tree and star meet.
Loop a ribbon through the hole and tie a knot.
Hang on a hook on the wall, or use heavy tape to attach it to the refrigerator or your child’s bedroom door.
Attach the Christmas cards you receive to the paper clips or clothespins.
(Try adapting this idea for other occasions: Make a Valentine holder by gluing clips onto a big heart cut from red poster board, or glue clips onto a large number “4” to hold cards from your child’s fourth birthday.)

Bag of lollipops

Styrofoam cone

Scissors

Divide a bag of lollipops into three groups; one group will be used for the bottom of the tree, one for the middle, and one for the top.
Set aside the group for the bottom; cut the sticks of the remaining groups medium length for the middle of the tree, and short for the top of the tree.
Show your child how to poke the lollipops into a small Styrofoam cone to make a lollipop tree.

Square of plain or construction paper

Scissors

Tape

Can of spray-on artificial snow

Fold a square piece of paper into quarters, then fold it into a triangle.
Cut small shapes along the folded edges, unfold, and tape the snowflake stencil to a window.
Spray over the snowflake with artificial snow, then remove it to see the design on the window.

Hanukkah, the most joyous and festive of all Jewish holidays, lasts eight days and takes place in December, sometimes early and sometimes late in the month.

Hanukkah, which means “dedication,” was first celebrated more than 2,000 years ago.
At that time, the Jewish people had just regained control of Judea, their homeland, after many years of repression by cruel foreign kings.
Their beloved Temple of Jerusalem, the most important building in Jerusalem and a symbol of God’s presence, was not fit for worship.
The Jewish people worked hard to restore the Temple and make it pure and sacred once more.
Finally it was ready for rededication, but only enough holy oil was found for the Temple menorah to burn for one day.
The menorah was lit, the priests rededicated the Temple to God, and the people rejoiced.
But their rejoicing was greater still when the oil lasted for eight days instead of one!
This is why Hanukkah is also called the Festival of Lights, and why the main focus of the celebration is the lighting of candles every day for eight days on the menorah, a special nine-branch candleholder.

Every year Jews all over the world celebrate Hanukkah.
Families gather to light the Hanukkah menorah, remember their ancestors’ historic struggle for religious freedom, and recite blessings of thanks to God.
Family members exchange gifts, eat special foods, play games, and retell the story of Hanukkah.

A menorah consists of nine candles, one for each day of Hanukkah, and one, called the shammash, used to light the other candles.

9 empty thread spools

Playdough

Large birthday candles

Aluminum foil (optional)

Make a Hanukkah menorah using nine empty thread spools to hold the candles.
If the candles are a little loose, use some playdough to make them fit snugly.
If you want to make the menorah more festive, cover the spools with aluminum foil.

Since a menorah can be any shape or size, use your imagination.
Your preschooler can insert candles into playdough or modeling clay that he has shaped into a pleasing design.
Try standing candles in a shoe box lid filled with sand, or drill holes for the candles in a tree branch or an interesting piece of driftwood.

Note:
Traditionally, you should light your menorah every day and use new candles each time.
You will need forty-four candles in total for each menorah you light.
Special packages of Hanukkah candles are available during this time of year.

Ingredients

Rolled cookie dough

Materials

Paper and pencil

Scissors

Plastic knife

1.
Make a batch of dough for Cookie Cutouts (
page 70
), sugar cookies, gingerbread, or other rolled cookies.
Chill.

2.
While the dough chills, draw some traditional Hanukkah shapes on paper and cut them out.
Some shapes you can try are a Star of David (six-pointed star), a candle, a hammer (the Jews who recaptured their homeland were called Maccabees or “hammerers”), or an elephant (used by the Syrians in their battle with the Jews).

3.
Place the paper shapes on the rolled dough and cut around them with a knife.
(Your preschooler will be able to use a plastic knife to cut around simple shapes.)

Dreidel is the name of both the small spinning top used to play this game and of the game itself.
Follow these directions to make your own dreidel, then read on for some fun dreidel games.

Small, square milk or juice carton

Plain paper

Tape

Piece of ¼-inch dowel or unsharpened pencil

Pen or marker

Flatten the top of a milk or juice carton and tape it securely.
Cover the box with plain paper.
On each side, write one of the Hebrew characters shown above, or simply write the letters N, G, H, and S.
Push the dowel or pencil through from top to bottom and spin.
(The Hebrew characters are the letters shin, hay, gimmel, and noon.
These are the first letters in the four words of the Hebrew message
nes gadol hayah sham
, read right to left, which means “A great miracle happened there.”)

Homemade or store-bought dreidel

Pennies, dried beans, raisins, or other tokens for each player

1.
Each player puts one item from his pile of tokens into the center, making a pile called the pot.
The first player spins the dreidel; the letter that comes up determines what to do: