The Preschooler’s Busy Book (24 page)

When the pot is empty or only one token remains, every player puts one item in before the next player spins.
The game is over when one player has won everything and everyone else has nothing.

2.
Letters of the Hebrew alphabet also have number values, and older children may enjoy keeping score.
Noon equals 50, gimmel is 3, heh is 5, and shin is 300.
Each player in turn spins the dreidel and wins the number of points corresponding to the Hebrew letter that lands upright.

Since oil was an important part of the Temple rededication, eating foods cooked in oil has come to symbolize the victory of the Jews over their enemies.
This recipe will make about fifteen
latkes
(Yiddish for “pancake”).

Ingredients

5 medium potatoes

1 small onion

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Salad oil

Materials

Grater

Medium bowl

Sieve (to drain potatos)

Large frying pan

Slotted spatula

Tablespoon

1.
Grate the potatoes and onion and press out the extra liquid.

2.
Add the beaten eggs to the potato/onion mixture.

3.
Add the flour, salt, and pepper; mix well.

4.
Pour about ¼-inch salad oil into the bottom of a large frying pan.
Heat the oil, and keep it hot at medium to medium-high heat.
Be careful—the oil will splatter.

5.
Put batter by the tablespoon into the oil and press each with a slotted spatula to make a thin pancake.

6.
When the edges get brown, turn the latke over and cook the other side until golden brown and crisp.

7.
Serve warm with sour cream and applesauce.

Yellow, blue, and white construction paper

Pencil or marker

Ruler

Glue

Scissors

Draw two triangles (with two- to three-inch sides) on the yellow construction paper and have your child cut them out.
Show him how to make a Star of David by turning one triangle upside down, placing it on top of the other, and gluing them together.
Show your child how to make a chain with strips of white and blue construction paper (see Christmas Chain,
page 324
).
Glue the star to the chain to make a necklace or decoration.

Kwanzaa is a seven-day holiday celebrated since 1966 by African Americans.
Kwanzaa, which takes place each year from December 26th to January 1st, is based on the traditional African winter harvest festival and is not a religious holiday.
During this celebration, African Americans reflect upon the ending year and take pride in their African heritage.

Kwanzaa begins the day after Christmas, but the two celebrations are very different.
Kwanzaa, which means “first fruit,” celebrates the harvest and a way of life handed down by ancestors and parents.
Although special handmade gifts or educational games and books are exchanged, families emphasize values rather than gifts.
Kwanzaa celebrates seven principles, or values, one for each day of the Kwanzaa week.
The principles are
umoja
(unity),
kujichagulia
(self-determination),
ujima
(collective work and responsibility),
ujamaa
(cooperative economics),
nia
(purpose),
kuumba
(creativity), and
imani
(faith).
Children are a very important part of the celebration.
They light the Kinara (a special, seven-place candle holder), recite and talk about the principles, help prepare the special foods, and present music and dance shows.

On the last day of the holiday, family and friends are invited to attend the Kwanzaa Karamu (kah-RAH-moo).
Karamu means feast, and every guest brings food to share as a reminder of the way their African ancestors gathered together to share the fruits of their harvest.
The feast traditionally
includes greens—such as mustard, kale, and collards—black-eyed peas and rice, peanut dishes, okra, sweet potatoes, and cornbread.

In this section you will find a few simple recipes for foods that might be included in a Kwanzaa Karamu.
Try serving the food African style, with pillows or cushions arranged around low tables.

The woven mat, or mkeka (em-KAY-kah), is the mat on which the other Kwanzaa symbols rest.
The mkeka is a symbol of tradition and history.

Black, red, and green construction paper

Scissors

Glue or stapler

Fold black construction paper in half to make a frame for the mat.
Show your child how to cut from the folded edge to within one inch of the opposite side.
Make an even number of cuts about one inch apart across the entire width of the paper; unfold.
Cut one-inch strips of red and green construction paper the length of the frame’s width or slightly longer.
Show your child how to weave the red and green strips over and under the cuts in the frame.
Use glue or a stapler to secure the strips in place along the edge of the frame; trim if necessary.

The significant colors of Kwanzaa are black, red, and green: Black symbolizes the color of the people, red their continuing struggle, and green their hope for the future.

Paper

Red, green, and black crayons or markers

Divide a piece of drawing paper horizontally into three equal parts (either by drawing lines or by folding the paper into three equal sections).
Have your child color the top section red, the middle section black, and the bottom section green to create his own Kwanzaa flag.

Zawadi (zah-WAH-dee) are the gifts given as rewards for having lived according to the Kwanzaa values during the year.
Here is a simple way to make a necklace or bracelet that can be given as a zawadi gift.

Ziti noodles

Black, red, and green tempera paint (optional)

Paintbrushes

Glitter, large buttons, plastic beads (optional)

Shoelace, ribbon, or thin cord

Pine cone (optional)

Paint ziti noodles with tempera paint and sprinkle with glitter while the paint is still wet (or dye them using the Pasta Dye recipe,
page 364
).
When the paint is dry, thread the shoelace, ribbon, or cord through the noodles, buttons, and beads to create a unique necklace or bracelet.
You can also start with a pine cone or other interesting object tied onto the middle of the shoelace, ribbon, or cord, then thread the noodles, beads, or buttons on either side of the centerpiece in an attractive design.

This necklace can be given as a zawadi gift, or your child can make it for himself.

No-Bake Craft Clay (see
page 360
)

Animal cookie cutters (optional)

String or thread

Black satin cord

Have your child shape clay into African animals, such as elephants, lions, zebras, and giraffes.
If you like, use animal cookie cutters to make the shapes.
You can divide the clay into batches, and add food coloring for each animal.
Make a hole at the top of each animal shape for the thread.
Once the clay is dry, attach each animal to a black satin cord with string or thread, making a knot to keep each animal in place.

Ingredients

2 cups lettuce, shredded

1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

8 Greek olives, pitted and sliced

2 large oranges, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¹
/
₈
teaspoon salt

¹
/
₈
teaspoon pepper

Materials

Salad bowl and mixing utensils

Small bowl

1.
Combine the lettuce, onion, and olives in a salad bowl; mix until evenly distributed.

2.
Arrange orange slices on top.

3.
Mix oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl to make a salad dressing.
Pour dressing over salad and refrigerate until serving time.
Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 cups cream of rice cereal

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups mashed bananas

1 cup water

½ cup vegetable oil

Butter or margerine

Materials

Large mixing bowl

Mixer (optional)

8-by-12-inch or a 9-inch round cake

Spoon

1.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together (by hand or with a mixer) the cream of rice cereal, sugar, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg until well blended.