5 Jewish Inspired Craft Projects For The Kids
One great way to get the kids more involved and aware of their Jewish faith is with craft projects. After all, your kids are used to learning about subjects at school, mostly by being told what they’re all about.
By simply telling your child about the Jewish religion or reading passages of the Torah to them, however, you risk their faith becoming “just another subject” to learn about. And if your child is already used to switching off at school, the chances are they’ll switch off at home too!
Crafts gives kids a way to get hands on with the Jewish faith, which gets them far more enthusiastic about learning as a result. So what kind of crafts projects can you introduce? Well, we’ve concocted a list of our five favourites to get your child learning and having fun at the same time:
DIY Tzit Tzit
Tzit tzits are essentially tangled strings that are tied to the corners of a Jewish prayer shawl – or a tallit. They are also perfect as a crafts project, as they’re not too difficult to make, and your child can have fun picking out their favourite colours and learning the intricate way in which to tie them.
Create Your Own Candles
Nearly every Jewish household will have a pair of beautiful silver candlesticks on the table, ready for every Shabbat and every holiday which is coming up in the Jewish year. A great way to utilise them, however, is by getting your own candle-making kit and creating your own to put in the holders. Don’t worry if you yourself don’t know how to make candles! This can be a fun project for both you and your child to get into, and it’ll be well worth it when the time for lighting the candles comes.
Paint Your Own Hamsa
The beautiful thing about hamsas is that they often come in different interpretations and colours. Purchasing – or making – a wooden hamsa, therefore, gives your child the opportunity to get their creativity into gear and paint their very own version. This can then be hung on the door of their room or even displayed on a wall somewhere in the home.
Bake Your Own Hamantaschen Cookies
Yes, yes, this isn’t technically arts and crafts, but it’s pretty close! Hamantaschen cookies are designed in such a way that they might as well be a crafts project. Not to mention, you and your child get the chance to eat what you make by the time you’re finished. It’s a win-win!
Cut Your Own Shavuot Flowers
Flowers and greenery play a big part during the shavuot celebrations. One great way to take advantage of this is trying out a bit of origami with your child. Simply fold and cut out a line of roses, colour them in, and then you can hang them like bunting around your home. This is the perfect way to get your child actively involved with the holiday, and they will definitely feel a sense of accomplishment and pride when they see their own efforts as part of the celebrations.
