Ideas and resources
I am always looking for a great way to get my children to do their chores without me having to ‘communicate’ every step to them the entire time they are doing it. This chore chart/board looks like the perfect way to accomplish my goal, and I think even the 3 year old can understand it! Head on over to Rock it Like June Cleaver for her great post on how she made the chore chart, along with some great tips on how to have a successful chore-loving child! Could it be true?
If you want to teach kids the basics of Hanukkah in the classroom or at home, the picture book Hanukkah by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Rotem Teplow is a nice place to start.
The book explores the Jewish holiday through the eyes of Lior, a boy whose name means “my light” in Hebrew, which is appropriate for talking about the Festival of Lights.
The book goes through all the preparations the family does, including cleaning, setting the table and cleaning the menorah. It talks about what the menorah symbolizes and the Hanukkah story of the oil in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem lasting for eight days when it should have only been a one-day supply.
The meaning of the letters on the dreidel are also explored, in that when you are in Israel they have a different fourth word (the letters symbolize the Hebrew letters for “a great miracle happened there” or, in Israel, “a great miracle happened here”).
Because the story of Hanukkah involves oil, a lot of the foods that are eaten during the celebration are fried in oil, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (fried jelly doughnuts). Other foods mentioned include challah, noodle kugel and sour cream and applesauce, which are served with the latkes. Family and friends drop by to share their food, light their menorahs together and play dreidel (the game is explained in the story). It also talks about how the candles are lit through the eight days and what happens at the end of Hanukkah.
The book includes Hanukkah blessings in English and Hebrew and talks about the lunar cycle of the Hebrew calendar, which is why Hanukkah is sometimes celebrated in November and sometimes in December. It also talks about why Jewish holidays are celebrated beginning at sunset rather than in the morning.
Other topics covered include Hanukkah greetings; how to spell Hanukkah; how to make an edible menorah and an tzedakah box (to collect money for charity); recipes for latkes and applesauce; and a more detailed story of Hanukkah than is included within the story of the book. There’s also a quiz to see how well you were paying attention.
This sweet little book is a quick read and a cute overview of the basics of Hanukkah and what the symbols, foods and games mean. It’s a great book for classrooms or at home for sharing basic knowledge.
About the book: 48 pages, hardcover. Published 2024 by words & pictures, suggested retail price $14.99.
Great chore board!! Colorful and fun. I do something similar, but a bit simpler and smaller. I have two sons. I have four library pockets on the fridge. One pair for each son. Each morning/throughout the day, I place flash cards in their library pockets of things they need to do before they go to bed. Once completed, the cards go into their “completed” pocket. It is their responsibility at the end of the day to bring me their completed cards pocket and we go check out their work together. If they don’t bring the cards to me, they don’t get credit. (Just as if an employee doesn’t punch in or out his/her time card-they may not get paid). If they whine or complain, or don’t do the chore to acceptable (not perfect) standards, they redo the chore and receive no $ for the chore. At the end of the week they get receive their “Commission.” For a job done above and beyond, they can receive a bonus (extra $). They can also earn no money and have to pay “Mom” back with extra chores or lost electronic time if they did a poor job or had a poor attitude.
Just thought I’d share as I know sharing helps others find a plan that works for them. 🙂
That’s another great idea! Thanks for sharing…perhaps that’s a good way to start out since my kids are so young:)