Hanukkah

Making Holiday Graham Cracker Houses

This is one of my favourite Christmas crafts to do at a crafty playdate with toddlers. It's easy to prepare, inexpensive, and the moms enjoy decorating the houses as much as the little ones. 

 

Change this up for other holidays too; add blue and white candies with gold coins for Hanukkah, make a Valentine's Day house with cinnamon hearts and pink, red and white, etc. Use your imagination!

holiday graham cracker houses

 

You'll need:
7 graham crackers per house
1 cup of quick icing
ziploc bag
scissors
Assortment of candies for decorating
Ribbon (optional)
 
Make the icing by mixing 1 cup of icing sugar, 1 tbsp milk and 1/4 tsp of vanilla until smooth.

Fill the plastic ziploc bag with the icing. Use the scissors to cut 1/4" off the one of the corners. This small hole will be used to pipe the icing.

Pipe the icing along the edges of the graham crackers to glue the pieces together. Start by making the box (4 walls attached to a floor) and allow the icing to harden. Then pipe glue along the tops of two walls (opposite each other) and balance the roof (two graham crackers making an inverted V) on top, sealing the top seam. Allow to harden (1 hour to overnight.) (TIP: It helps to pipe the icing on both edges being glued together, and also to reinforce the seams.)

Now the fun part! Use the icing to decorate the houses and to stick on the candies.

Once your masterpiece is dry, you can put a ribbon through the roof and use it as a tree ornament!

 

submitted by momstown Victoria

Posted by momstown team on 11/29/2012 - 10:49
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5 ways to incorporate literacy into the holidays

momstown loves to incorporate literacy into as many activities as we can - and holidays are no different! We've got 10 different ways to incorporate literacy this Christmas season.

 

christmas literacy ideas

1. Find a new favourite reading spot. Whether you've got holiday books to open each day, or just placing favourite reads by the tree, it's a great way to encourage your children to pick up a book.

 

 

 

books as a gift2. Make books part of gift-giving. Take your kids to chose a book for a cousin's gift, buy a book for the class libary as a teacher present, or put a book on your own Christmas list.

 

 

s for snow3. Use the alphabet to inspire craft ideas - S is for Snowflake, R is for Rudolph, just some of the creative activities you can do with your kids this holiday.

 

 

 

advent abc4. Build an advent calendar using the ABC's. Design activities over the holiday break with a letter of the day theme! T for tobogganing, M for movie day, S for snowball fight... get your kids to contribute the ideas and practice their letter sound association.

 

letter to Santa5. Make writing letters to Santa or writing thank you notes after Christmas a family affair! Get out the coloured paper, fun holiday pencils, and practice those writing skills! Even the littlest kids can help sign their name to a card or colour a picture as a thank-you.

 

 

Posted by Teacher Mom on 12/13/2011 - 13:24
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Hanukkah craft round up

Thanks to all of the great craft bloggers who contributed to our Hanukkah linky party last week! We've got some great ideas to feature and share for Hanukkah decorating.

 

star of david mosaic 

Classified Mom shared this beautiful Star of David mosaic craft - I just love the colours! Imagine this in a window - gorgeous yet simple for little hands to make. Classfied Mom runs a Sunday Showcase link party every week - it's a great place for craft inspiration!

 

yarn wrapped hurricanes

 

A great Hanukkah centrepiece idea - yarn-wrapped hurricanes from Creative Jewish Mom. They are just gorgeous! This great blog runs the gamut from kids crafts to crafts for mom, to recycled crafts and DIY home decor - it's a great resource for all things creative.

 

homemade coasters

These homemade coasters in Hanukkah colours from Critters and Crayons are a wonderful gift idea! There's a great link party for homemade Christmas gifts going on on their blog right now.

 

stenciled bottlecap bracelet

Here's a unique idea from Condo Blues that could fit any holiday tradition - turning bottlecaps into a bracelet!

 

orange decorations

 

Another idea to fit with Hanukkah decorating are these dried orange decorations from Red Ted Art. Check out their blog for a weekly Kids Get Crafty linkup - full of creative and unique ideas each week!

 

We had some great ideas shared by Jewish Holidays in a Box on our link party too:

blue and white chains

Blue and White paper chains: You can use traditional blue and white papers -- or give them the whole range of colors to work with. It's fun, inexpensive, and lasts the whole holiday!

Image credit: Martha Stewart.com

silver and blue cookies

Also shared by Jewish Holidays in a Box: Even 2-year-olds love to make pre-baked cookies sparkle with blue and silver sprinkles, a cinnamon-and-sugar mixure, or (the classic) colored sugar made by stirring white sugar with a few drops of food coloring until it's a nice consistency. By four, kids can "paint" pre-baked cookies. Just use new, food-safe paint brushes, mix together egg yolk with a little water, divide that mixture into 3 or 4 small bowls, add a few drops of food coloring in each, and let the kids decorate away!


Thanks again to all who participated - happy Hanukkah!

Posted by Teacher Mom on 12/05/2011 - 09:50
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Star decoration for Christmas or Hanukkah

This easy to make star ornament could work for a Christmas or a Hanukkah decoration. This one is personalized with a school photo stuck in the middle.

 

star ornament

 

What you need:

  • Construction paper or cardstock
  • Picture of your child
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Raffia or ribbon for hanging
  • Decorations of any kind - we used buttons and stickers

Cut out two stars (double up the paper and cut them together so they are the same size. Cut a circular hole in one of the stars. Place the photo between the two stars so that the child's face is showing through. Glue the stars together.

Have your child decorate the star any way they would like. Punch a hole in the top and string ribbon or raffia through - hang on the tree or in a window for holiday decorating!

Posted by Teacher Mom on 11/29/2011 - 14:00
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Hanukkah craft link-up party

momstown's 3rd link party is here! This time, we're looking for your favourite Hanukkah crafts - especially easy and simple ones to do with toddlers and preschoolers! We'd love to see some of the great ideas out there!

menorah

Thanks for joining in the party!

 

 

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Posted by Teacher Mom on 11/27/2011 - 20:09
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Great kids books for Hanukkah

momstown is so proud to be partnering with Scholastic Canada - and we're thrilled that they've given us some great recommendations on Hannukah books for kids this season.

 

Hanukkah - A Counting Book  by Emily Sper

hanukkah counting bookGraphic, vibrant artwork and die-cuts in the shape of candles combine to create this informative and elegant book about one of the most joyous Jewish holidays. The symbols of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, are visually presented to stunning effect as young children learn to count in three different languages from one to eight. The importance of the menorah, shamash candle, dreidels, and more are explained in this simple retelling of the story of Hanukkah.

 

A Chanukah present - for ME!  by Lily Karr

chanukah presentA great miracle happened…and now it is time for a great celebration.A playful holiday book that mimics a wrapped gift box. With glitter and an embossed “bow,” this simple story highlights the most popular Chanukah icons and traditions. A perfect gift for one of the nights, or every night! 

 

 

On the First Night of Chanukah by Cecily Kaiser

on the first night of chanukahThis story introduces young children to the traditions of Chanukah through rhyming lyrics to a familiar tune! Gifts of latkes, gelt, dreidels, donuts, and more are hidden throughout every page, inviting children to read and sing this Chanukah version of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" again and again!

 

 

My Two Holidays by Danielle Novak

my two holidaysWhen Sam's classmates take turns talking about which holiday they celebrate, Sam becomes very nervous. Some people celebrate Christmas and some people celebrate Hanukkah. But Sam celebrates both! Written by a child psychologist, My Two Holidays offers comforting explanations that shine a light on how special it can be to celebrate two treasured holidays instead of one!

 

 

Thanks again to Scholastic Canada for their great suggestions!

Do you have a suggestion of your own? We'd love to hear it!

Posted by Teacher Mom on 11/20/2011 - 21:57
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