When you’re searching for Rosh Hashanah crafts for kids, you might hit some limitations. I like to think of Rosh Hashanah crafting as adapted classic crafts, and for that reason, today I’m sharing a fun origami apple craft.

Don’t celebrate Rosh Hashanah? Don’t worry! Make origami apples for fall, back to school, or whatever you’d like! You can use these to add a bit of dimension to a classroom bulletin board, apple tree, basket, or whatever you’re creating.

We love making origami because of how affordable and accessible it is! If you don’t have a fully stocked craft room, a pack of colored paper is an easy item to have handy. And don’t worry if you’re not a pro! The step-by-step photo tutorial is beginner-friendly

A few years ago, I shared an origami pomegranate that I turned into a banner with another apple tutorial. That one used a simply hexagon with a leaf added to give the impression of an apple. This is the next level: an actual origami apple.

How to adapt an origami apple for Rosh Hashanah

Since I’m sharing this in honor of Rosh Hashanah, but it’s not strictly a Rosh Hashanah craft, I figured I’d share a few ways to turn it Rosh Hashanah themed

Since we generally speaking eat apples with honey on the holiday, to celebrate a sweet new year, the best way to adapt it is to add a honey drip! Here are a few ways to do it.

1. Cut out a drip from a transparent yellow plastic divider or similar.
2. Use yellow puffy paint – bonus points if you can find one that is transparent like honey!
3. Or, go for yellow colored glue.
4. When you complete your apple origami, lay it face down (so it’s flat) on yellow paper and use that to trace and cut a honey drip that’ll align with the end.
5. Simply add a drip with marker! Use paint markers or something else that’ll show on the paper, since you’re coloring light over dark.

Want to make your Tishrei prep easier, your holiday table more beautiful, and your kids’ happier and busier? Get the printable Tishrei bundle today for 65% off the full value! It’s full of loads of planners, coloring pages, sukkah decor, as well as cool table decorations and place cards!

Origami is a fabulous starter point for carfts where you might have otherwise just cut out a flat shape. Use it on Shana Tovah cards, string it into a garland (if you first secure it by gluing the folds down). Create a border for a bulletin board, make it in different sizes to create a “gallery” wall, glue them onto bifold cards as place cards, glue them onto strips of paper to turn into napkin rings…

The possibilities are endless! When you’re done, check out more Rosh Hashanah crafts!

What you need

• Colored craft papers or origami paper
• Scissors
• Glue or glue dots
• Optional: markers

How to Make an Origami Apple

1. Choose a paper for your apple. If it’s not a square origami paper, cut it into a square.

2. Fold the paper in half vertically.

3. Fold the paper in half again, horizontally.

4. Unfold the last horizontal fold. This will leave a crease along the middle. Your paper should be held horizontally.

5. Fold the paper into thirds and unfold.

6. Work on the right side first. Bring the right 1/3 mark crease to the halfway mark crease and fold down.

7. Repeat on the left side. Bring the left 1/3 mark crease to the halfway crease and fold down.

8. Flip your origami over to the other side.

9. Fold down about 1/5 of the way from the top.

10. Open up this last fold on the left side, keeping the middle portion folded.

11. Flatten the left side (that little triangle that forms when you unfold it) of the middle portion.

12. Repeat on the right side. Unfold the top fold keeping the center folded, and flatten the triangle.

13. Fold the bottom up, a little shorter than the top (about 1/6 of the way up.)

14. Unfold the right and left sides keeping the center folded the same way you did with the top – making sure that the part where the sides overlap the center gets flattened neatly into a triangle.

15. Fold in the top corners until the horizontal crease.

16. Fold the bottom corners a little more than you did the top.

17. Flip the origami pattern to the right side. Trace and cut out a stem and a leaf from the correct colored papers.

18. Glue on your stem and leaf.

Your origami apple is complete! What will you be making with yours? Comment below!

Origami Apple Easy Kid Craft

Print

Materials

• Colored craft papers (NOT cardstock) or
• Origami paper
• Optional: markers

Tools

• Scissors
• Glue or
• Glue dots

Instructions

1. Choose a paper for your apple. If it's not a square origami paper, cut it into a square.

2. Fold the paper in half vertically.

3. Fold the paper in half again, horizontally.

4. Unfold the last horizontal fold. This will leave a crease along the middle. Your paper should be held horizontally.

5. Fold the paper into thirds and unfold.

6. Work on the right side first. Bring the right 1/3 mark crease to the halfway mark crease and fold down.

7. Repeat on the left side. Bring the left 1/3 mark crease to the halfway crease and fold down.

8. Flip your origami over to the other side.

9. Fold down about 1/5 of the way from the top.

10. Open up this last fold on the left side, keeping the middle portion folded.

11. Flatten the left side (that little triangle that forms when you unfold it) of the middle portion.

12. Repeat on the right side. Unfold the top fold keeping the center folded, and flatten the triangle.

13. Fold the bottom up, a little shorter than the top (about 1/6 of the way up.)

14. Unfold the right and left sides keeping the center folded the same way you did with the top - making sure that the part where the sides overlap the center gets flattened neatly into a triangle.

15. Fold in the top corners until the horizontal crease.

16. Fold the bottom corners a little more than you did the top.

17. Flip the origami pattern to the right side. Trace and cut out a stem and a leaf from the correct colored papers.

18. Glue on your stem and leaf.

Your origami apple is complete!

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

The post Origami Apple appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) tradition is to reach out to family and friends, often via greeting cards, and wish them a sweet new year. We also eat apples and honey to symbolize this. This adorable apple card craft is perfect for kids to make for their parents!

I designed a few versions of this template so that you can customize it how you want. I crafted mine as a folded photo card from colored card stock, however, you can adapt the template to suit your needs.

The free printable template is a PDF. I also have it bundled with an SVG for machine cutting in my Etsy shop.

While this apple card craft is easy enough for kids (especially if you help them cut) it’s totally cute and fun for adults to make for family and friends! You can add a little texture by making the leaves from crepe paper, use a classier red, or even a patterned scrapbook paper.

A few ways to make this apple card craft

Here are some variations of the apple card craft for kids:

• The honey drip is perfect for Rosh Hashanah. If you’re making it for something else, just skip it. I used a plastic divider for a translucent drip. You can make it more simply with cardstock (it’ll also be easier to glue.)
• Color and craft – If you’re creating this with younger children in class, you can use the PDF template as a coloring page. Print it on card stock. Have kids color the apple parts (or get fancy with Do a Dot markers). Assemble.
• Non-photo craft – The SVG file comes with and without a hole for the photo. On the PDF you can simply not cut out the hole. Then use as a regular apple-shaped card. Or simply paste a circular photo on the outside to have more space to write inside.
• Flat card – You can also cut off the second half (just round out the fold lines, as they’re flat) to make a flat card or a simple photo frame.
• Choose your stem – I used a clothespin to close it. You can use a piece of craft stick, a small twig, or cut a rectangle from paper. It’ll also be sturdier with a full-sized clothespin, rather than the mini one that I used. The proportion will be slightly less realistic.
• Horizontal vs vertical fold – I made the template with both vertical and horizontal fold versions. The horizontal has an extra closing tab (I used hook and loop dots for that) because gravity won’t keep it closed.

As a final finishing touch, I added a magnet to the stem, so that it doubles as a fridge frame and a gift.

You can even ditch the back of the card and use the template to make a simple frame.

And finally, I placed the photo on the inside of the card. This means that you have it showing on the outside, and as part of the interior of the card. If you’d like more space to write your messages, simply glue the photo on the reverse side of the circle but on that half.

Involving younger kids more in this apple card

It’s often a struggle for toddler and preschool teachers to involve kids in a more significant way.

I did share above that you can use the template printed on cardstock as a coloring page to create the final card, instead of cutting the parts from card stock.

If you’re a Cricuting teacher, you can cut them from white cardstock on the Cricut and have the kids color and glue it together.

Preschoolers can write their own name, copy “Shana Tovah” or another new year message. They can write their messages with alphabet stickers. They might not be able to cut perfectly, but the scissors skills are great fine motor practice.

And you can have them glue a circle photo on the front of the card instead of cutting out the hole.

Assembling the parts with a clothespin adds a fine motor element – just be careful with magnets when working with toddlers. I’d avoid the super strong magnets as they are incredibly dangerous for kids. You can back the card with magnet sheet instead.

Download your apple card template

The PDF is available as a freebie for subscribers for personal and classroom use.

Download your free template! It’ll arrive right in your inbox. By downloading, you’re subscribing to our FREE newsletter with updates on cool printables like this, ideas to simplify Jewish life, and more. Unsubscribe at any time at the bottom my emails. I respect your privacy and the law, and won’t share or sell your email address.

Want the SVG? Get it bundled with the PDF, with limited commercial use (sales of up to 200 finished cards) tossed in too!

What you need to make this apple & honey card

• Cardstock – I used this one from Michaels
• Optional: Clear divider in yellow
• Mini clothespin (or large one, craft stick, etc)
• Photo – I printed it on sticker paper on the HP Sprocket, my favorite for crafts like this
• Glue – tacky glue is great for this, if using divider for the honey you’ll need something more like double sided tape.
• For horizontal card: hook and loop dots
• Optional: magnets – I recommend magnetic strips, although I just used what I had handy.

Hand cutting:

• Pencil to trace template
• Scissors

Machine cutting:

• Cricut machine
• Standard Grip Mat
• Fine Point Blade
• Optional: Scoring wheel (for Maker machines)
• Brayer
• Spatula

How to make an apple card craft

1. Cut out all your parts. To cut by hand, simply cut out the template parts, trace on the correct color cardstock, and cut out. For Cricut: upload the card, resize if you’d like. Score if you’d like, or remove the score lines, and send to cut. Use a brayer to make sure your material is adhered well to your mat. A spatula can help you remove the parts without tearing.

2. Glue magnets to the back of the clothespin

3. Glue a leaf to the front. For younger kids, a large clothespin will be easier to use.

4. Glue the honey drip to the front of the card.

3. Fold your card in half. Glue the photo to the inside in the correct position for the photo to show through the circle.

4. Clip on the clothespin. It’ll need to be removed to open the card. Close your card with hook and loop if you’re making the horizontal version.

Your apple card craft for kids is complete! Who will you be crafting this with? Comment below!

Want a ready-to-go printable card for rosh hashanah? Check out my rosh hashanah cards here!

The post Apple Card Craft for Kids appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

If you’re looking for fun ways to teach the Aleph Bet in a creative and kid-friendly fashion, these Aleph Bet Animal coloring pages are perfect for you!

And I decided to share a single coloring page featuring all the letters as a free download to thank my subscribers!

The coloring book features each animal letter on a separate page and is available for purchase as a printable here.

The free printable is a single coloring page (that also comes with your coloring book) as a sampler/single use page and is available as a free download later in this post (look for the form that has a photo of the coloring page). It’s fabulous for use at preschool orientations, when you are introducing the beginning of learning aleph-bet, or as post-learning review.

To make the aleph bet coloring book more accessible for different needs, the download comes with three versions:

• Hebrew only (with a Hebrew cover – the main text only)
• Hebrew with English translation (English cover)
• And finally, Hebrew-English translated, plus the transliteration so you know how to pronounce the Hebrew words.

How to teach the Aleph Bet with these coloring pages

While young kids love to color, and that alone is a fun way to create these, you can also use it in other ways! Why stop at simply coloring?

The full sized coloring pages can be created as standalone crafts as each letter is learned. If you print it on cardstock, cut out the letters and add elements to the coloring pages (googly eyes, glitter glue, feathers, craft fur, leaves….) you can make each page more of a craft.

The animals featured in the Aleph Bet Coloring Pages

Here’s a full rundown of the Aleph Bet animals that I illustrated. My goal was to use animals that aren’t just translations but are spoken Hebrew, and recognizable (as much as possible) to Hebrew speaking children. So while some letters (Hay – Hippopatam) are very similar to the English, most Israeli kids will know it.

• א – Aryeh Lion – אריה
• ב – Boash Skunk – בואש
• ג – Gamal Camel – גמל
• ד – Devorah Bee – דבורה
• ה – Hippopotam Hippopotamus – היפופוטם
• ו – Vardit Sinai – Sinai Rose Finch – ורדית סיני
• ז – Ze’ev – Wolf – זאב
• ח – Chatul Cat – חתול
• ט – Tavas Peacock – טווס

• י – Yanshuf Owl – ינשוף
• כ – Kelev Dog – כלב
• ל – Livyatan Whale – לוויתן
• מ – Meduza Jellyfish – מדוזה
• נ – Nachash Snake – נחש
• ס – Sus Horse – סוס
• ע – Ayit Vulture – עיט

• פ – Peel Elephant – פיל
• צ – Tzav Turtle – צב
• ק – Kof Monkey – קוף
• ר – Re’em Oryx – ראם
• ש – Shafan Bunny – שפן
• ת – Tanin Crocodile – תנין

The name of each animal is on each page, offering a double lesson for your child! Even older kids can enjoy coloring these as you

Download the free printable Aleph Bet coloring page

Download your free coloring page! It’ll arrive right in your inbox. By downloading, you’re subscribing to our FREE newsletter with updates on cool printables like this, ideas to simplify Jewish life, and more. Unsubscribe at any time at the bottom my emails. I respect your privacy and the law, and won’t share or sell your email address.

More images + Get the Aleph Bet Coloring Book

Here are a few more images of the coloring book:

And the single coloring page:

The post Aleph Bet Coloring Page – Free Printable appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

As you can see in my photos, my apple honey dish did NOT come out perfect – and that’s okay. If you want a food focused apples and honey idea, check out my apple honey dish made from actual apples.

If I would have sat over it for an hour, smoothing it out, cutting it to shape, it would have maybe looked much better but I don’t have that kind of patience, and my goal is to design a craft that anyone can easily repeat. So the craft that you see here is a simple, doable project that almost anyone can create, even without advanced crafting skills.

I used air dry clay in a terra cotta color. I don’t necessarily recommend using that color – white is really the best way to go. Because I was planning on painting this I just decided to use up the terra cotta stuff I had purchased by mistake.

I painted it with acrylic paints – a berry red for the main pot and a brushed metallic bronze for the stem, as well as a color shift metallic green for the leaf. I am a Plaid ambassador for my main blog Moms & Crafters and the above paints were provided to me free of charge in case I’ll craft with them and share.

I also decided to give Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge a go on this one. The thing is, it takes 28 days to cure. Yep, you heard right. It takes 28 freaking days to completely cure. If you don’t have that kind of time, use a quicker hardening clay sealer  – it just won’t be dishwasher safe. Make sure to use something water resistant so that it can wipe clean.

Note: if you miss a single spot with the dishwasher safe mod podge, your project will melt when you put it in the dishwasher. I still recommend it for hand washing, but do be warned that you’ll want to test it and make sure you catch ever single spot before putting it in your dishwasher.

As for actually using it:

• The Mod Podge is not FDA approved food grade, however it is non-toxic. So I wouldn’t recommend putting honey directly into the dish. I plan to cut a plastic cup down to size and filling that (I designed it to fit around a plastic cup), but the fact that it’s dishwasher safe and/or wipeable means you can drip away…
• I don’t know about the paints I used. It’s probably NOT food grade either, but it is likely non-toxic. Definitely look for non-toxic paints with your red paint.
• The same applies for the clay – it’s labeled nontoxic but it’s unlikely to be food grade either.
• You can design it to fit anything – a small shot glass, a glass dish. It’s really mean to be purely decorative.

With the dry time needed, this project will need a few days to complete because of the cure and dry time of the various components. Each step doesn’t take very long, but you’ll need to start this a week or so before it needs to be completed.

What you need to make an apple honey dish:

• Air dry clay
• A cup or bowl of water
• Acrylic paint
• Sealer, such as Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge (outdoor Mod Podge will be water resistant but not dishwasher safe, and is a good choice if you need a faster cure time, or don’t want a high gloss finish)
• Soft bristle paint brush
• Something to protect your surface
• Optional: clay shaping and carving tools/knife

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How to make an apple honey dish:

Grab a ball of clay and knead it to soften it to make it easier to work with.

Pinch your clay into a roundish jar shape. Make sure it’ll fit around whatever you’ll be using for your honey. Make sure the bottom is flat so that it will sit properly on a surface. Expect minimal shrinkage.

Dip your fingers into water and use wet hands to smooth your clay. Work with it as much as you’d like – there’s beauty in imperfection! You can cut the top so that it’s totally flat or leave it as I did.

Make a flat circle of clay to fit on top of your jar.

Use two separate pieces of clay to make a cylinder stem shape that’s thick enough to serve as a handle for your lid. Make a leaf shape too.

Use water to help you attach these shapes to your lid. Allow your apple honey dish to cure completely according to package instructions before proceeding.

When it’s completely cured, paint your jar. Do this one side at a time – allow it to dry before flipping and painting the other side. Paint a couple of layers if you need it, allowing it to cure completely between layers.

Paint your stem in a brown or bronze color and paint your leaf green.

When all layers of paint have dried completely, paint on your first layer of Mod Podge. Allow it to dry to the touch between layers and then paint another coat. Repeat with a third coat.  (it does not need to cure completely for a fresh layer to be added).

When your apple honey jar is completely cured, it’s ready to use!

What a fun addition to the family’s Rosh Hashanah table!

Who will you be making this apple honey dish for? Will you be giving it as a gift? Comment below!

The post Apple Honey Dish – DIY Pinch Pot appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

I absolutely love gluing wooden beads together to make different shapes. It’s my own “made up hobby” and I’ve tried this craft in different contexts – mainly when I just want a simple shape that’s lightweight and durable.

I made these easy DIY aleph bet magnets for my boys. For starters, I made the letters aleph through hey, and I may continue on the the rest as M learns them next year (he can already recognize them, but can’t read them.) You can make just a few, write out your child’s name in Hebrew, write a specific word, or do the entire aleph bet.

The magnets I used are NOT toddler-safe. They are very dangerous if ingested. The glue I used – E6000 – glues it on very securely. With my original Tetris magnets, they have not come off with continued play (and I made those three years ago…) So they are secure, but you should still:

1. Not give these to a child who still mouthes his or her toys (the beads are also a choking hazard if swallowed). I recommend them for ages 4+ but obviously you need to know your child and what his or her habits are.
2. Make sure that the magnets are secure when giving them to your child to play.
3. Supervise!

Please note: I no longer recommend neodymium magnets for homes with kids. Use strip magnets instead. 

You can either use these aleph-bet magnets as a decoration for your fridge and a toy that kids can play on your metal appliances, or you can place them in a metal tin to be used as a toy on the go.

You can use it as a teaching tool to teach your kids how to spell in Hebrew.

It’s perfect for the 4+ age range regardless of the magnets, because that’s when they’re usually learning and recognizing the Hebrew alphabet.

What you need to make your own Aleph Bet magnets :

• Wooden cube beads (I used 10mm colorful ones – you can use wood-toned ones, smaller ones, larger ones…)
• Glue: I used wood glue for the beads and E6000 for the magnets but you can use E6000 for both if you prefer. I used the wood glue because I had it anyway and it’s easier to control.
• Magnets – Use something larger, such as strip magnets.

How to make your own Aleph Bet magnets:

1. Arrange your beads in the right shapes! You can attach flat sides together, or attach half a side to half a side (see the “legs” of the aleph and the back leg of the gimmel).

2. Glue your  wooden beads in place part by part and allow them to dry completely.

3. When it’s dry, glue magnets to the back and allow them to dry completely.

Your Aleph Bet magnets are complete and ready to be played with!

Who will you be making these aleph bet magnets for? Comment below!

More Aleph-Bet resouces and toys:

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The post Make Your Own Aleph Bet Magnets appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

*Edited 5-18-2020 to add FREE PRINTABLE Aleph Bais Show and Tell Ideas list. See end of post to download!

Countless times, I see posted on online forums, Facebook Mommy groups, and asked among my friends “what should I send for show and tell for the letter Samach? For Lamed?” Every time I have the question, I wished there was a list that I could check when I was rushing last minute to send something with my son or daughter to school.

After doing a lot of Google searches and coming up empty, I knew I had to create one on my own.

One of my pet peeves when it comes to show and tell is when children bring in toys that start with the same sound as the Hebrew letter, but in fact are words from the English language. A huge part of learning Ivrit is about the letters, the sounds and how they play out in the Hebrew language.

For young toddlers a toy or item that really has the sound coming from the ABCs isn’t a big deal since they really don’t know the difference. But for preschoolers, it makes a huge difference. Giving them a solid foundation in the Hebrew language will make all the difference for all their schooling in the future.

I’m sure some of you are laughing at me right now, saying “Show and Tell isn’t that big a deal. So what?” It may seem like a silly game that teachers play to pass the time, but as someone who was once a teacher myself, show and tell is another form of reinforcement with the Aleph Bais letters your child is learning. It gets the kids involved and excited and is an all-important part of learning in the classroom.

That’s why this list has all Hebrew or Yiddish words for every letter of the Aleph Bais. Some have more options and some have less, so if you have any suggestions for the words that are lacking, please reach out and let me know!

Show and Tell Ideas for the Aleph Bais

The goal of this list, aside from everything being a word in either Hebrew or Yiddish, was to make it easy for you to find things around the house to send to school, without stress. All the items are either household items, toys or food. When sending food to school, be sure that it is nut-free or allergen friendly in accordance with school policies.

Aleph

• Aryeh (toy lion)
• Aviron (toy airplane)
• Agas (pear)
• Abba & Ima (send in pictures!)
• Esrog (great for when show and tell for the letter Aleph comes out right after Sukkos!)

Beis

• Bubah (doll)
• Bayit (house- send in a drawing of a house, a picture of your house, etc.)
• Bisli or Bamba (beware of allergies!)
• Banana
• Beged (send in doll clothes or real!)
• Barvas (duck- a rubber duckie from the bath is perfect!)
• Bakbuk (bottle- send in a water bottle or a baby bottle, whatever you have on hand!)

Gimmel

• Glidah (ice cream- the fake ice cream that comes in many kitchen sets is great!)
• Gamal (camel- if you have a play animal set at home!)
• Gezer (carrot)
• Garbayim (socks- mismatched and colorful will have all the kids laughing.)
• Gelt (send in some fake money or a few real pennies.)

Daled

• Dov (teddy bear or gummy bears)
• D’vash (honey)
• Duvdavon (cherries or cherry candies would work well)
• Dag (fish- more specifically, jelly fish!)
• Daysah (oatmeal)
• Degel (flag)

Hey

• Havdalah (send in b’samim or a havdalah candle)
• Hatzalah (send in a toy ambulance truck)
• Hamantashen
• Hagaddah

Vav

• Vered (rose)
• Varod (anything pink!)

Zayin

• Zayis (olives)
• Zanav (any animal figurine or stuffed animal with a tail)
• Zeidy (send in a picture of Zeidy)
• Zahav (send in something gold)

Ches

• Halva
• Chumash
• Challah
• Chanukiyah (a.k.a. a menorah)
• Chum (anything brown!)
• Chultzah (shirt)
• Chidah (puzzle)

Tes

• Tallis (this teddy in a tallis is adorable)
• Tichel
• Telephone

Yud

• Yarmulka
• Yerakot (vegetables)
• Yarok (anything green!)
• Yerushalayim (a picture or keepsake from Jerusalem would be beautiful.)

Kof

• Kifafot (gloves)
• Kovah (hat)
• Kaf (spoon)
• Karit (pillow)
• Kesef (money)
• Kador (ball)
• Kos (cup)
• Kachol (something blue)
• Kallah (a picture of a bride or a veil)

Lamed

• Lavan (something white)
• Lulav
• Leveinah (bricks- LEGO or DUPLO or anything similar)

Mem

• Mezonos (crackers, pasta, cookies)
• Mitz (a juice box)
• Melafafon (cucumber)
• Mayim ( a water bottle)
• Matzah
• Melech (salt)
• Mazleg (fork)
• Menorah
• Me’il (coat)

Nun

• Ner (candle)
• Netilas Yadayim (a negel vasser cup)
• Na’alayim (shoes)
• Nachash (toy snake)

Samach

• Siddur
• Sukariyot (candies)
• S’vivon (dreidel)
• Sefer (any sort of book)
• Segol (anything purple)

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Ayin

• Ugiyot (cookies)
• Agvaniah (tomato)
• Anavim (grapes)
• Adashim (lentils)
• Eparon (pencil)
• Et (pen)

Peh

• Parah (cow- also from an animal set. It can be very useful to have toy animals at home.)
• Perach (flowers)
• Parsha book
• Pe’ah (an old wig from the dress up box)

Tzaddi

• Tz’vaim (crayons)
• Tzimukim (raisins)
• Tzadik (a picture of a learned man)
• Tzalachat (a plate)
• Tzatzu’ah (toys)

Kuf

• Katan (something small)
• Kufsah (box)

Reish

• Ra’ash (something noisy, like one of those electronic toys that never shut off)
• Rechev (toy vehicle)

Shin

• Shokolad (chocolate- yes, please!)
• Shachor (anything black)
• Shofar (if you have a toy shofar, this is great for show and tell)
• Sha’on (a clock or watch)

Tuf

• Torah (the classic plush Torah toy)
• Tefillah (prayer- a siddur would work well)
• Tavlinim (spices)

Download your free printable Show and Tell Aleph Bais Ideas List here:

If the form below isn’t loading, click here to go to the download page.

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Show and tell can be a lot of fun for kids, but a bit stress-inducing for Mommies. (Especially when the note is sent home the day before!) Don’t let it stress you out! Just bookmark this page and reference it every week for the new Aleph Bais letter.

What is your favorite go-to to grab for Show and Tell?

The post Show and Tell Ideas for the Aleph Bais appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Getting kids to do homework at all can be difficult. Getting them to do it with a smile? I must be joking, right? Well, I have a few tricks up my sleeve that work well (most of the time) and I thought I’d share them with you! Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links.

Homework is a universal struggle for parents and children. There has been so much debate about the necessity of children having homework. I’m neither for nor against. I definitely know and see the importance of homework. There’s the benefits of both reviewing what was taught in school that day, and it’s a good way for parents to be involved in their child’s learning.

However, after a long school day, it can be exhausting on so many levels for a young child to have to open up their books again. If a child struggles in a certain area, while it is so beneficial to have them review and repeat at home, it can also be so frustrating to have to deal with that pesky math or difficult parshah questions again.

I’ve both taught and tutuored in the past, and I am also a mother to two children that have homework nightly. Getting used to a homework schedule was a bit rough, for both them and myself, but we’ve fallen into a great routine that actually gets them eager to take out their homework folders.

10 ways to get homework done with a smile

1. They need food!

It’s been a long day of school and bus or car ride home. Your kids are HUNGRY. Depending on your kids’ ages, and the time they get home, you may opt to serve them supper right away. My children and I get home relatively early so I make sure to serve them a snack before even talking about homework.

Pick a snack that has both protein and carbs, and pair it with a drink. Don’t rush them through the snack. Just like adults after a long day of work, children need time to unwind and just be.

2. Routine

It’s best if your family settles into a daily after school routine. Many kids thrive on routine, and appreciate knowing exactly what will come next. Some children do very well with transition reminders- “We’re finishing our snack and doing homework in ten minutes.” “We’re saying Al HaMichya and doing homework in five minutes,” etc.

3. Location, location, location

Where your children do their homework is pretty important. A bright, comfortable area is ideal. Where you choose to have homework done will depend on your children’s ages and specific needs. A high school-er will likely need a desk and/or private space of their own. For younger children, or for kids that work well with background noise, the kitchen or dining room table is just fine. In nicer weather, try the patio for some fresh air!

4. Take breaks

A preschooler shouldn’t have more than fifteen minutes worth of homework but for older children, piles of homework can be quite overwhelming. Consider pacing them and taking breaks as necessary. Perhaps between subjects, or when a math problem is getting too sticky.

Dance breaks or any break with some movement to get the brain juices flowing again are best.

5. Limit screen time

I am not one to judge what or how anyone else chooses to allow their children watch! However, too much screen time can cause children to have sleeping issues and get distracted easily. Who wants to focus on a math problem when you’re itching to get back to your show? I try very hard to limit screen time on school days, but if I give in, it’s only after homework is done.

6. Be calm

Children can and will feed off your anxiety. It can be difficult as a mother to remain calm when your child is not focusing or is losing it over a hard subject. You may also be antsy and waiting to get back into the kitchen to finish cooking supper or get your toddler into the bath. You may even have anxiety yourself over the actual homework assignment or last minute science fair project!

However, the best thing you can do for your child is to remain present and calm and be available to help them. Easier said then done, I know. But your kid needs to know that you are there for them and that you are their priority in the moment. It will transform the way homework gets done!

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7. Prepare a homework station

It can be very useful to keep a homework station around. This doesn’t have to be a big project or take up a lot of space. Even a turntable within easy reach is helpful. Keep extra supplies on hands, like pencils, erasers, white out and scissors.

Knowing that anything they might need is available for them will keep your children from getting flustered or stressed out.

I found this list really fun and inspiring for some fun homework station ideas.

8. Reward!

This one is especially helpful for younger children just getting used to homework. Make charts! Reward your children for doing homework with stickers, small prizes or working toward a larger prize. It turns homework into a fun time and sets the tone for the whole year.

9. Change things up

This tip will not work for most people. However, it works for me and my son, and I figured I may as well add it in.

Know yourself and your child. Are you night people? Morning people? My son and I are both morning people and for a while, we had the available time in the morning to get homework done then. It was great! It took half the time when my son was alert and fresh from a full night’s sleep.

10. Consider a tutor

If your child is really struggling with homework, consider getting him or her a tutor. Tutors can be immensely helpful in both lessening the load for yourself, and helping your child do better with some new tricks up their sleeve.

What does homework time look like in your house? Got any tips and ideas we should know about? Comment below!

The post Get Your Kids to do Homework with a Smile appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

I made this adorable little coin purse as a tzedakah pouch keychain for M to take to school.

I think it’s a sweet way to upgrade the act of giving charity and create a little more excitement around it.

You can make this craft for your little one as a perfect back to school gift. It also makes a perfect beginner sewing/embroidery project and teaches some basic stitches.

Big kids who create this can use it to stow away 10% of their allowance/babysitting money for maaser.

Write the word “tzedakah” on it, or add your child’s name.

The key to making a great felt coin purse is to choose a nice, soft felt. Stiffer ones will feel like paper. I find that they are less like fabric and tear more easily too.

Choose your child’s two favorite colors to coordinate and work from there! I made this with a zipper, but alternatively, you can cut one half 1cm. longer than the other and make a fold-over tab with hook and loop closure, like I did on my fidget spinner case.

What you need to make a DIY Tzedakah Pouch:

• Soft felt – scraps or samplers can work too! Read reviews for softness…
• Embroidery thread in a contrasting color
• An embroidery needle
• A light colored gel pen
• Fabric scissors
• A keychain
• A zipper
• Hot glue gun (optional)
• Alternative: Hook and Loop closure

How to make a DIY Tzedakah Pouch:

1. Cut two pieces of felt to size

2.On one, outline your text using a gel pen.

3. Embroider your text using a split stitch.

4. Finish off and knot your thread in the back.

5. Lay down the front and back of your Tzedakah pouch so that the tops face each other, and the inside faces up. Trim your zipper to size, open halfway, and place in the center.

6. Glue your zipper in place. Make sure that you don’t glue too close to the track so that it can open easily.

7. Start by tucking in the “tail” of your zipper, and tucking in the corners too. Stitch a few times to hold it in place.

8. Begin sewing a blanket stitch around the perimeter of your Tzedakah pouch.

9. Tuck the corners in when you get to them and simply continue stitching around.

10. When you are done sewing around, and have finished it off, sew on your key chain or clip.

Your DIY tzedakah pouch is ready to use!!

What are your favorite ways to encourage kids to give? Comment below!

The post DIY Tzedakah Pouch appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.

Back to School Money Saving Tips:

1. Buy in Advance

A great way to limit your spending on school supplies is to buy as much as you can before the rush. This is possible even when you don’t have the actual supply list. We have a general idea of what teachers put on this list year after year. If you haven’t thought of something, or the teacher put a specialty item in the list, (like a steno pad)  you can easily purchase those once the school year starts.

 

 

Off-brand items are usually okay. However, be wary of dollar store quality- if the item seems flimsy, it probably is, and you will end up spending more time and money later to replace it.

 

Anything you purchase way in advance should be placed into one storage bin so you know exactly where to look when you are running low. If you’ve totally overstocked and don’t need to save it for the following year, consider donating your extra stuff to a gemach or to your child’s classroom.

3. Buy in Bulk

4. Invest for the Long-Term

It is actually quite economical to invest in a sturdy knapsack that will last several years, instead of buying a cheap one every year. I still have my over-the-shoulder Kipling backpack that I bought nearly 15 years ago and it is in mint condition. Buy a classic style, in a great color, and it will never go out of style! Add a keychain or iron-on patch to liven it up every year.

 

5. DIY

Why not save money and have fun at the same time? DIY some school supplies for a new, exciting year. Try out this awesome pencil case, (you’ll never guess what it’s made of!) or these adorable book covers. You can also personalize or bedazzle knapsacks on your own!

6. Price Match

Be on the look out for price match guarantees. Staples has a great 110% price match guarantee. Walmart has price matching as well.

7. Penny Deals

A lot of office supply stores offer penny deals during the back to school season. Limits generally apply, as well as a minimum purchase required. However, even at one penny, these deals are only worth it if this is something you will actually use.

8. Make a List

If you will be shopping during “rush hour”, the best thing is to make a list beforehand and STICK TO YOUR LIST! The best way to do this is to make a master list and see what overlaps. In this way, you will save some money by buying bulk items and at the same time, avoid impulse purchases.

How will you be saving money for this back to school season? Let us know in the comments!

The post Back to School! Eight Ways to Save Money on School Supplies appeared first on Jewish Moms & Crafters.