Wikki Sticki and the Aleph Bet

We just purchased these Hebrew letters that the children are enjoying. Today we are using wikki sticki, other days we use play dough to form the letters. These are great because they are "big".

What to do with an etrog when Sukkot is over.....

If you look very closely at this picture, Jack is using a stick to make holes in an etrog and then putting cloves in the holes. Today we used this "besamim" during our
Monday morning Havdalah get together. Great use of an etrog, not to mention a great fine motor activity!

Eavesdropping at the easel

This is a blog from one of our teachers in the four-year-old class:

11 a.m. During centertime at the easels with Charlotte, Shelby, Mia and Abbe, Logan says loudly "We are all friends. God made us all, animals too, seeds too. That is why we need to be kind." She was clear, loud, her friends all shook their heads in agreement.

11:15 a.m. Still painting at the easel, Logan, Shelby and Aviva began saying/singing the Creation Fingerplay that we said during Havdalah these past few weeks:

God made the sun
God made the sea
God made the world,
and God made me!
God loves the sun
God loves the sea
GOd loves the world
and God loves me!
(with appropriate hand motions of course)

I am always amazed at what resonates with children. That is why it is so important to "listen,and write it down"!

Noah and the Ark and so much more!

After listening to the story the children are "playing" Noah and the Ark but what is even more noticable are the Israeli flags the live in the block corner. I have seen the flags taped to blocks on many occasions.

The Torah up close

During center time the Torah was out for the children to explore. One child decided that the letters were to small to see and on his own, went to the Science Center to get a magnifying glass to solve the problem! This was a moment I will never forget for so many reasons:
The fact that the Torah was out for the children to explore
The fact that the children treated the Torah with tremendous respect
The connections that particular child made knowing that the magnifying glass makes things bigger (he is not yet 3!)
The reaction of the teacher - it was as if they were her own children
The collaboration between the children

This is why we send our children to Jewish Preschool!