Mar 28, 2014

9 Kid-Friendly Crafts and Activities for Passover

Engage children in the story and traditions of Passover with these fun crafts and activities! From helping to decorate the seder table to learning about the ten plagues with hand-made puppets, these activities will help children feel like a part of the holiday.

Create a Beautiful Elijah's Cup
Elijah's cup is an important part of the Passover seder. This craft from The Shiksa in the Kitchen is great for older children, or young children with some adult assistance. Instructions here.

A Handmade Matzah Cover
Matzah is a ubiquitous part of every seder - and now it can have its very own unique cover! We like this matzah cover because it holds three pieces of matzah, each one in its own pocket. This craft is perfect for classrooms or at home. Instructions here.

From Highlights Kids.

Passover Word Search
Whether you're at school or at home, reinforce all those important Passover lessons with this word search, with over 20 important Passover vocabulary words! Get the word search here.

From apples4theteacher.com.

Passover Puppets
Tell the story of Passover in a fun and interactive way using these Passover finger puppets! Kids can color and cut out these finger puppets to put their own unique touch on the Passover tale. Template here.

From Ann D. Koffsky.

A Plague of Frogs
It has been decided - the plague of frogs is certainly the one to illustrate through crafts. Over at Creative Jewish Mom you can fold origami frogs (great for classrooms of older students) or make these little critters from pom-poms and pipe cleaners.

Make Your Own Seder Placemat
These seder placemats are a sweet handmade touch to a seder table, and reinforce the significance of each item on the seder plate. Instructions here.

From InCultureParent.

Four Cups Paper Chain
Decorate your home or classroom with this paper chain that reflects the four cups of wine at the seder. A simple craft that only needs scissors, paper, and markers!

From Creative Jewish Mom.

A Simple and Kid-Friendly Passover Snack
This matzah-based pizza is a fun and simple snack that kids can help make themselves! Go with basic cheese, or let kids decorate with toppings. Recipe here.

From Spoonful.

Create a 3-D Moses
With a template and a toilet paper roll, make a 3-D figure of Moses for storytelling or as a decoration for the classroom or seder table.

From DLTK.





And of course, read a good book!
Grab an old favorite, or read one of these new books from Kar-Ben! Available at the Kar-Ben website or your local Judaica store.

The Littlest Levine
Hannah doesn't like being the littlest Levine. She's too short to hang fruit from the sukkah and too young to light the Hanukkah candles by herself. But when Passover comes, the littlest Levine gets a chance to shine in a big way.

Seder in the Desert
Join a group of families as they follow Rabbi Jamie into Moab, Utah to celebrate a most unusual Passover seder in the desert. As they hike through the sandstone and red rock desert, they learn important lessons about the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, such as the importance of helping one another. Together, the community hikes, learns, laughs, sings, debates, and enjoys the delicious Passover seder meal. The story is accompanied by photos of the celebration as well as stunning desert scenery by award-winning photographer Jeff Finkelstein.

Mar 10, 2014

Get to Know Hannah and Sandy!

Hannah is the star of Kar-Ben's newest Passover title The Littlest Levine. She's frustrated because, as the youngest member of the family, there aren't many things she can do on her own. But as Passover approaches, her grandfather helps her prepare for a very special task that only she can perform!

For a special preview, check out the book trailer!

Sandy Lanton is the author of The Littlest Levine, as well as today's guest blogger! Read below to hear more about her inspiration and her journey of becoming a children's book author:


"Like many writers, I get my inspiration from life experiences. When I was teaching nursery school at the local JCC, part of the Passover curriculum was teaching the four questions to my class of four year olds.  I was amazed at how easily these young children, who couldn’t tie their own shoes, could memorize the four questions and how beautifully they recited them. 

This idea took hold and germinated through the years. With each seder I attended, the impressions grew. As I worked on other stories, this one was always in the back of my mind. With the aid of my critique group and the Long Island Children’s Writers and Illustrators, (LICWI), the story underwent numerous revisions.  After it was accepted by KarBen, the editors made still more changes until the final version was achieved."

Q and A with author Sandy Lanton

When did you decide to become a writer?
When I was in the fifth grade, I wrote an essay about Theodore Roosevelt.  It was entered in a contest and I won first prize for my school.  I attended a party at Theodore Roosevelt’s townhouse in New York City where I met winners from other schools in the city.  I then wrote an article about the party for the school newspaper.  It was such a thrill to see my words and my name in print.  I was hooked.  I decided that someday I would be a writer.  My father thought that ambition wasn’t practical.  He suggested that I become a teacher and write during the summers.

Where did you study writing?
I enrolled in a children’s writing class with Connie Epstein, a retired editor, at Hofstra University and a two week summer workshop with children’s writer Johanna Hurwitz, along with a screen writing class.  I also attended the Highlights Foundation Summer Workshop at Chautauqua several times, the Vasssar College program in Children’s  Publishing and a private class with Pam Conrad, a great children’s writer.  I attended writing conferences given by the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and  I took author Brian Heinz’s summer writing workshop at Hofstra University.  I’m also a member of a critique group that grew out of Connie Epstein’s class and I’m an active member of the Long Island Children’s Writers and Illustrators, constantly trying to improve my writing skills.

What other jobs have you had?
I started babysitting when I was 12. My first after school job,  when  I was in high school, was selling school supplies at a local hardware store.  After that, I hung up clothes  at Alexander’s Department Store.  To this day, I won’t leave a mess behind in a fitting room.  I worked as a secretary in high school and college.  After graduation from Queens College, I taught kindergarten and then nursery school, toddler playgroup, Mommy and Me and Mom and Tot Playland.  I always joke that I started in kindergarten and worked my way down.  After I left teaching to become a stage mom and help my husband with his computer business, I started taking writing classes.  Later, I covered school board meetings for the local newspaper, sold books to libraries, and did data entry.

How long have you been writing?
Not counting the fifth grade, I’ve been writing for over thirty years.

How many children’s stories have you written? 
I’ve written over a hundred.  Five of them have been published as books, several others have appeared in magazines and anthologies.

Do you illustrate your own books?
No, I’m not an illustrator.  I’ve taken drawing and painting classes just for fun, but I’m not good enough to illustrate books.  I’d rather concentrate on my writing.

Where do you get your ideas?
As I mentioned earlier, I get most of my ideas from my life and my family.  Sometimes, I get an idea from a newspaper article.

I wrote DADDY’S CHAIR when my cousin died of cancer at the age of 46, leaving three children, ages 15, 12 and 6. Their mother asked me to locate books for them.  I was able to find plenty for the two older children but could get very little for six year old Jonathan.  I was taking a writing class with Pam Conrad, and she helped me with the manuscript. The stories that Aunt Rachel tells are true.  My grandfather owned a grocery store and my cousin Barbara and I played in the back while our mothers worked behind the counter.

LOTS OF LATKES is based on my extended family and LICWI.  Every year at Hanukkah, the family would gather at my Aunt Irene and Uncle George’s house.  We would bring our menorahs and line them up on the dining room table.  My Aunt would make the latkes, and we’d all contribute something to the meal. I always brought the salad.  Every summer, LICWI would have a pot-luck picnic in someone’s back yard, and we’d sign up at the May meeting for what we’d bring in July.  Very often, people would forget what they signed up for or they couldn’t get what they promised, and they’d bring something else.  I thought, WHAT IF everyone brought the same thing?  I set it a long time ago so they couldn’t just go to the local supermarket to get what they needed.

What are you working on now?
I’ve just finished a story about bullying that came out of my own experience.  Actually, I shouldn’t say it’s finished, because it isn’t in print yet and an editor may have some useful suggestions.

To purchase The Littlest Levine, visit the Kar-Ben website!

To learn more about Sandy Lanton and her books, visit her website!