Can a 4 year old have courage & be brave?

Life Lessons: From the Maccabee's!

The Holiday stories are not just stories we tell, they contain practical and real life lessons for all of us. As educators- we think about where our students are at, and how the story can be relevant to them in their own day to day life. 

This week- we focused on one particular part of the story- to highlight what TRUE BRAVERY and TRUE STRENGTH is!

During circle time we spoke about the fact that the Jewish people did not like what King Antiyochus was doing to them, and instead of just being sad about it, some brave people- led by Yehuda HaMaccabee stood up and said, "We don't like this!" "We want to learn Torah!"

Using puppets, and a hypothetical situation with some children acting not very nice-- I asked the children- WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

Should you just watch? Should you join in? or should you be BRAVE and SAY SOMETHING?

The children all together shouted, "That's not OK!"

We talked about all sorts of ways we can have a lot of courage and stand up for what is right!

 Rachel & Noach are very proud of their Maccabbe Shields!

 

After role-playing with puppets- I introduced a special "Maccabee Shield."  Whenever someone is caught being brave or standing up for what is right, they will receive a Maccabbee shield (sticker)!

 

 Jacob & Ilan are feeling brave and strong!

Music & Movement:

The children learned a special Macabee song, and have been practicing all week!

Marching to the Macabee song!

Brave Macabees

Chanukah is in the air!

After spending two weeks (setting the stage) immersed in "Life in Israel with the Beit Hamikdash" it was now time to introduce the STORY OF CHANUKAH!
After a couple days of circle time in our 'cave' (table) it was getting squishy... and we had to do something about it!
By the second circle time some of the children didn't even want to join-- it wasn't comfortable and they wanted to head back to the Beit Hamikdash, we didn't blame them ;)

That's when Yehuda Hamacabee was introduced.
He role played what they have been feeling, under a chair he was whispering the Torah song. He didn't want to daven in hiding.

It was time for a CHANGE.
The MACABEES believed that it wasn't ok to just observe the Torah in hiding. It was more important to be BRAVE, and STAND PROUD of who they are. Therefore, they would stand up to King Antiyochus and the yevanim.

 

We discussed and heard from the children how the King Antiyochus had been treating them lately. It didn't feel nice and they were ready to go with Yehuda Hamacabee and have a talk with the King!
Some of the children decided to put the King on the quiet chair!

"What would you like to tell the king?" we asked the children.

We were amazed with the words the children were using to talk to the king.  "We don't like your rules! ..", "Please stop", "You need to relax", "It's not nice" :)

During free play we found the children bringing the King to the Morah's room.

The next days circle time look who DID JOIN us:

Yehuda Hamacabee!!

They were so kind to him making him feel right at home.

Levi and Aron made sure he had a perfect size Torah to hold.

After standing up for themselves and using their words to say what they feel.... it was time to head back to the BEIT HAMIKDASH--

 It was A MESS!

(before the children arrived we made the Beit Hamkidash a mess so they could experience what the Jews felt like when they got back into Hashem's house, to light the Menorah!)

 

There were different reactions:

Some children were upset and quickly started cleaning up and some wanted to know what happened!?

The atmosphere in Beit Hamikdash  changed dramatically! A lot of confused, worried little faces!

Mendel did an "uh oh" dance.

 

Jacob went to the quiet chair and took the King puppet and reenacted the desecration of the Beit Hamikdash. 

 Chani did not let the mess stop her from being the Kohen! 

Through the mess she found each piece of the Kohen costume.

 

Rochel and Mendel fixing the Menorah.

"We got to fix this!" 

Yitzi picked up the Yehuda Maccabee puppet and a discussion started between the King and the maccabee puppets! 

This was a great way to practice the lesson we want the children to learn- Stand up for whats right! Be brave and proud of who you are! 

We practiced this throughout the day. For example if a child was being bothered by another child instead of just crying we practiced to stand up and use their words to say 'That's not nice.' or " Please stop!"

Rochel found the pig! The Yevanim put a pig in the Beit Hamikdash since they knew that would desecrate the Temple.

We all played the Macabee's role and instead of just being upset, we worked hard and cleaned up the whole center! It was a lot of work but felt so good when we saw the Beit Hamikdash back in order.

After the clean up, Yehuda Hamacabee said it was time to light the MENORAH!

We quickly came to the realization that all the oil was broken or missing !!

 

Ellah helped us look under the table in the Beit Hamikdash. "No there's none under here" she announced to her friends.

 

FINALLY Yitzi found one!!

Yay! We pretended to light the Menorah and spoke about the miracle that even though it was so little it lasted for EIGHT DAYS!

After feeling like brave Macabees we all made shiny Macabee shields! A lot of times children associate shields as 'bad men.' It was important for the children to realize the Macabees needed shields to PROTECT the Beit Hamikdash, it was a very important, brave job!

Chanukah spirit infuses Blocks, hopscotch, clay and more!

Chanukah Themed Block Center: 

With a taped Menorah and blocks covered in tinfoil we offered the children another fun and creative way to make a menorah!

 

 

Some of the children wanted to make their own Menorah by building it upwards.

 Levi and Shua used the blocks to make a Beit Hamikdash!

Chani quickly went to go dress herself as the Kohen Gadol and headed to Shua and Levi's Beit Hamikdash!

Yitzi balancing all the bricks by clean up time!

Magnets:

With magnets and a big magnet board we saw what was on Rochel and Levi's mind!

Here they are counting to make sure they got it right!

Dreidel hopscotch!

 

Dramatic Play Center:

Our kitchen corner has been filled with Menorahs, Candles, dreidels and more!

(Next week we will be adding a Latka kitchen center, if you have any egg cartons, empty salt containers etc please send it in!:)

   

The children really strengthened their fine motor skills trying to fit the wax candles in the tiny holes of the Menorah.

 

Aron practicing his counting by making sure each of the candles had a little wooden flame.

Chanukah Literacy:

 

Chanie enjoying the Chanuka Books

Clay: 

Oh Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, I made you out of CLAY!!

little droplets of water to help mold the clay

Felt board Storytelling:

Chanukah Counting!

Preparing for Chanukah in so many ways!

From measuring ingredients to songs, games and art.... the children enjoyed a wonderful week full of learning, in Chanukah spirit!

Lighting the Menorah & Singing the Brachot!

Great practice for when the real Menorah will be lit. The children know to stay safe around the fire.

Our learning spills over into imaginary play, as the children build Menorah's from blocks!

Math & Science:

We measured  and poured the ingredients to create cookie dough... 

Then we worked hard to cut out Chanukah shapes...

and of-course the fun part...decorating the cookies!

Chanukah Art:

Painting with dreidles--watching them spin all over our page...

creating twirly designs!

Now WE ARE spinning and twirling to the dreidle song!

Marble Art-- sure gets our imagination rolling!

Watching the marble swoosh the paint to create designs on the paper!