Chanuka is in the air!

This whole week we have been experiencing Chanuka on many levels!

Our dramatic play center came alive with  Chanuka tools, toys and props!

Learning how we set up and light the Menorah. The children are very excited to light their own handmade menorahs  (with parent help ;)

Dreidel fun

Morah Rachel's Abba (dad) made a big beautiful wooden dreidel!

Menucha using a lot of strength to spin it!

 During davening each letter on the dreidel represented a different song that we sing.

Dreidel spinning art

We placed the dreidel letters in big for the children to spin the dreidel and then write the letter in the salt.

 Dovi,  "Look I made a nun!"

Eddie experimenting with spinning the dreidel in the salt!

Decorating our dreidel costume for our chanuka party!

  Chanuka pasta and salt was a fun sensory experience.

Working hard on our menorahs!

Max "I am putting treasures on my menorah!"

 Ava helping make a big menorah out of blocks and magna tiles!

Menucha counting to make sure there are eight.

 Hannah "Morah I love playing with Menachem!"

Happy 5th birthday to Elizabeth!

Have a Happy Chanuka! May the light of the Menorah shine in your children and in your homes all year!

Chanuka story comes to life- in 2,000 year old "home!"

Before delving into the Chanuka miracle story, we re-live what life was like for the Jewish people in Israel BEFORE there was any problems.

What was it like to go into Hashem's holy home, the Beis Hamikdash (Temple)?

What WILL it be like when the third Beis Hamikdash will be revealed?

All these questions and answers were learned and experienced in our Beis Hamikdash center!

Hashem's Home

Our own Home is a comfortable place where we can be ourselves and connect with the people we love. The children were each invited  to draw what they love about their own home. This helped us understand how much Hashem loved "His home."

Max "I am making my garage and all my spooky toys!"

  Experiencing  life in the Beis Hamikdash.

    
Before the Kohen would do his service in the Beis Hamikdash they would wash their hands and feet by the Kiyor. (wash basin). A puppet helped the children learn how to use the different vessels.

There was a special Mitzvah called "Bikurim" that the Jewish people would observe during Temple times. They brought the first fruits from their trees, to give as a gift to the Kohanim.

Bela Riva picking the fruits and Dovi delivering it to the Beis Hamikdash.

After lighting the Menorah, Ava picking out a fruit treat that Elizabeth picked!

 

Kohanim lighting the Menorah!

Levi Yitzchak was thinking about the menorah in the magna tiles center and created flames with mini flashlights inside of them!

 

Lechem Hapanim

The 'show bread' was a stack of 12 challah's that miraculously stayed fresh all week long and the Kohanim would eat them on Shabbos.

Appreciating how the oil was made by taking a look at real olive branches and olives. It took eight days to make the special olive oil for the Menorah.

Olive oil painting!

Experimenting with water colors and oil and watching the results on their jug.

The Chanuka story

With all this love and excitement towards the Beis Hamikdash, it was now time to  introduce the Chanukah story. King Antiyochus came to our class and announced some very unkind rules about not thinking our Torah is so special, not keeping Shabbos or giving baby boys a bris.

The little children back then, came up with a creative idea to hide their Torahs and take out dreidels when the soldiers came to check on them! We acted this out in our class.

Dovi "We wont be scared! Hashem is with us!" Levi, proudly showing his dreidel.

Be Brave like a Macabee!

 If that wasn't enough, the King decided to defile and make a mess of the Holy Beis Hamikdash! The children were devastated. They now FULLY understood how horrible this was after being in the Beis Hamikdash center and learning how special it was to the Jewish people!

Yehuda, one of the special Jewish people during the Chanuka story quickly came out and told them we must stay BRAVE! We must all become Macabees and help fix and clean the Beis Hamikdash!

Each of the children got a special job to help put our Beis Hamikdash center back up and clean.

While cleaning up we noticed all the oil jugs sealed were broken! How will they light the Menorah?

They found one tiny jug and the children knew exactly how many days it lasted, 8 days! Enough time for them to make new olive oil for the Menorah!

The puppet giving them a pep talk before going in. "you are so

strong and brave...

Happy 4th Birthday Hannah!

Windy in our classroom!

This week we continued exploring Fall. We focused on wind.

A fan helped us reenact a wind experience in our classroom.

We learned that the warm air rises and cold air is heavier when the two mix it creates wind.

The children had a lot to add as to what happens when it is windy outside.

Elizabeth "My hair blows in my face"

"Levi Y. I run faster"

Graphing different items what blew in the 'wind' and what did not.

 Before trying out an object the class voted if they thought it would blow or just drop.

Creative minds get to work

Later that day we found Levi Yitzchak experimenting with a cotton ball in front of the fan. He wanted the cotton ball to continue 'flying'. He asked for some ribbon and with some help tied it to the fan and attached the cotton ball.

The cotton ball dropped. Why?

 It was such a great one on one learning moment.

Other friends coming to visit and doing their own experiments.

Straw rocket ship blowers

Our breathe became the 'wind' and we had fun blowing off their little rocket ships off of their straw.

The children began lining up to see whos would go farther.

 Motty wanted to see what would happen if he climbed higher.

Blow art

Leaf people

It was so much fun watching all the leaves and  sticks become into characters from their imagination!

Hannah "I made a little leaf belly button"

 We welcomed Eddie who came to visit this week!

Team work getting ready for our Chanuka bulletin board!

Healthy afternoon snack "ants on a log"

A precious moment..

We noticed the children really busy bringing all the pots and pans from the sandbox and place them upside down. They came up with a game on their own. Balance from pot to pan without touching the grass. So sweet watching them work together creatively.