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Homemade Menorahs: A Great Preschool Art Activity and a Great Lesson on Multiculturalism
By Rosemary Phillips

When I taught, I always tried to think of ideas for a preschool art activity for the children to engage in that would combine fun with education. During the holidays, this is especially important because the children's parents always expect a festively decorated classroom for their children.

During the Christmas season, I dutifully pulled out the paper stars and Santas, and was already plotting in my head projects like paper snowflakes and cellophane ornaments when I realized Chanukah was approaching and my students knew nothing of the Jewish holiday. So, I decided to think of a preschool art activity for the children that would expose the children to the Festival of Light.

An Easy Project with an Important Message

The homemade paper menorahs are an especially appealing preschool art activity because not only are they easy to make, but most children have made them already. During Thanksgiving, almost every child was told to trace his or her hand on a piece of paper to make a turkey. The idea for the paper menorah is the same.

Have your child spread her right hand on a large piece of paper (large enough to fit both his or her hands, side-by-side). Trace the hand carefully, stopping at the wrist. Then place his or her left hand, next to the outline of her right hand – make sure the thumb from his or her left hand is actually on the thumb of the right hand, and then carefully trace the hand, again, stopping at the wrist.

When you pull away, you should have what looks like a small pair of antlers. If the child is confident enough in his or her artistic prowess, let the child finish off the drawing by adding a handle and stand to her menorah. Also remember to include an extra branch – there are eight days of Chanukah, but there are nine branches, the last one used to hold the candle that lights each other candle on every night of Chanukah. The great thing about this preschool art activity is that there's very little cutting to do.

Cut the menorah out for your little one and turn it over to the other side. Then let your child decorate the menorah any way he or she wants. I was using these menorahs for the walls of our classroom, so I used blue construction paper and white art supplies so that the menorahs would fit into a color scheme, but let the children go free with their creativity.

The point of a preschool art activity is to stimulate the child's imagination and build self-confidence. You'll need candles, as well. Because Chanukah falls so close to the Christmas season, I had lots of paper cut-out candles. Glue a candle to each “finger”. You will also need a larger candle for the middle.

Hang the menorah on your child's wall. Also, remember the most important step of this preschool art activity: Tell them the story of Chanukah, and let them appreciate the inspiring story of the Jewish holiday.

Author Details:
Rosemary Phillips, copywriter for various web sites such as the The A-Zof.com Living in the Western Isles of Scotland she also contributes to Virtual Scotland & the Virtual Hebrides

Article Source: Articles/Content from Simply Top

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