A Great Children’s Activity for Tu b’Shevat

Although Tu b’Shevat is already over for 2013, here is a great activity we thought up on the farm that you can use for 2014! This activity is adapted from The Lookstein Center’s “Tu B’Shvat Seder for Young Children.”

Make a birthday cake for trees! The activity involves making a large batch of air-dry salt clay in several different colors: brown, green, red, etc. On a very large surface, make a tree shape out of the brown dough. Then, each participant can come and help to make the leaves and fruits to add to the tree, to show how it grows in spring. When the tree is done “growing,” you can add candles to it, and sing a happy birthday song (or any other song), then blow out the candles as a group! That can be the end of the activity, or you can have a separate fruit cake which can then be served in honor of the tree’s birthday, and you can discuss all of the delicious and yummy fruits we get from trees.

Add-ons: you can also read the book, “Honi’s Circle of Trees,” plant your own tree seeds, or make dried fruit shish-kabobs to be eaten at the party.

The directions for how to make air-dry salt clay are below. Use regular food dye to create different colors.

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 cup hot water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (this makes the texture smoother)

Mix the Clay

1- Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.

2- Add hot water and oil – mix thoroughly.

3- Allow to cool.

4- Knead for about 6 minutes- the dough should become smooth and workable.

5- Create artwork!

Happy Tree B’Earthday!

Pushing the Envelope Farm

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