What is Saint Nicholas Day?

December is here and children all over the world are getting excited about their favorite holidays!  Christmas will take place on the 25th... Boxing Day will take place on the 26th... Kwanzaa will begin on the 26th and will last until January 1st... and... Hanukkah often falls during this month. But... there is another holiday in December that takes place on the 6th... Saint Nicholas Day!  Have you ever heard of Saint Nicholas Day?  Who is Saint Nicholas?  What did Saint Nicholas do to deserve his own special day?  What are some of the traditions associated with Saint Nicholas Day? Keep reading to learn more!

How to Make an Afikomen Bag for Passover - Pesach

Passover. . . also known as Pesach. . . is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the Hebrews’ escape from Egypt. Passover lasts for seven days. During this time families have a special meal called a seder and read from the Haggadah that tells the story of how Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt and into freedom. A fun Passover tradition for families is to have a scavenger hunt for afikomen. What is afikomen? What is its symbolism? Read on to learn the answers to these questions and how to make a simple afikomen craft.

I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous I Have a Dream speech on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. More than 200,000 people crowded together to him speak. In his speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about his dreams of the future and the need for racial equality.

The children's art projects featured in this round-up were created by moms and teachers from all over the internet. If you see a craft in this post that you'd like to try at home or at school, click on its link and head to its original website for material lists, directions, photos, etc. There are lots of cute activities in this post, so let's dive right in!

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Why Do People Celebrate Pesach - Passover?

Passover... also known as Pesach... is a major Jewish holiday that is celebrated on the 15th day of the Hebrew month Nisan. It is celebrated to commemorate the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt. What is an Exodus? How does the food eaten during Passover (Pesach) symbolize its significance to the Jewish people? Keep reading to learn more!

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Rosh Hashanah Recipes

Cooking with kids is a terrific way to teach a variety of math and reading skills in a hands-on, enjoyable, and meaningful way.  It may not always be practical to cook with students in the classroom, but it's worth a try if you can.  Many homeschooling families already find ways to integrate cooking into their lessons.  By working together to follow a recipe, your students and children can practice the following skills:

• reading for information
• following directions
• following a sequence
• fractions
• units of measurement
• problem-solving
• making observations

The Rosh Hashanah recipes featured in today's round-up were created by moms and foodies from all over the internet. If you see a recipe in this post that you'd like to try, click on its link to see the ingredients, directions, photos, and handy tidbits. There are lots of delicious recipes in this post, so let's dive right in! Shana Tova!

Catherine's Pascha by Charlotte Riggle

Easter will be here in less than a month and families all over the world will celebrate it in their unique ways. Easter... also known as Resurrection Sunday and Pascha... is a Christian holiday commemorating Jesus's resurrection from the dead. It is a moveable feast, meaning that it doesn't fall on the same day each year.  

A few years ago, Charlotte Riggle wrote an Easter children's book called Catherine's Pascha. It's told from the point of view/perspective of a child named Catherine who is excited about her church's upcoming celebration.  In Catherine's Pascha, we can tag along with Catherine as she tries to stay up late to go to midnight mass, goes to the church with her family, begs her mom for desserts at the feast, and falls asleep in the car on the way home.  Keep reading to learn more about Catherine's Pascha and some of the traditions Catherine loves.

  

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Crackle and Pop! Bible Science Experiments by Hanna Holwerda

In January 2021, Hanna Holwerda released Crackle and Pop! Bible Science Experiments for parents, teachers, and children who want to integrate science instruction with the stories in the Bible. There are 100+ STEM experiments and science activities in the book that can be completed at home or at school, and many of them use materials that you may already have.  You can also get many of these items inexpensively at a dollar store.  Keep reading to learn more about Crackle and Pop!

If you are looking for the Sink or Float STEM experiment + free printable, they have been moved to a blog post of their own.  You can find them at Sink or Float with Oil and Water.

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Will You Always Be Here? by Nadine Damo

Once upon a time, many moons ago I used to be a preschool teacher.  I taught preschool for a few short years and really enjoyed that experience.  It was nice to plan lessons without having to worry about standardized tests, being able to focus on social skills, and making learning fun for the little ones.  We ate snacks, sang songs, played with toys, made crafts, and read lots of books.  One of my favorite times of the day occurred after lunch.  We would turn down the lights, read a soothing story, play some soft music, and tuck the children in for their naps.  Zzzzzzzzzz.

It was important to read soothing books during that time... exciting books would fire the children up, making it hard for them to settle in for their naps.  Nadine Damo recently published her first book called Will You Always Be Here? which is a good example of the kind of book I would have read way back when.  It's a soothing story about a baby owl who is anxious about many things but finds comfort and reassurance in his father's... and Father's... strength and guidance.  Keep reading to learn more about Will You Always Be Here? and for a simple arts-n-crafts activity you can make with your students.

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

10 Children's Books About Hanukkah

Hanukkah... often referred to as the Festival of Lights... is an eight-day that begins on the 25th of the Jewish month Kislev of the Hebrew calendar. It is a celebration of the Maccabees' victory over the Assyrian army and the miracle in which one day's supply of oil lasted long enough for the menorah in the rededicate temple in Jerusalem to remain lit for eight days. Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah by lighting a menorah each night, eating traditional foods like latkes and doughnuts (sufganiyot... yum!) that were fried in oil, listening to music, gift exchanges with family, and playing games with dreidels.  Contrary to popular belief... Hanukkah is not a Jewish Christmas... it is a magical and special holiday in its own right.

There are many children's books about Hanukkah available for children to read.  Listed below is a combination of fiction and nonfiction books you may enjoy.  Some of these books are old classics, whereas others are sure to be new favorites.  Keep reading to see what books are on my list!

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The Saint Nicholas Day Snow by Charlotte Riggle

Saint Nicholas Day is an exciting time for many children around the world. On Saint Nicholas Day friends and families gather together, exchange small gifts, share a meal, and attend Mass. The Saint Nicholas Day Snow by Charlotte Riggle is a children's book that describes how a young girl named Elizabeth spends Saint Nicholas Day at a friend's house. Keep reading to learn more about The Saint Nicholas Day Snow and how you can use it during your language arts and social studies instruction.

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Anna's Prayer by Karl Beckstrand

Several weeks ago, I wrote about the biography Ida's Witness by Karl Beckstrand and the different ways in which you can use it in your classroom.  Ida's Witness, if you recall, is about Karl Beckstrand's great-grandmother Ida who immigrated to the United States from Sweden.  When she left Sweden, Ida brought her 10-year old sister Anna with her.  Ida's sister Anna is the subject of Karl Beckstrand's second biography Anna's Prayer.  She is Karl Beckstrand's great-aunt.  Keep reading to learn more about Anna's Prayer and how you can use it in a compare and contrast lesson with Ida's Witness!

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Ida’s Witness by Karl Beckstrand

Karl Beckstrand is a prolific author of children's books.  He has written 23 children's books and is always working on more.  Six of those books have been written in English and Spanish.  In previous posts, I've written about several of Karl Beckstrand's books:

  

🍎 Grow! How We Get Food from Our Garden,

🍎 Great Cape o' Colors, and

🍎 It Came from Under the Highchair.

Grow! taught us about the fruit, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers we can get from our gardens.  Great Cape taught us about color words in English and Spanish.  Highchair was a funny story about a food monster who lurks around the house.  In this post, we are going to take a look at Ida's Witness... a beautiful story about Karl Beckstrand's great-grandmother.  Keep reading to learn about Ida, the amazing woman she was, and to find out how you can use Ida's Witness in your classroom.

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10+ Children's Books about the Chinese Moon Festival

xī wàng míng yuè néng bǎ wǒ mén dě zhù fú hé huān lè dōu dài gěi nǐ.

希 望 明 月 能 把 我 们 的 祝 福 和 欢 乐 都 带 给 你。

May the full moon bring blessings and happiness from our home to yours!

It is almost time for the Chinese Moon Festival, also known as the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.  This festival is always celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month when there is a full moon.  On this special day, people gather with friends and family, give thanks for bountiful harvests, and say prayers for a good future.  It's also a time filled with colorful lanterns, music, games, and... of course... mooncakes!  Read on to discover 10 children's books about this joyous occasion.

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10 Children's Books About Rosh Hashanah

Shanah Tovah!  It is almost time for Rosh Hashanah... the Jewish New Year!  Rosh Hashanah will begin this year on September 18th (on the eve of Tishrei 1) and will last until September 20 (after nightfall on Tishrei 2).  It is a time of celebration and introspection for the Jewish people.  Listed below are 10 fiction and non-fiction books about Rosh Hashanah that your students may enjoy.

Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.

When the Chickens Went on Strike: A Rosh Hashanah Tale by Erica Silverman

Rosh Hashanah... the Jewish New year... will begin on September 18th of this year and will last until September 20th.  During Rosh Hashanah people will sound the shofar each morning, light candles in the evenings, enjoy festive meals with friends and family, and attend services at a synagogue.  Some people will also participate in the Jewish ritual of atonement called kapores (also known as kapparot or kaporos) during this time.  Kapores is a ritual in which a chicken or money is waved over a person's head and the chicken is then slaughtered in accordance with halachic rules and donated to charity.  Kapores is a controversial practice and people often choose to wave money instead of a chicken.  Some choose not to do either.  Erica Silverman tells the story of kapores from an interesting perspective... from the perspective of the chickens!  The story is called When the Chickens Went on Strike: A Rosh Hashanah Tale and was first published in 2003.  

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