Kitah Alef Makes Menorahs

The Kitah Alef children have been interested in both paint and sensory play. The Morahs wanted to include these interests in their menorah.

During Art class, Morah Jessica offered the children winter-themed gel paint and long ceramic tiles. The children selected the paint colors that they were drawn to and painted their tiles.

The children were then offered gold, silver, and copper foil and mica glitter. They each selected one and sprinkled it over the wet paint. 

During their next art class, the children were each offered a ball of Das air dry clay. They used wooden tools to flatten, cut, and mold their clay into small shapes. Morah Jessica showed the children how to slice the clay and roll it into a ball or a snake. They also practiced pinching and stretching the clay.

We talked about donuts and how we eat them on Hanukkah. Morah Jessica showed the children how to turn the snake shape into a donut by pressing the two ends together. As the children worked with their clay one friend commented “challah,” noticing the similarity of the texture and rolling the dough. Robin kept saying “Surprise,” as she held out a clay creation.

Once the clay dried, the children placed their sculptures in a container with blue and silver gel paint. They tipped and shook the container to coat the clay with color. Once the paint dried, the clay was glued to the tile and the entire menorah was coated in Mod Podge for permanence.