Learning Through Crafts: Goblets and More!

Elijah's Goblet
Elijah's Goblet is important for each Passover meal because it represents Elijah, the Hebrew Prophet who believed the God of Israel is the one divine God, and his promise to return to earth.

Decorate a version of Elijah's Goblet with tissue paper, ribbon, and spring motifs.

Got a budding artist? Ask him to embellish the Afekomen cover with puff paints and glitter. There's no limit to what your child can do on the goblet -- let his/her imagination and creativity flow! As long as s/he knows what it represents, they could even adorn it with smiley face stickers, if they please. The yellow goblet on the right is a prime example of a home-made Elijah's Goblet.

Seder Plate
Let children of all ages hand paint their own Seder plates with acrylics and craft paints to imitate faux-stain glass. Just make sure that the materials are non-toxic, unless the plates will be purely decorative.

What's important to remark is that Seder Plates should highlight all of the Passover symbols which include:

• A Charoset, which is a delicious mixture of apples, walnuts, red wine, cinnamon and sugar, symbolizing the mortor that the Hebrews used when they built the pyramids in ancient Egypt.
• Bitter herbs, usually represented with horseradish, which remind us of the difficulties that have been endured by our ancestors.
• Greens (parsley, lettuce or celery), which represent spring and a time of new beginnings
• An Egg, symbolizing the circle of life
• A Shankbone or neck of poultry, which represents God's mighty arm.

Let your kids have fun drawing on these sacred symbols onto their Seder plate -- this way, their craft will be more meaningful for them.

Pillows

One of the Commandments of Seder is to learn how to recline, lean, and repose during the Seder.

What better way to help the family recline than by making many pillows?

Create tee-shirt stuffed pillows for guests to recline on during the holiday dinner meal. Your elementary schoolers and even pre-teens will feel great pride as their artistic creations are showcased around your home for grandparents and special guests at the Pesach meal.

How To Make a T-Shirt Stuffed Pillow
Courtesy of craftbits.com, here are a few simple tips to creating your stuffed pillow!

1. Start by laying out the shirt flat on a table. You can either sew the edges or glue them the choice is yours. Stitching will be more durable but for kids or a quick craft you can just glue the seams.
2. Glue or stitch the bottom of the shirt and the arm holes closed. Leave the neck area open for the filling.
3. A soft fiber fill stuffing will work well, but you can use other items such as beans, foam chunks or old rags.
4. Gently fill the shirt until it is nice and plump looking, then either glue or sew the neck hole closed with small stitches.
5. After all these activities, your kids will surely have all the answers to "the four questions" without the usual belabored rehearsal.