Shavuot Theme: "Little Har Sinai"

We are getting ready for Shavuot here! We have been diligently counting the Omer as we work our

way up to this sweet holiday that celebrates our receiving of the Torah on Har Sinai some thousands of years ago. And even though the Jewish people received the Torah so very long ago, the sweet foods, beautiful flowers and special meaning behind this holiday remind even the very young (who are so integral to this holiday) that every Jewish soul was present at Har Sinai when we first received the gift of the Torah--and so, too, do we receive this gift anew each year at Shavuot! I love to introduce the holiday with a beautiful children's book, When The World Was Quiet by Phyllis Nutkis. The story line is simple and quaint and the illustrations are gorgeous as it beautifully depicts how the whole world became absolutely silent when the Jewish people received the luchos (Ten Commandments) for the first time. My older son (whom I'll start referring to as "S" to simplify things a bit now that we've got two little ones here!) absolutely loves when I read it in an especially quiet voice!

On the louder end of the spectrum is a playful song that tells all about the unique characteristic of humbleness that Har Sinai possessed--a quality that Jewish people ought to also portray--which was the reason for Hashem choosing to deliver His gift of the Torah on a small mountain, rather than one that was much bigger or taller. Last year Shavuot fell just after I finished teaching out of the home and we began our "Mommy & Me Camp" at home with a unit on this theme. S was just old enough to start recognizing and singing songs and used to request this one repeatedly. "Sing bum, bum, bum!" he would shout again and again from the car seat! (I always sing the sounds of a tuba playing and that's what he first caught on to.)

The song "Little Har Sinai," has been adapted from Professor Green in the album "Professor Green and the Simcha Machine:

The littlest Har Sinai...

Little Har Sinai

"I am a mountain so very high [reach hands up]

I can reach way up to the sky

The Torah should be given on me

Because I am as tall as can be, you see!"

"Oh, no! I am so very wide [reach hands wide]

I can stretch from side to side

The Torah should be given on me

Because I am as big as can be, you see!"

But Little Har Sinai just stood there and sighed [sigh]

"I know I'm not tall, I know I'm not wide,

The Torah can't be given on me

Because I am as small as can be, you see..."

But from all the mountains

Hashem chose Sinai

Because he did not hold himself high,

He had such gentle and humble ways

And from this we learn that humbleness pays!

Mountain stick puppets made with construction paper & google eyes. This is my own teaching set, however if you are leaving them to littler hands, I'd recommend a run through the laminating machine!

We love doing this song with the associated hand motions. I have also in the past created large mountain shapes from poster board that the children can hold up during each part of the song. My favorite accompanying activity, however, is to have each of my students create their own stick puppets to use along with the song. During the last two years, S has enjoyed holding my stick puppets. Last year, he even helped decorate my class set of poster board props.

Little brother (whom I'll now refer to as "Y") is filling in the role of holding puppets and already loves this song when S and I sing together! S is now old enough to decorate and create his own stick puppets and had a great time using our Kwik Stix to color each of the mountains and a little Torah to attach to Har Sinai. I helped him cut out the shapes afterward (older artists can do this step independently) and we ran it through the laminating machine for durability. I offered him flower stickers to decorate his Har Sinai since Hashem rewarded Har Sinai with beautiful flowers for being so kind and humble; he was not interested in that part and just wanted to get our puppet theater out and sing the song! 

S busy at work, decorating his soon-to-be stick puppets at Table Time

Finished product, with craft sticks taped to the back of laminated pictures... 

I always tape the Torah to a folded strip of card-stock so it can be propped up as you get to the verse about Hashem choosing to give the Torah on Har Sinai. It's always such a pleasant and playful surprise for your audience and young puppeteers also enjoy using this feature!

Humility is a challenging character trait to teach to young children. It is developmentally not at all natural at this age. As children grow and develop, we certainly want them to be able to attain inner feelings of success and confidence as they achieve new skills and complete challenging tasks. That said, we also want to instill in them that our talents and skills are all G-d given and that we ought also to leave room for others to feel confident and proud, whether or not we are all skilled and proficient in the same areas. This song is a kid-friendly way to demonstrate this character trait and such a fun one for the holiday of Shavuot. 

Both S and Y love singing and acting out "Little Har Sinai" in their own way!

Children can also enjoy other extension activities to learn about and create their own Har Sinai experience. You can use furniture, cushions and fabric in your house to create your own mountain and invite your children to decorate it with handmade or artificial flowers. They can use a step stool to "climb" Har Sinai and receive a (toy) Torah! While teaching, I have even incorporated a long term project of creating individual siddurim with the students and had them celebrate receiving it before Shavout by ascending a model Har Sinai. Another sweet activity this time of year is to bake cupcakes or a cake together (or in advance) and let the children decorate their own edible Har Sinai using green icing, graham cracker luchos (tablets for the Ten Commandments) and any other beautiful and tasty decorations you'd like.

S enjoyed this playdough invitation to create Har Sinai last year:

I included some homemade playdough we dyed green and scented with lavender oil along with a selection of artificial flowers, leaves and glass gems (all from the Dollar Tree) on a dip tray and he had a great time playing and decorating! I look forward to bringing out this activity again this year and seeing where he takes it. He is quite into playdough nowadays and can spend a good chunk of time working at it! 

Join us next time to see a fun and sweet themed sensory bin idea for Shavuot! Until then....

Happy Playing!