Get Outside And Play with Loose Parts: The Pesach Edition!

Pesach is ever so near and it is a holiday laden with opportunities for play and learning for children. S has been busy crafting, learning, storytelling, reading, building, tasting and singing at school. Y has been working on his own Hagadah with me at home. Their free play at home has been infused with Pesach themes and one afternoon last week, I decided to roll with that in an "out-of-the-box" and outdoors way--playing about Pesach with loose parts.

There are plenty of loose parts purists out there--folks who use only the strictest adherence to loose parts play theory in their classrooms and homes. These spaces can be amazing for children and adults of all ages. I am more eclectic here. I like to add it in, like a nutritional supplement, as opposed to rigidly adhering (like a restrictive diet). One challenge I often have with loose parts play indoors is the restriction of space. We make it work and have done some amazing play and exploration with a variety of different loose parts. Heading outside allows us a bit more space (particularly in our backyard space, even though, like our front yard it is semi-public and shared with neighbors) and a novel backdrop. One in which the environment itself can serve as a loose part (or multiple loose parts).
In setting up our provocation, I wanted to include the Pesach story and elements for retelling it. I also wanted to incorporate items large and small, natural and man-made, living and nonliving, some even musical! There was a basket with a baby Moshe and a picture book with the Pesach story. There was a basket full of play silks and scarves. Perhaps the boys would dress up or add them to the scene. Silks laid across the ground to resemble the river were lined with rocks (and a basket of those were set along the side as well) and plants. There was a tray of frogs and glass gems (gotta throw in your favorite plague), and a small dish of glass gems and mosaic tiles and interesting stones as well. Another metal tray held our fearless leader, Moshe Rabeinu, and a selection of wooden peg dolls representing the Jewish people behind him on their journey out of Mitzrayim. The end of the Nile was marked with a basket of tambourines played by Miriam and the Jewish women and along the sides were some baskets of cardboard tubes and assorted window blocks. Beyond that were the items already out in our backyard space.
I gave very little introduction other than to say there were toys and materials for playing about the story of Pesach. The boys could use what they wished as they felt they wanted to. They could act out the story, play about it, build about it or come up with their own ideas.

Many times, when something is new, it is met with a bit of trepidation. Some children will flock toward the familiar. Some will dip their pinky toe in and then slowly enter. Others jump in, full body and immerse. Still others will go to another space or activity altogether and enter only when ready. This is why I always remind myself and others of the most important "loose part," TIME. Children need time to engage, immerse and remain in creative play. We tend to pour a lot of energy and time ourselves into provocations or activity setups and then we can feel frustrated or concerned when they are not met with a response we expected. One thing I have almost always found to be true is that given the space of time and silence, children do engage and explore--each in their own way and at their own pace.

Y went immediately to the baby Moshe in the basket. He loves babies right now and this felt familiar and soothing.

S gave everything the once over and walked away to the sensory bin, still filled with desert sand dough from our Digging in the Desert STEM challenge. A repeated activity has the component of familiarity that is comforting to him and served as a base for later emerging into the play scene across the yard... Sand, dough and sensory materials are a wonderful loose part to use in play! He also enjoys using other loose parts and tools in the sensory table, taking them out into other play areas and adding in others from other play areas as well. 

Both boys slowly moved into their play experience and I really invited myself to sit back and observe. At one point, I asked S and Y if they would like me to read the story in the book while they played. S's response was incredible! "Mommy, I'm worried that if you are reading it will stop us from playing!" I love that he advocated for ownership in his play space and experience. I completely respected his response and continued to watch as they played, responding to questions or remarks as I was invited to.

Play begets play and sometimes there are requests for additional components to support the process, like when S asked if I could build the tee-pee for them again. We stopped into the house to grab our old sheet and I re-planted the garden stakes and fastened on the sheet for the boys. He busily took to building a bonfire again using silks and stones and then needed to go to the front yard to pick a couple of sticks from our play garden. That, of course, meant he'd need some playdough from our STEAM drawer cart inside to make them marshmallows for roasting. Perhaps the part about roasting marshmallows over a bonfire during the original exodus from Egypt didn't make the story line in our liturgy, but it did in play!

 Large riding toys, push toys and other outdoor materials make for great loose parts as well. Here, S lay himself in our big red wagon and declared that he was "baby Moshe in his basket."

It took the boys a while to fully engage in our provocation and they were completely immersed for quite a while as well. Long enough for Tatty to get home and make the grown-ups some dinner which we happily ate up outside watching the boys in wonder and play.


Once two, somewhat reluctant but very tired boys were hauled up for a bath and bedtime, I decided to set up a smaller scale Pesach provocation on our kids' table. This would greet them in the morning and kept them busy throughout the weekend that followed. While they start at the table, the pieces rarely remain there. Some are incorporated into block buildings. Some find their way to other areas or other uses and part of encouraging the boys to engage in this type of play is allowing for that (and working on skills to return objects appropriately when we are done). One of the best components of encouraging loose parts play before a big holiday is the fact that it is so independently led and run by the children. We can get a lot done while they are engaged in their play. There's still a lot to do to prepare for the holiday but for now, everyone is keeping pleasantly busy (most of the time) and, as always, happily playing!

Mad Science Monday, Pesach Edition: Digging in the Desert STEM Challenge

 The days preceding Pesach are a time of cleaning out cupboards, kitchens, refrigerators and freezers in many Jewish homes around the world. My boys have eaten more cereal and french fries in the past week than they have over the course of the entire year! They are quite pleased with this. I have such a pet peeve for food waste and it is painful to just "throw things out" that we won't use. I did, admittedly, throw out the boys' snow balls that I rediscovered in the back of the freezer from January! And while many are hesitant toward using food products in play for a variety of personal, cultural and/or allergy reasons, I think there are times when a shot at life in a sensory table is better than a shot across the room into the trash barrel. So the good news? We used up the flour and the bottle of baby oil that had been in our medicine cabinet since Y was born so I could get the sticky goo off my skin from the bandage over my c-Section wound! And, we made our own sand dough. 
I would admonish that this is a messy activity more suited for outdoor use (which is what we did) or indoor use when you are not trying to clean your homes of chametz before Pesach. The recipe for sand dough is incredibly simple:

Ingredients:
8 cups all purpose flour
1 cup baby oil

I will say that I did not measure my ingredients at all even given the ratio of the original recipe. I honestly just dumped 2 opened bags of flour into our sensory table bin and subsequently emptied the remaining contents of the bottle of baby oil we had. On its own, the dough was a bit crumbly and powdery but when squeezed between the hands or molded into ice cube trays, cups and even mega blocks, it held together to make shapes and bricks that the boys could use to build.

It is perfect for sand castles, igloos and even pyramids. Why, oh why, do we still teach our children that the Jewish people enslaved in Egypt were forced to build the pyramids?! Oh gosh, I don't know. Historical timelines show this to be impossible and the liturgy itself states that the Jewish people were building warehouses for Pharoah, not pyramids. Nonetheless, pyramid building brings forth a fascinating geometrical and engineering challenge for little ones and so we continue...

S and Y were so excited to get outside and dig in our desert! They have grown accustomed to a new routine of waking up from afternoon rest time, eating a quick dinner and bolting out the front or back door. They both ran right over to the sensory table and began to dig, fill, shape and mold the dough. I set up the bin quite simply at first, with just a couple of shovels, ice cube trays, some mega blocks and a little fisher price construction worker. We have added some less played with toys from indoors into our backyard setup so that they can take on new life and function while I try to function at keeping our garden alive this season. The boys LOVE using mega blocks, construction trucks, dinosaurs and little people outside now! And they had just as much fun using them in our sand dough table as well.

I overheard S singing a popular Pesach children's song as he played:
Dig, dig, dig, dig your shovel deep
Dig, dig, dig, there's no time for sleep
For it's work, work, work,
Every day and every night
For it's work, work, work
When it's dark and when it's light.

He added that he was very "happy to be working." And then he took to calling me Pharoah instead of Mommy. I'm taking this as an overall compliment, I think...

This was such a fun activity that since the weather was predicted to remain dry, I decided to cover our sensory bin with a trash bag overnight and leave it for the boys to play with again.

Getting outside is such a natural way to incorporate science into your play and learning routine. STEM challenges, sensory play and nature exploration in and of itself all promote skills in engineering, observation, experimentation and critical thinking. The boys? Well, they mostly think they're playing and they are having a great time! So whether you are looking to empty those last bags of flour (and I'm banking that you could probably also use another type of oil) or whether you will save this one in the vault for after Pesach and build a backyard beach and sand castle, homemade sand dough is an easy and cost effective way to build, learn and play before Pesach and all year round!

Happy Working Playing!

Pesach STEM Challenge: Building a Basket for Baby Moshe

Truth be told, there is a lot to do indoors as the holiday of Pesach draws near. And it is also true that getting those tasks accomplished with kids in the home can be quite challenging! I see getting outside with these boy as a productivity investment plan. They get the fresh air, exercise and healthy dose of vitamin N[ature] in (so do I) and we can all get a lot more done afterward.
Even more important than all of the daunting tasks that we take on each year to prepare for the holiday is the meaning and significance of this occasion to our kids. This is the time of year we want our children to ask "why" over and over and over again. This holiday is not just about our ancestors and it is not just about us; it is about our children and the future of the Jewish people as a whole. So learning about it at school and at home and engaging in meaningful play activities about Pesach are integral parts of the preparation process--just as much as the cleaning, shopping, and eating of copious amounts of carbohydrates before it begins.

I love a nice STEM challenge. I also love emptying my recycling bin. We did a similar activity to this one last year inside the house and this year I thought it would be extra fun to get outside and build! The boys were greeted at our I Wonder Station with a basket containing two water safe baby dolls and a sign reading "What can you build to carry Baby Moshe across the river?" Below the hook and basket, I set a bin of recycled materials, some craft supplies, masking tape, even tin foil. They sensory table was filled with water, the boys could use the materials in the basket and whatever else was already outside. Their challenge was to build something that could get their baby to float (or even sink) while staying dry. All kinds of brainstorming and creativity ensued...

this container closed over top and provided all around protection until..the water seeped in through the drainage holes in the bottom of it! Oh no!

This container was solid at the bottom, no holes. But...the baby was a little bit too heavy and it toppled over!

Nothing a little sunbathing won't dry off...

Parts were connected, assembled, dismantled and reassembled. Soon, even things in the yard that weren't broken needed fixing! One eager carpenter and his apprentice got busy at work repairing a wheelbarrow handle...

You don't need a lot of fancy toys and materials to carry out a fun and meaningful activity. Even though we did a similar one last year, the boys have grown a whole year older--and wiser--in their understanding of buoyancy. Even Y could now recognize items sinking and floating in the "river." (He tested quite a few!)

And the great outdoors is a wonderful place for building together, whether you're working on the best basket for baby Moshe, building pyramids with plastic mega blocks or woodworking.




So take a little break from wrapping the whole house in tinfoil, maybe bring the roll outside with you along with the contents of your recycling bin and happy playing for Pesach and all year round!

Pesach Is Coming: Dramatic Play Fun!

All work and no play makes for some very grumpy children (and adults alike)! There is so much to be done in the weeks preceding Pesach, but in this special holiday that is so much about our children, what if I told you that you could have it all? Work and play and a little help from your little ones?

Honestly, aside from eating all the foods we need to get rid of and staring at my master lists of things to do, things to buy and things we have stored (somewhere??) from last year, I have been in a bit of De Nile (pun totally intended). But S is learning about Pesach in school and with his usual enthusiasm has come home playing about it, talking about it and teaching Y about it as well. For good reasons this year, I just can't go completely overboard with prep for play or holiday activities--but some simple setups at home (and even in the yard) invited the boys to get busy playing about and helping to prep for this upcoming holiday.

S's wonderful teachers created a dramatic play matzah bakery in their classroom, which of course he loves and requested at home. Amazingly, we were short on empty boxes for a matzah oven, but I did have a growing collection of recycled-once-so-far shoe boxes that could withstand an upgrade. So I turned an old Shabbat Box project into a Pesach matzah oven along with some cardboard and wooden craft stick matzah pans with handles. The sponge painted candlesticks and kiddush cups were totally holiday appropriate here and with a bit of hot glue, some recycled bottle caps, a fire drawn into the background and very limited assembly, our oven was matzah ready. Kids could totally help with this project (and in a way, I guess S did--just not at the time of its actual creation).

We happen to have a Pesach play set the boys received as a gift a couple of years ago from their Safta and Saba, so they use the wooden matzahs from there to bake. They also made a set of play matzahs for our kitchen using cardstock cut into circles and doing crayon rubbings over Lego and Duplo boards and even a handmade template with dots of dried glue to create the texture. You can add in props like aprons and chefs hats, other Pesach themed toys and dishes, you can even add a timer to your oven (we have a digital one from Dollar Tree) and count the 18 minutes! Our two little bakers were very busy getting matzahs in and out of the oven FAST, all while busily setting the seder table with seats for each of the brothers and "one for Eliyahu!"

But before the seder begins, there's a lot of cleaning to do! And no one here loves to clean like S and Y do. Really, no one. But their enthusiasm for the task is enough for all four of us! And I won Mommy of the Year by investing in a roll of tin foil especially just for them. Yup, S told me I'm "the best Mommy ever" because I let him and Y play with soapy water, sponges, rags, and unlimited amounts of masking tape and tin foil. Child labor? Dramatic Play? Tomato, tomahto... And the best part (right next to their gleeful smiles and giggles) was that our kitchen set and toy dishes (and the floor, kids table and chairs) all got cleaned thoroughly for Pesach!

Even outside time has been infused with child-led play about building (and even drawing) pyramids. I've been slowly clearing up and setting up our backyard area as we prepare the space to hopefully house a raised bed table and our season's garden. Taking out some of the toys we've had stored away upstairs in the boys' room that can withstand outdoor elements has been a great way to clear up indoor space, jazz up our backyard for some playing and will hopefully also help keep the boys busy at play while I am busy in the garden this year.

For it's work, work, work, every day and every night... But here, even before Pesach, we still make some time and space for a bit of play. Happy cleaning and preparing if you're at it and remember, play is kosher for Pesach and all year round!

Happy Playing!

Pesach, Pesach! Play All About It: Frog Prints & Some Little Tips to Keep You Hopping into the Holiday

We're in the final countdown to Pesach here! I'd love to tell you that our house is spic and span and ready to go, but people live in it. And some of those people are children. And one of them decided all on his own to ditch the diapers and give the potty a go this past Shabbos (woohoo!!!) so Pesach prep is a work in process. And speaking of process, here's a great Pesach themed process art activity that is just the right way to have a hopping good time (maybe before you finish cleaning for the holiday).



I think it can be so easy this time of year to make it so hard. As we prepare for a holiday that commemorates our redemption from slavery, we become enslaved to the very tasks that are necessary (and some that are not) to prepare for this holy experience. And in that, sometimes, we lose sight of the joy and the beauty that is our freedom--an exodus that not only our ancestors experienced, but that we experience again and again. This holiday is such a special one for our children. They are invited to our Seder tables and encouraged to ask questions. They are held up not only as leaders of our families on these nights, but as leaders of the Jewish nation. It can be hard to shift our task-driven focus to include the very little hands that will lead us, with G-d's help, to Jerusalem!

And so I find myself taking a breath and regaining that ever important mindset to approach this holiday b'simcha--with joy--and to include my tiny helpers in that preparation as well. Sometimes that means we all need a break to splash in some ooey gooey green paint!

Remember the incredible shades and hues of green paint S concocted in this process art activity? Everything goes to good use here, and I set out a variety of green paints for both boys to use in a tray with a paintbrush (should they choose to use it), some plastic frogs and a few other items for inspiration and creation. Each brother had a piece of light blue card stock and we used aleph bet stickers to spell out "tzfardeah," the plague of frogs in Hebrew. At that point, I let S have at it and gave Y a little help to navigate his painty frog to the paper (and not his mouth). S favored making his frogs hop along the paper and Y liked to drag them across and then use his own "flippers" instead of the frogs'! Both boys had a great time with this activity and it was a hands flippers-on way to jump right into the Pesach story.



With so much to be done and so little time, these final days approaching the holiday can be a little tricky. Every family has their own style and routine that works for them this time of year and here are a few little tips that work for us:

Utilize Your Helpers: S in particular is quite excited and eager to help Mommy and Tatty with anything and everything that needs to be done. These are opportunities to naturally involve kids in household tasks rather than trying to come up with ways to "entertain them" while you try to plow through on your own. Both boys got into cleaning our upstairs to get it ready for Pesach! Rags, squirt bottles, our "toy" cleaning supplies and real ones all got put to use as we worked together.
S was especially excited to hang up a door hanger he made at school and a few we made last year at home that designated the spaces we had cleaned as ready for Pesach!

This was from last year--check out that tiny
newborn Y in the background!

Make It a Shared Task AND a Learning Opportunity: With two little guys on the move here, shared playing areas and toys become a breeding ground for hidden chametz. Some toys do get put away and rotated out until after the holiday. It can be helpful to include children in choosing toys to rotate in and in our house we often raid the stash of yet to be opened Chanukah or birthday gifts in the closet... Nothing like something new to spark the excitement of the upcoming holiday.
Both boys love playing in the the kitchen set, though, and this is a great way to bring some learning into the mix as you prepare. We sort out the toy "chametz" and set up a soapy water sensory bin for a Toy Wash station to prepare any toys that will stay in the area for playing over Pesach.






Bring Them to the Table: Once the holiday finally starts, there is a brief sigh of relief until it's time for the Seder. This time of year, Sederim start late and it can be hard on the children (and the adults) to manage energy levels well past bedtime. In our house, it has worked best in these scenarios to include the children as much as possible at the actual seder and then to have a special "kinderlach seder" (kids' seder) on the second day that is geared toward the shorter set of folks in our house. We go at our own pace, make it playful and fun and really invite those thought provoking questions and observations. On most other nights, we don't allow books and toys at the table, but on this night, you might just see some 10 Makos Finger Puppets, sensory bottles, haggadahs made at home and at school and a variety of child-crafted Pesach props.

I printed off a couple of sets of these adorable finger puppets. One I printed onto card stock and prepared as directed and the other I laminated and applied velcro dots so they could be used with a pair of gloves. Many families enjoy using a version of Bingo or a printable game board to keep track of the parts of the seder as they occur. This year I hope to also set out a small world scene of the Jewish people walking through the Nile in the middle of our table to spark some creative play and discussion during our kids' seder. If you're looking for some more inspiration, check out my previous Pesach posts from years past...

My final tip (to myself) is to breathe and slow down. If a task is urgent, I tend to it--maybe even pop in a fun video for the kids (I still love Bubbie's Boarding House!). If a task is not urgent, it can wait. (Maybe I need a break to watch Bubbie's Boarding House, too!)  I wish all who are celebrating a Chag Kasher v'Sameach and through Pesach and all year round....

Happy Playing!

Pesach, Pesach! Play All About It: Build a Basket for Baby Moshe Science Experiment

Every year, we read the story of Pesach, beginning with the cruel decree by Pharaoh that all Jewish babies be killed and the difficult decision made by baby Moshe's mother to send him via The Nile River to (hopeful) safety. We know that Moshe did indeed arrive to shore safely and was found and rescued by Pharaoh's own daughter. He would be raised in the Egyptian palace and eventually grow to lead the Jewish people out of slavery and into freedom.

I have to be honest here--I get nervous when my boys are in the bathtub, forget about the Nile River! I wonder if Moshe's mother applied some scientific experimentation and critical thinking when she prepared the vessel she would use to float her baby down the Nile? As we play at home about Pesach, I decided to invite the boys to test out the best way to build a basket for "Baby Moshe" in this simple (and low cost) science experiment:

Build a Basket for Baby Moshe Science Experiment

You will need:

• toy baby dolls (I like the little ones from Dollar Tree for this experiment since it's affordable to provide one for each scientist and the prospect of them getting wet isn't too worrisome at $1 a pop)
• a selection of buckets, bins, trays and baskets in a variety of materials--invite your scientists to help you gather these and talk about what might make a good flotation device and why
• water! either in a sensory bin/water table or even the bathtub--you can even take this experiment outdoors if your weather allows for it
• you might also want to add in some towels, baby/doll blankets, toy bottles and baby doll accessories and talk about things that would help make the baby more comfortable and safer as he travels down the Nile

We started out by gathering our babies, baskets, buckets, bins, bowls, trays and accessories. I set out a vinyl shower curtain on the rug so the boys could work on the floor and had some towels handy as well. We have done sink and float experiments here before, like in this Noah's Ark themed experiment and even explored the mechanics of boats. I always say that great play and learning activities are worth repeating, and this experience reminded me why!

S has done a lot of versions of sink and float science over the years. Y had his first run with it this time (aside from natural exploration of buoyancy in the tub and in water play). Even though S has done this before, his understanding of buoyancy has evolved. He now understands that holes in a basket let water inside and that water inside makes the baby wet and the basket sink! He was quick to problem solve this before selecting a bucket with no holes at all to safely float his Baby Moshe down the Nile! Y had plenty of fun exploring the mechanics of the wicker basket he chose, water, baby and all!

When we were done with the experiment, we wrapped up our slightly soggy babies to dry and added some soap bubbles, a plastic baby doll, some plastic frogs, washrags and brushes into the sensory bin for some baby bath fun. Both boys had a great time splashing around (and simultaneously helping to wash our rug and their clothing). 

Water play is an activity that never gets old here, and as the saying goes, it's only water! We will be back again with a great Pesach themed process art provocation that will incorporate our green paints from this play activity and some amphibious friends...

Until then, Hoppy--I mean,Happy Playing!

Pesach, Pesach! Play All About It: Frogs Are Jumping Everywhere Sensory Bin

Frogs here, frogs there, frogs are jumping everywhere! You know you're getting ready for Pesach when parents and teachers kvell over their children playing about plagues and slavery. Many of the topics of this holiday may be a bit dark and intense. Children learn and work through dark and intense emotions through play and in the spirit of keeping things age appropriate and play-based, we love to play about the plague of frogs each year!

This year I set up our sensory bin as a frog pond! It's in our kitchen, which allows the boys to be nearby while we get some of the other things in there ready. Because I included some smaller parts, Y will need some support to play or a version with only larger objects to play more independently. I love to include a piece of art or photography in our sensory play area for inspiration. In our bin itself, I mixed natural objects like rocks, driftwood, tree circles and tree blocks along with man-made materials like plastic toy frogs, artificial flowers and leaves, glass gems and a plastic "grass" mat that was actually intended to be a bottle drying rack but never used for that purpose in this house! I added water, some drops of blue and yellow food coloring and debated whether to pick up S early from school to play or play in it myself! Most of the the materials were purchased at the Dollar Tree or a craft supply store and you can really add as much or little as you'd like to make your own Frog Pond sensory bin. I'm hopping--I mean, hoping, that this will be a big hit as we get ready for Pesach here. You might just see these frogs again next time in a process art activity....

Until then, Hoppy Playing!

Pesach, Pesach! Play All About It: Matzah Bakery

Pesach is coming! This is one of the busiest times of year for grown ups, whether it's at home or in the classroom. At home, the adults are busy cleaning, organizing, making lists, shopping and preparing for the holiday. At school, teachers are drowning in a Nile River of projects that are often heavy on adult-hands even as they are created by the children. There is so much to do to get ready for Pesach that it is easy to forget one of the greatest purposes of this holiday: the children! This is a holiday that commands us to invite our children to the table well past their bedtime and encourages that three letter word we often tire of hearing by 4PM: "Why?" 

Last year at this time, I was pretty busy adding a brother to our family, so much of our home activities were set up to be simple, play based and child led. You can revisit those here! Even as a play at home Mommy who loves to plan and organize, I truly was able to embrace the simplicity of S experiencing the holiday through open ended exploration more than the typical structured approach I adopted throughout our homeschool experience. And this year, I am embracing that again! He is busy at school with projects, games, songs, learning and play. I am immensely grateful to his teachers and aware of the amount of work they are putting in this time of year, too! I'm pretty sure that employees at Dollar Trees around the nation wonder what we are all doing with cart loads of plastic disposable wine cups, serving plates, toy frogs, baby dolls and Easter baskets this time of year...

Whether you're looking for something to round out your home experience as Pesach draws near or something to enrich your classroom theme, these next few posts are for you! We'll start off with a playful way to use up the last bit of flour in your cupboard...

We've been exploring fairy tales here and this week we checked out a few versions of "The Little Red Hen" from our library. We also read a Pesach version of this book, The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah  by Leslie Kimmelman. We invited some toy animals to join us in the story telling and then proceeded to test our hands at baking our own matzah!

Since matzah used during Pesach must follow very strict guidelines and use only kosher for Pesach ingredients, we used this activity as an opportunity to experiment with the process and ate the goods before Pesach. I made sure to explain that to S in particular who would likely have expected this to be the matzah served at our seder!

Ingredients and Tools:
2 parts flour to one part water--we used about 2 cups of spelt flour and about a cup of water
a mixing bowl
a mixing spoon
measuring cups
forks
a rolling pin
a baking sheet

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour your flour into a mixing bowl and make a hole in the center (your little bakers can do this!). Now, start a timer for 18 minutes--this is to show your little bakers how the process of baking matzah must be complete in 18 minutes. We love our visual timer for this and I also explained that it's only to show how quickly this happens in a real matzah bakery so that no one would feel nervous about it. Slowly pour the water into the depression (little ones can help with this, too) and mix until a dough is formed. Split your dough into balls for each baker (we did two) and roll it flat. Poke holes in the dough with a fork. Next you're ready to place it on an ungreased cookie sheet (we lined ours with foil) and bake for about 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges. (Ours took a little longer as it was thicker--thinner matzahs will cook faster).

Mixing...

Rolling....

Playing...

Poking....

Not quite poking...

In an ironic twist, my pickier eater loved the matzah and my equal opportunity chow hound did not! It was really neat to see and experience the process hands-on in real life.

"Yummy! I love this matzah!"

"No no no no no!"

We'll be back next week with a fun Pesach themed sensory bin... Until then, happy playing!