What Does It Take?

Family Activities:

• שְׁמִירָה
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• Look closely at the illustrations together with your child. Did you take note of the same things? Did you discover anything surprising or humorous in the pictures? You may ask your children if they recognize all the objects in the book, and explain those things that they do not know. Take a closer look: Some of the illustrations are made from photographs; others are created with torn pieces of paper or fabric. You can flip through the pages and look for all the things that are made of wood. Did you notice how the letters are made?
• Take note of the book’s cover. Did you notice the flower that is sprouting from the wooden table? Which came first, the flower or the table? As a way to emphasize nature’s cycle, try reading the book backwards, from end to beginning.
• Which trees grow near your home? You can go out together for a walk and collect twigs and special leaves. Back home, you can glue your treasures onto a clean piece of paper and create a picture.
• The blessing of the trees reminds us to stop and enjoy nature. You can talk about the plants and trees that you know – their names and their characteristics. Which trees do you find beautiful? Which trees produce fruit and which do not? You can discuss the many ways we benefit from different trees.
• Together with your children, you can make your own What Does It Take… book.  Invite your children to cut or rip pictures from old magazines. Then glue the torn pictures onto pieces of white paper, punch holes in the side of the pages and tie them together with a shoestring. Does your book have pictures of flowers and trees as well?
• Do your children know the origins of the food they eat, the clothes they wear, their books and toys? It is important to encourage questions on the source and production process of everyday objects. Even when we do not have all the answers, the act of wondering about this expands the children’s knowledge base and increases everyone’s appreciation and gratitude for our world.
• You can play a family game of “What is made of…?”  One person thinks of an object in the home (furniture, kitchenware, toys…) and announces, “I’m thinking of something that’s made of…”, and the others try to guess the object. Be sure to take turns so everyone has a chance to ask the questions and provide the answers.