עזרה הדדית
סְּפָרִים
Book-Related Family Activities
Connections
You can talk about older people you know or knew in the past: Who are they? What is your connection to them? What do you like doing with them now? What memories do you, the parents, have of older figures from your childhood?
It’s Our Birthday
Story time
Want to listen to the story? Scan the QR code and you can listen to the story together while turning the pages, at home, in the car or whenever you have time.
It’s Our Birthday
Hello Your Majesty
Amira suggests playing a game she played as a child – so can you! How do you play? One participant is the king and the rest are his children coming for a visit. They greet him with “Hello, Your Majesty”. The king replies: “Hello my dear children? Where have you been and what have you been doing?”
The children must explain where they were and what they did in mime, and the king must guess correctly. Then they switch roles.
It’s Our Birthday
It’s Our Birthday
Party time
Alma is planning a magic party with a magic hat and a magic potion, and invites witches and wizards to join. You can plan a magic party as well, with your own magical ideas. And maybe it will be a “resting” party? Or a game party? Or another themed party of your choice?
It’s Our Birthday
A discussion: What if I were… Mom
Which roles does each member of your household have? Who would you want to take over from? This book could inspire you to imagine switching roles within your home: What would your child do if they were to take over from Grandpa? What would Grandpa do if he took over from Mom? And how would you be able to help one another?
One Friend Takes Over for Another
Listening to the story
What do you play in a parade? And what do musical instruments in a band sound like? You can find out all the answers to these questions and more if you listen to this book by scanning the code.
One Friend Takes Over for Another
A game of “my occupation”
Am I a physician or a clown? Can you guess my occupation? Take turns choosing a profession and acting it out for the other players to guess. If a player’s profession is a little hard to guess, you could give them a clue.
One Friend Takes Over for Another
Going into the illustrations
Which character in this book would you like to take over from? You may enjoy looking through it, choosing a character you would like to replace, and share your thoughts with one another: Would you want to take over from the baker? Or play in the parade?
One Friend Takes Over for Another
One Friend Takes Over for Another
Discussion
This story prompts a discussion about neighbors and relationships: You may enjoy asking one another which neighbors you know, and come up with an activity that would help you get to know a family that lives nearby better. You, parents, are welcome to share stories about the neighbors living near your childhood home: Who were they, and what did you do together?
Knock Knock Knock – Knocking on the Door!
Pleased to meet you – Getting to know your neighbors
You could, perhaps, prepare something together to give to your neighbors: It could be something to eat, a drawing, or a letter that you could leave by the door. You could even just visit them and ask them how they are doing. And the simplest suggestion of all: Smile when you see your neighbors, and say: “Hi, how are you?” and “Have a great day!”
Knock Knock Knock – Knocking on the Door!
Fun at home
The characters in this book do lots of fun things at Yael’s house! You could look at the illustrations, choose an activity that interests you, and do it yourself, or with the rest of your family.
Knock Knock Knock – Knocking on the Door!
A home of your own
The children in this book make a building out of boxes. You can do the same! Find different-sized boxes and build a home from them for yourselves or your toys. Don’t forget to invite your neighbors over to visit!
Knock Knock Knock – Knocking on the Door!
Knock Knock Knock – Knocking on the Door!
Discussing – Giving love
The Shamash understands that a flame is endless, much like love. What do you think? Can love keep growing like a flame, even after some of it has been given to others? Do we have enough love for all those we care about?
A Hanukkah Kiss
Inspiration – From one generation to another
The story of Hanukkah is passed down from one generation to the next. Do you have stories, songs, or recipes that are passed down in your family? After lighting the Hanukkah candles, you may want to tell your child how you celebrated Hanukkah when you were growing up, and add stories you heard from your own family. How about singing a good old family song, or preparing some food for all of you to enjoy?
A Hanukkah Kiss
Playing – Passing the love around
As you light the Hanukkah candles, watch how they pass the flame from one to the other. Just like the Menorah candles, you could pass the love around in your family: stand in a row, and pass round the love “flame” by giving each other hugs and kisses, or saying something nice. You could go round several times, if you wish, finding new ways of expressing love and passing it round to different family members each time.
A Hanukkah Kiss
Moving – The candle race
This game is similar to a relay race, only instead of passing a baton to the next runner, you pass a candle: each time one of your family members runs with the candle to a set point, where another family member is waiting to receive the candle and run on to the next spot. You may want to create a circular route where you play round and round, or one with a start and finish line. Did you manage to pass the candle on? Good job! Afterwards, you can pass round some cushions and drinks, and rest together.
A Hanukkah Kiss
Doing some arts & crafts – A de-light-ful greeting card
Hanukkah provides us with a wonderful opportunity to bring joy and light into our loved ones, neighbors, and family’s hearts: you may want to make a greeting card in the shape of a candle in which to write a heartwarming greeting that will light up your holiday and that of its recipient.
A Hanukkah Kiss
– suggestions for game cards and arts & crafts can be found on the PJLibrary Pinterest page.
A Hanukkah Kiss
Reading & discussing
Reading & pausing – this story is comprised of several events, and we therefore recommend stopping every once in a while, and trying to think what will happen next: What will the children do? What secret will be revealed?
Together & separately – what is it that you do better together than you do separately? You may want to discuss this with your child, and share stories of successful collaborations you’ve had as children and adults with them.
Dragonsticks
The branches experiment
Having read this book, you may enjoy collecting some twigs or thin branches and finding out for yourselves: What happens when you try to break one as opposed to a bundle of them?
Dragonsticks
Encouraging and being encouraged
When the children in the story begin to get frustrated, their mother says: “It’s ok, don’t despair, sweethearts. We fall down, we get up, we overcome, and hold our heads up high”. What encourages us when we feel like giving up? Then how about coming up with a family cheer for when the going gets tough.
Dragonsticks
Making a dragon
To make your very own dragon, you will need a cardboard box, crayons, and some paper: you could cut out holes for your eyes and mouth, add on paper teeth and ears, as well as a cardboard tail. You could even make a family dragon, moving it in tandem – the dragon will only move if you all work together.
Dragonsticks
פינטרסט
Dragonsticks
Reading the illustrations
You may enjoy sitting comfortably, looking at the tender illustrations, and identifying the various ways in which Bear helps his friends. Perhaps you could ask your child to tell you the story by the sequence of illustrations, or imagine what story Bear was going to tell his friends before winter came along. You may also enjoy inventing another Bear story, and illustrating it together.
Bear has a Story to Tell
Acting the story out
You could act the story out using puppets and stuffed animals. Invite the rest of your family to watch the play!
Bear has a Story to Tell
Mutual help
Bear is a good friend, who realizes what his friends need, and helps them. You may want to remind one another how you have helped each other throughout the day. You could choose a family member, neighbor or kindergarten friend, and think together about something they may need a hand with, and how to lend it to them.
Bear has a Story to Tell
Oops, I forgot…
Have you ever forgotten what you wanted to say? You could play charades together. Try to remind one another of shared experiences using familiar songs, hand gestures, or drawings.
Bear has a Story to Tell
Help your toys get ready for winter
You may want to allocate a corner of your child’s bedroom to serve as a winter corner for their stuffed animals. Perhaps you would enjoy using pillows and blankets to make burrows or caves for comfy, cozy hibernation.
Bear has a Story to Tell
What's the story?
Bear turns his experience into a story to tell his friends. You may enjoy making a little book together entitled The Day we have had, and fill it with drawings of the experiences you had today. You could read the book together before bedtime.
Bear has a Story to Tell
Just one more story
Is your child always asking for one more story during bedtime? You could place a small box or basket by their bed, containing some of their favorite books, for your child to look at on their own after saying good night. You may want to go through the basket every once in a while, and select new books with which to fill it together.
Bear has a Story to Tell
Winter is coming
You may enjoy taking a walk in your neighborhood together, collecting colorful fallen leaves, and making prints out of them: place a piece of paper over a leaf, and color over it using red, orange and brown crayons. Hang your leaf prints around the house.
Bear has a Story to Tell