Ok, so my
son has never been in love with art (of course, because I am an arts educator—sarcasm
very much implied here). So, I’ve always tried adding another type of activity
in with the art. This menorah art exploration also includes science as well. It’s
also part of the Multicultural Kid Blogs Hanukkah for Kids series!
I’m a fan of
coloring ice cubes and letting them melt into swirling, whirling water colors. Not
only does the melting ice teach your child about the solid-to-liquid transformation,
but it also adds in a lesson on color mixing. If you’re beginning to ask, “What
does this have to do with Hanukkah?” – here it is. You can’t let your child
play with the real menorah. Lit candles and a kid just don’t mix. With that in
mind, you can make a crafty menorah. You and your child can also try this
melting ice science/art menorah. Unlike the slowly burning flames of the
menorah’s candle, these melting ‘candles’ won’t burn anyone or anything.
Before you
begin, ask your child what he thinks will happen to his ice block menorah if he
leaves it out. Dig a bit deeper and ask him to predict what it will eventually
turn into (also ask how long he thinks it will take to melt).
Here’s What
You’ll Need:
·
Ice
cube trays
·
Food
coloring
·
Gold
glitter
·
Card
stock paper
Here’s What
to Do:
1. Make the
ice for the menorah. You need enough to make a base and ‘candle holders’. Keep
in mind you need eight holders (one for each night of Hanukkah) and a center
shamash candle. The shamash is the ‘attendant’ candle – the one that you use to
light the others. Drip a few drops of food coloring into each compartment of
the trays (sprinkle in some glitter too, if your child wants). Pour in water. Freeze.
2. Drip a
few drops of yellow food coloring into another tray. You need at least none
pieces to make nine flames. Sprinkle gold glitter on top to make sparkling
flames. Freeze the flame cubes.
3. Pop the
frozen cubes out of the freezer.
4. Stack the
ice in the shape of a menorah on thick card stock paper. Encourage your child
to explore and experiment with the engineering aspect of it. Let him stack the
cubes in any way that he wants, making sure to count out the nine total candle
holders. He can also make the center shamash holder taller than the other.
5. Add the ‘flames’.
Stack the yellow and gold glitter cubes on top of the candles.
As the ice
begins to melt your child can start spreading the flowing water colors around.
By moving the different colors of ice he can discover what happens when the
colors mix.
Eventually
the menorah will melt. But, it won’t be gone. Save the remaining water color
paint paper as a reminder of this Hanukkah activity.
Are you
looking for more art and science activities? Follow my Pinterest board for more
ideas!
Follow Mini Monets and Mommies's board Preschool Art and Science Activities on Pinterest.
Thanks for sharing.I found a lot of interesting information here. A really good post, very thankful and hopeful that you will write many more posts like this one.
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