It’s hard to imagine Lag B’Omer without public gatherings, local bonfires or celebrations or big parades. Nonetheless, the greatest celebration of Lag B’Omer is that of Jewish unity and Ahavas Yisroel! While it looks different this year than on others, we are perhaps even more connected to one another, albeit through alternative means. It might feel a little unusual to make a celebration at home with just immediate family, but it can still be fun and meaningful. Here are some craft and activity ideas to enhance your day using materials you have easy access to in these difficult times.
Every year, my children look forward to bonfires, and “camp ins” (playing about camping at home or in our backyard. Public bonfires aren’t happening this year and not everyone lives in a location that is conducive to having one. Some families may not even have access to outdoor spaces or yards right now and that can be really challenging. So let’s get creative together and make a Family Lag b’Omer Camp-In at home!
Pitch Your Tent: Whether you have an actual tent, build a fort with chairs and couch cushions and blankets or just set some cozy blankets out on the floor, setting up camp is a great activity for kids of all ages. If you do have a yard and the weather permits, you might do this outdoors.
It is just as fun and cozy indoors, too!
Setting Up Camp:
Let’s Go Fishing! To create a camp like atmosphere, you might want to include some fun camping activities. If you have the ingredients, perhaps you’ll make some s’mores in the oven or microwave. Maybe you have the ability to grill at home or prepare some favorite BBQ foods indoors. You might set up a little fishing game indoors with some paper or felt fish shapes and add a paperclip “mouth.” Use a refrigerator magnet, string and some tape to attach it to a stick, dowel, or long cardboard tube to make a fishing pole and you can go fishing right from your living room!
If you’re in the mood to add some waterplay to the mix, you can go fishing in a big bin or bowl of water. You can use what you have on hand. We had a fishing game party favor one year that we used but another year I just set out some bath toys, a colander and some sandbox toys to fish with! If you want to cool off with some ice play, you can make ice cube “fish” in an ice cube tray using colored water. Toss in a couple of googly eyes if you have them, but no need if you don’t. When your water is frozen, pop them out and add them to a bin of water. We did this with waterbeads one year, but those are not a requirement to make this enjoyable. If you have salad tongs, they make great “ice fishing poles,” but a ladle or slotted spoon would also work well!
Remember--children have inherently great imaginations! They can stretch them as wide as need be--just about anything can be a fish and just about anything can be used to catch it.
Build a Bonfire! While a real bonfire may not be feasible in your space, a pretend one can be great fun to think up and build. Perhaps you’ll go outdoors to gather real sticks or perhaps you’ll work from indoors and use blocks or recycled cardboard tubes. Your flames can be made from scarves/tichels, fire colored clothing and linens, crumpled tissue or construction paper. When it comes to project planning these days, it can be helpful to put your kids in the driver’s seat. Let them navigate what materials to use and how to set them up!
Gather Together and CELEBRATE: Next it’s time to cozy up together and celebrate by the “fire.” Sing or listen to some favorite songs. Dance in your living room! Parade around your house or if safely possible, around your neighborhood. Does anyone in your house play an instrument? If you don’t have “real” instruments” at home, maybe you’d like to make some of your own. If my kids have taught me anything, it’s that everything can be a drum! Share some favorite stories together or share some favorite things about each other. Ahavas Yisroel starts at home and this year, we can really celebrate that!
Feeling Crafty?
If you want to get crafty this year, here are some ideas. Use what you have handy! This year we plan to do a family mural using large paper and art supplies. This is a great way to work together with one another (an important theme of Lag B’Omer) and create something beautiful. We will hang it in our front window to bring joy to our neighbors passing by. You can do this with smaller paper as well. Family members can work together or create individual pieces of art to contribute to your window museum. You might add a message of kindness and encouragement.
For some theme related art, you might want to build a tiny bonfire craft. One year we did this with an overturned plastic cup, squares of colored paper, a paper plate and construction paper “sticks.” I used an LED light inside the cup, but this is not a requirement to make it fun! You can even make a marshmallow roasting stick prop using an actual stick, popsicle stick or wooden dowel and gluing a cotton ball marshmallow to one end.
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You can also gather twigs outdoors and glue them onto a paper plate or piece of paper and add some crumpled tissue paper or construction paper flames. If you’d like a moveable miniature bonfire rather than a permanent craft, you can use the same materials but leave out the glue! This can be a great addition to a dollhouse or block building for little toys and figurines to celebrate together.
Marshmallows are fun for eating if you have them. They are also fun for painting with. You can use vanilla pudding or yogurt colored red, yellow and/or orange with food coloring to make edible paint. You can also do this with real paint (but make sure your littlest ones won’t eat it!) or substitute in a cotton ball for the “marshmallow.”
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This year is different but we can still make Lag B’Omer feel special! It just may be the perfect recipe for a meaningful and memorable experience.
The Chizuk Team
Sarah Maddali
After a long stint of Biomedical research, Sarah realized her true love and passion lies in rearing her children. Recently, Sarah's hobbies include creating platforms to help Jewish women step into their amazing role and to help them do it b'simcha (with happiness), which is how she created MamaChizuk! Additionally, Sarah is a children's book author, and the founder of HashemsGems.com , a new publishing company geared for young, Jewish children to learn basic developmental concepts through a Jewish lens. Sarah uses her immense gratitude to HaShem, love of her children, family and Torah as inspiration behind all she does. For questions/comments/suggestions about MamaChizuk, please contact her here.
Michal Lipp
My name is Michal and while I’ve spent much of the last decade inside an early childhood classroom, I stepped out for a bit to play at home with my own three children. With an educational background in social work and disability studies, I have a passion for the unique and individualized ways that children learn, especially through play. By sharing hands on experiences and activities with my children related to Jewish themes, they grow to grasp and love Torah in a tangible way. In my “spare” time, I can be found running a local nature based playgroup for families and children in our community. You can find more of my play and activity ideas on my personal blog, Play a Day.
Shana Balkin
Shana Balkin, creator of @SaladTherapy on Facebook and Instagram, lives with her husband and children in Houston, Texas. Salad Therapy features all simple and nutritious vegan recipes with no sweeteners, oil, or highly processed ingredients.
Mike Hirsch
Teaching expert, Mike Hirsch comes with a wealth of knowledge and over 20 years of teaching experience. Mike has taught at the middle school level, teaching science and math while integrating character education and life lessons. On the university level, Mike has taught Educational and Psychological Measurement and Group Intelligent Testing, as well as 'Teaching Math at the Middle School Level' to students training to become teachers. Mike has presented at many regional and national conferences and is featured in textbooks for his unique teaching methodologies. He has won many prestigious teaching awards including the Edison Teaching Award. In addition to helping children learn the art of learning (and how to enjoy it!) he has also taught parents how to help their children succeed in school.
Rachel Horan
Rachel Horan is founder of “Rhyme & Reason Parenting”, is a parenting life coach, specializing in helping parents implement positive behavior management techniques with their children, and in supporting parents whose children are undergoing challenges. Her life’s mission is to show mothers how they can parent from a place of strength and positivity. She coaches mothers one-on-one and has developed a unique and transformative curriculum for teaching parents the skills to make their parenting experience enjoyable. Rachel is a certified ICF life coach, a licensed Hydro-Therapist, holds a B.A. in Statistics from Rutgers University, and is a wife and mother of several energetic children.
For more information please visit her website: www.rhymereasonparenting.com or contact her directly at ralhoran@gmail.com.
Ani Lipitz
Ani Lipitz is a teacher, speaker, and writer whose mission and passion is helping women and girls access their personal Geula through the teachings of Chassidus. She teaches Tanya at Monsey Bais Chaya Mushka High School, and runs Geulavision, a WhatsApp community dedicated to cultivating Geula consciousness. Ani lives in Pomona, NY with her husband and four children ka"h.
Chaya Bracha Rubin
Chaya-Bracha's first performance was in a high chair - for her Mom! Ever since then she has loved sharing her music with others. ​
She has been singing professionally for over 15 years, and won numerous awards and scholarships for her writing. She is passionate about Jewish music and has used her original melodies and poignant lyrics to teach girls and inspire women around the world.
Chaya-Bracha has performed in the U.S. and Israel, most notably for a crowd of over 3,500 at the Kinus HaShluchos in Manhattan, and was a co-writer for the CD “Davening with Niggunim” produced by Anash Chinuch; available for purchase on all platforms, and at:
https://www.anashchinuch.com/davening-with-niggunim
In intimate settings or formal events, she moves her listeners to joy and strength through her original compositions and personal stories.
You listen to her music on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-MNOiIAOELd20_7fdX6ldQ
and follow her on Instagram @joybreakslimits and Facebook
https://m.facebook.com/chayabrachamusic/
for updates and concert announcements.
Aviva Joy Rossman
Aviva Joy Rossman is a creative educator and artist with a love for teaching through Storytelling, poetry,
and puppetry. Holding a degree in nutrition and psychology and her certification as an interdisciplinary
yoga instructor, she has used this education for her own health as well as teaching self-healing techniques to children, women, and senior citizens.
Her workshop entitled “Love and Divine Purpose”, combines Judaic teachings, wisdom, creative Storytelling, guided imagery, visualization, healing, and inspiration. It was created from years of self-reflection, meditation training, and was inspired by her parents as well as many other amazing Jewish teachers. Aviva started presenting her workshop in 2015 to individual women, Jewish woman’s groups, and annual spa and retreat events.
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Aviva is available for personal or group consultations and presentations. Please contact her at AJCreativesrv@gmail.com
