Latest news, food, business, travel, sport, Tips and Tricks...

Matchbox Menorah | Kids' Painting Ideas

Matchbox Menorah

Total Time Needed: 1 Hour

Ages: 24 months and up

Make the Festival of Lights more toddler-inclusive with a magical menorah your child can help make - and then "light" all by herself.

Materials

  • Washable paints and brushes
  • Paper plate
  • 10 small empty matchboxes (10-packs are available at many supermarkets for around $1)
  • White glue and glitter (optional)
  • Glue dots
  • Foam board or poster board
  • Decorative ribbon

Instructions

1. Squeeze the paint onto a paper plate (we used two shades of blue, swirled together) and hand your child one matchbox at a time to paint. (Tip: If your toddler is too young to brush on the paint fairly evenly, you may want to apply a base coat yourself before letting her take over.) Once the paint is dry, use white glue to add a sprinkling of glitter, if you like.

2. Paint a teardrop-shaped flame inside 9 of the matchbox drawers, as shown at right.

Step 3 - Matchbox Menorah

3. With glue dots, attach the matchboxes to the foam or poster board as shown. Trim the board's edges and fashion a hanger with ribbon. Then your child can "light" one candle each day by opening a drawer to reveal the flame inside.

//