fun with dyed chanukah pasta

When I found this happy bag of Chanukah pasta at World Market I scooped it up with a whoop and imagined how pretty it would be dyed in all sorts of happy colors. So I took it home and did just that using this method.

The bag itself isn't too large so each color is only maybe two cups or so of noodles. The teal and purple were accomplished using liquid watercolor while the dark blue and the white needed a little help from some acrylic paint mixed with water. The white and blue got a bit more wet than usual in the shaking process so needed a day to dry with a manual flip in between to get both sides.

Once the noodles are all dry there are oodles of ways for your kiddos to play! Use the pasta as a stand in for gelt during dreidel play. Add it to play dough or color sort onto a sorting mat made from printed/solid paper taped or stitched together. Felt will work for a more permanent mat but happy scrapbook paper will do in a pinch!

Stack the pieces! Have a contest to see who can stack the most in a set time. Up the ante by using only your pinching fingers. Grab a pipecleaner or some yarn and string the noodles up for a pretty necklace or bracelet.

Work on math and patterning by creating various patterns with your kiddos. Set up an art table with glue, paint, and glitter and get to it! There are all sorts of ways you can play! Happy Chanukah!

diy glittery gelt

I know, I know...chocolate gelt is a favorite of the kiddos but why not make your own glittery gelt with some tinfoil, gue, crepe paper streamers and glitter? It won't go stale and can be used for the entire season! 

Glittery Gelt

*tinfoil

*mod podge

*crepe paper streamers or tissue paper

*glitter

*paintbrush

*large circle punch or scissors

Gather up an assortment of crepe paper streamers or tissue paper and let your kiddos go to town tearing or cutting a pile of colorful bits, both will get those small motor skills moving. Place on a tray or plate and set aside.

Tear out a large sheet of tinfoil and set it up in a spallter friendly workspace. Hand your kiddo a paintbrush and a shallow dish of mod podge or watered down glue and let them get to covering up their foil a la tin foil festive. Once they are delighted with the color party hand them a glitter shake and stand back! Set aside to dry.

Once dry, fold a section of foil over itself and punch out a series of circles. If you do not have a punch, trace or draw a series of circles over folded bits of foil about the size of a half dollar and cut out with scissors.

The crimping from the paper punch and/or scissors will lightly hold together the double circles. Gently pry apart and slather on some glue or mod podge, sandwich the foil circles back together and give them another coat of mod podge. Set aside to dry.

 Once your glittery bits are dry, gather them up, grab a dreidel, it's game time! These glittery coins are great for play money or fairy money even. Not the best idea to hand to kiddos under three as they might be too tempted to take a bite or swallow and that would be bad. I'm thinking these glittery bits would also make a nifty garland. In fact, I jsut might do that...stay tuned!