Purim Crafts & Activities
March 09, 2006 Purim is a raucous holiday. Adding to the din is the sound of "boos," "hisses" and noisemakers - called groggers - that drown out the villainous name of Haman every time it is said during the reading of the Purim story.
Here's directions for making your own personal grogger.
You will need: a cleaned powdered drink or frosting can (or any small cylindrical container) with lids and labels removed; seeds of beans or stones; colored masking tape, stickers, sticker dots or yarn; markers and/or crayons; colored construction paper pre-cut to fit the can; and glue.
First, decorate the construction paper with masking tape, stickers, sticker dots, markers and/or crayons. Use the template designs below to draw hamantashen, groggers, crowns and Megillah scrolls.
Once the paper is decorated, glue it to the outside of the can.
Fill the can with seeds, beans or stones until it makes a sound you like.
Attach the lid by running glue along the inside edge of the can. Let your grogger dry thoroughly.
Finally, shake it whenever you hear Haman's name!
Give your own Purim puppet show with hidden puppets you can make yourself. Mom or Dad may have to help younger children with this craft.
You will need: 16-ounce paper cups (poke a hole through the bottom) or a cardboard cone shape; a 21?2-inch styrofoam ball; yarn; sticky felt - for decorations and facial features; felt; metallic paper; two triangular pieces of fabric that will cover the cup for decoration and attach to the neck and cone for the costume; assorted trims for the costume (small buttons, lace, rickrack, felt); tacky glue; 16 to 18-inch dowel; and scissors.
Decide which Purim character you want to make. Make a hole in the styrofoam ball with the dowel. Put glue in the hole and insert the dowel. Let it dry.
Make the face by decorating the styrofoam ball. Glue on cut yarn for hair and beards. You can glue crowns or hats out of felt or metallic paper. Attach eyes, nose and a mouth cut out of the sticky felt.
Paint the cone or cup with glue and cover with a piece of the fabric. If you don't want to use the fabric, you can cover it with strands of yarn.
Decorate the second piece of fabric to make a costume. The narrow end is the neck. With glue, attach small buttons, rickrack, lace or felt. Let it dry thoroughly. Do this before the fabric-covered cone is pasted to the puppet.
Form the decorated cloth into a cone-shape. With glue, attach the pointed end tightly under the styrofoam head. Glue the edges closed. Let it dry thoroughly.
Stick the dowel into the funnel through the wide end.
With the puppet head and costume fully extended, the dowel will stick out the bottom of the cone shape.
Glue the open end of the costume to the rim of the cup or cardboard cone. Let this dry thoroughly.
And there you have it! Now it's time for the show!
