Wow! This year's weather has been very interesting so far. It rained during the week of Sukkot so we were unable to sit in the sukkah. Then a serious snow storm at the end of October provided a sudden snow vacation. I hope everybody has power now and is safe.
During the cold weather that we have had lately, even though it's not winter yet, I like to eat soup. Any kind of soup. But in my opinion chicken soup with matzah balls can beat any soup. Chicken soup and Shabbat are an unbeatable pair.
There is a song for chicken soup, unfortunately I don't know the writer.
Put the chicken in the pot
Put the chicken in the pot
Stir it up nice and hot
Get it ready for Shabbat
For Shabbat
Put the celery in the pot
Stir it up nice and hot
Get it ready for Shabbat for Shabbat
Put the potatoes (celery, peas, onion, etc….) in the pot
When we sing this song in our room I use a real soup pot and plastic food for the soup's ingredients.
My friend Gina uses a pot and food that are cut out of felt for the song. The options are endless.
In our classroom, we love getting ready for Shabbat. Shabbat is one of my favorite times of the year (Yes, every week!). It comes every Friday, and we are allowed to eat as much challah as we want. All these years that I've been teaching I've never met a child that doesn't love challah.
Every Friday, on my discovery table I set an extra set of Shabbat supplies, including candles, candle sticks, play challahs, a chalah cover, a kiddush cup, a white table cloth, and some shabbat books. The kids like to explore and set the shabbat table over and over again. What an important experience!
This is our shabbat tablecloth, and everybody in the classroom is part of it. We use it on the main table. When parents come to visit, the shabbat child gets to sit at that table with his/her family.
This is our favorite challah bear, dressed for shabbat and ready to roll.
Stay safe and Shabbat Shalom!
