Tag Archives: Duplo

Open the [LEGO] Door for Elijah

Posted on 04/01/2015 | Comments Off

Open the [LEGO] door for Elijah

At our school’s Walk Through the Seder Steps program, two toy tableaux sat at the Hallel station. Hallel is the step where, appropriately enough, we sing Hallel and other songs of praise, and also when we open the door for Elijah. Continue reading →

Comments Off on Open the [LEGO] Door for Elijah

Posted in Activity, Crafts, Passover

Tagged Duplo, Lego, seder

LEGO Menorahs: flameless versions

Posted on 12/20/2011 | 13 comments

Lego menorah

Ok, ok, I knew posting about a LEGO menorah that holds real Hanukkah candles might cause trouble. It did. I now present a few ultra-safe models that use LEGO bits as flames. Thus, nobody gets hurt, LEGO doesn’t melt, and nothing will trigger the smoke alarm.

Continue reading →

13 Comments

Posted in Crafts, Hanukkah

Tagged Duplo, Lego

LEGO Menorah for Hanukkah

Posted on 12/18/2011 | 8 comments

Duplo and LEGO menorahs: upside-down construction

The intersection of Jewish holidays and LEGO again, but this time, with fire. Continue reading →

8 Comments

Posted in Hanukkah

Tagged Duplo, Lego, menorah

Mini Lulav and Etrog for a Tabletop Sukkah

Posted on 10/10/2011 | 2 comments

lulav lesson with Playmobil folk

Our action figures now have a model sukkah well-appointed for hospitable gatherings. Actually, we have several, because it’s hard to stop once we start. Yesterday’s post tried to outline a classic craft, a tabletop or model sukkah made from tissue boxes and shoe boxes, and also some ideas for free-builds using Legos, Lincoln Logs and other construction toys.

Lulav and etrog, polymer clay. The pitom is a broom straw

Continue reading →

2 Comments

Posted in Activity, Crafts, Jewish Toys, Sukkot

Tagged Duplo, etrog, Lego, lulav, Playmobil, polymer clay, sukkah

Build a Tabletop or Model Sukkah

Posted on 10/09/2011 | 15 comments

Box sukkah for Lego mini figs,with Lego kiddush cups and polymer clay challah

At Sukkot, we are commanded to dwell in a sukkah. This ideal may be out of reach for many, but it is definitely do-able for dolls. Any action figure can be an honored guest or hospitable host/ess in a tabletop or model sukkah.

A model sukkah is an easy, fun, and classic way to explore Sukkot with kids. Using whatever materials are already at hand, you can create a sukkah in miniature, play with it all week, use it as a centerpiece, and along the way take a look at the customs of the holiday and the rules of sukkah construction. Not sure about the details? Brush up at MyJewishLearning’s Sukkot page.

First, show your kid a real sukkah if you can, or pictures of different sukkot (plural for sukkah, and hey, the name of the holiday, too!) in books or online. It won’t make much sense Continue reading →

15 Comments

Posted in Activity, Crafts, Jewish Toys, Sukkot

Tagged blocks, Duplo, Lego, sukkah

Miniatures for Rosh Hashanah (Lego and Playmobil): not a how-to, but a Why

Posted on 09/25/2011 | 6 comments

Playmobil Rosh Hashanah: clay Yemenite kudu shofar, ram shofar, round raisin challah, apple slices

This site is about kids and parents spending Jewish time together making stuff that is fun, cute (kitschy counts as cute), cheap, and most of the time, functional. I aim for kid-centric. I like to help even toddlers participate in holiday prep.

But making Jewish holiday accoutrements for Lego and Playmobil figures out of polymer clay, I admit, comes close to crossing a line. My preschooler can do little more than make freeform shapes and blobby ovoids, and when presented with more than one color of clay will gleefully end up with gradations of grey. Still, because scale and verisimilitude have not really occurred to him yet, he has a great time “making useful things” for his figurines.

Relativity: Playmobil, Duplo and Lego

Scale and verisimilitude is my dealie. Whilst the child next to me has fun rolling and smashing and pinching and blending, I get to make miniature accessories to outfit three communities of toys in our home: Duplo, Lego and Playmobil. And of course, they all celebrate the Jewish holidays.

One more note in my defense: this stuff is fun for older kids, too. Even surly preteens Continue reading →

6 Comments

Posted in Activity, Crafts, Jewish Toys, Rosh Hashanah / Yom Kippur

Tagged Apples, challah, Duplo, Lego, Playmobil, polymer clay, Rosh Hashanah

Mini Shofar, Challah and Apples for Rosh Hashanah (polymer clay)

Posted on 09/16/2011 | 5 comments

polymer clay apples, challah, shofars

Twee, yes, but groovy: the Duplo Rosh Hashanah. This is what happens when I find a baggie of clay at a yard sale—random Fimo and Sculpey packs already opened, slightly hairy, and obviously from the Year Gimmel—right around the time when we determine that our Duplo people just don’t have what for Rosh Hashanah. Now they have what. Continue reading →

5 Comments

Posted in Activity, Crafts, Jewish Toys, Rosh Hashanah / Yom Kippur

Tagged Apples, challah, clay, Duplo, fimo, Lego, Rosh Hashanah, sculpey, shofar

Making Toys Jewish

Posted on 05/06/2011 | 5 comments

Dollhouse Purim teaparty

Kveller.com published my article on Converting Toys to Judaism. Do please read it at Kveller.com and leave a comment if you have ideas to share.

What does converting toys mean, exactly? It means we can use all the toys we already have, Jewishly. From Lego to play kitchens to Barbies to bath toys.

Here are a few more ideas and pictures I couldn’t include in the article, plus a few quotes.

“A Jewish toy is a toy that can accessorize a Jewish story.”

Torah and Bible stories, midrashim, folktales, holiday stories and the latest PJ Library selection can all be re-enacted or embellished Continue reading →