Get excited! The Jewish holiday of Tu BiShvat, the “New Year of the Trees,” is THIS WEEK, starting on Wednesday night and going into Thursday! Over the last few weeks, we have been learning about the holiday with the kiddos through fun activities and art projects.
Nathan is already a tree and plant lover. Ever since he was really little, we have shown him where our fruit and vegetables come from. I can’t wait to FINALLY put in a garden plot in our backyard this year! Farmer Nathan is already asking to grow some strawberries.
Scroll down to check out all THREE of our Tu BiShvat activities!
We are BIG fans of Days United Jewish Holiday Subscription Boxes! Each box focuses on a different holiday and includes an explanation of the holiday, and a bunch of fun related activities for kids. They have eight different holiday-themed boxes throughout the year.
The Tu BiShvat box did not disappoint! Nathan loved the Almond Tree activity, and was a big fan of planting the mint and basil. We had a great time stringing together the Seven Species Flags. We have them displayed in our living room! I am going to surprise the kiddos with the Seven Species chocolate on Thursday for dessert. I know it will be a sweet ending to a fun Tu BiShvat!
Finger Painted Trees
A few weeks ago, I was wandering the aisles at the Dollar Tree looking for fun activities to do with the kiddos. The Dollar Tree is my go-to for affordable art projects.
I thought it might be fun to finger paint some trees for Tu BiShvat. I picked up three or four packages of these mini canvases (they come in packs of two and they are so great to have on hand), and a few bottles of paint. Nathan and I each painted our versions of trees. Nathan’s artwork was a little more abstract. We currently have them displayed in our living room, and we will be saving them to display for next year.
The best thing about this project is that the WHOLE thing only cost $5! We were able to use these paints for another Tu BiShvat craft (see below), and will definitely be using them for future crafts.
Decorated Mini Planters
While wandering the aisles at Dollar Tree, I saw this two pack of mini terra-cotta clay pots. Yes. 2 for $1. AMAZING!!
Nathan LOVES to garden, so I thought it would be fun for him to decorate a few of his own pots in anticipation of Spring! We used the same paints from the finger painting project.
Nathan and Nora each painted their own pot. When Nora was done with hers, I took over and painted a bit. It was so relaxing and fun! I can’t wait to plant our herb starting kits in these pots in a few weeks!
