Purim Activities and Recipes

Activities

Bake Hamantaschen
Make or buy a costume to wear to Megillah reading
Listen to the reading of the Megillah
Give Tzedakah
Have a Purim meal on Purim day and invite guests to join

Shelach Manot Baskets:

green plastic berry baskets, ½” ribbon cut into 12” strips (assorted colors), colored tissue paper, pipe cleaners, food for basket (dried fruits, candies, etc.), small cardboard pieces for cards

Weave ribbons through the basket
Have “goodies” in separate bowls. Child takes at least 2 items, and arranges in tissue, placed in baskets.
Tie with a ribbon and add card.
Make handle by attaching pipe cleaner from one side across the top of basket to the opposite side

©Behrman House., Inc., included with permission, www.behrmanhouse.com

Clay Pots for Shelach Manot:

small clay flower pots, paint pens, sheets of clear cellophane, ribbon, at least two types of ready-to-eat foods

Decorate pots with paint pens
Fill pot with food
Wrap pot with cellophane, bunching at top
Tie gathered cellophane with ribbon
Encourage recipient to recycle pot by planting flowers for Shavuot or parsley for Passover

©Behrman House., Inc., included with permission, www.behrmanhouse.com

Masks:

eye masks with elastic band, decorator feathers, sequins, fake fur, yarn, colored construction paper, tacky glue, black markers, scissors

Pick a character: Queen Vashti, Queen Esther, Mordechai, King Ahashueros, and Haman.
Glue stands of yarn for hair onto mask
Attach fake fur as eyebrows or a mustache/beard
To make eyelashes draw with black marker
Glue on sequins for added luxury for Queen Esther Mask
To accompany King Ahashueros mask, cut out crowns of construction paper that will fir on the child’s head

©Behrman House., Inc., included with permission, www.behrmanhouse.com

Plastic Bottle Groggers:

empty plastic salad dressing bottles, syrup bottles, or detergent bottles with caps, construction paper, googly eyes, dried beans, decorations(yarn, feathers, fake fur, sequins, fabric scraps), tacky glue

Turn bottle upside down with wide end facing up
Glue construction paper circle on wide part of bottle to make “face” of Purim character
Design the face using the various craft materials and googly eyes
Place several beans or one teaspoon of the gravel into the bottle, then screw on the cover tightly
Shake the grogger whenever Haman’s name is mentioned during services for Purim

©Behrman House., Inc., included with permission, www.behrmanhouse.com

Cereal Box Groggers:

small cereal boxes (individualized), popsicle sticks, tinfoil, dried beans, googly eyes, felt scraps, yarn, tacky glue, q-tips, scissors, masking tape

Place several dried beans inside empty cereal box
Tape box together
Cover entire box with tinfoil
Choose two Purim characters
Decorate 2 larger sides of box to resemble each of the characters. Use googly eyes, felt scraps, etc.
Insert popsicle stick into bottom of cereal box, creating a “handle”. Secure with masking tape if necessary

©Behrman House., Inc., included with permission, www.behrmanhouse.com

Recipes

Cheese Kreplach-dairy:

Dough:

One egg
¾ c. flour
Pinch of salt and pepper

Filling:

8 oz dry curd cottage cheese
One egg
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. sour cream

Beat together one egg and seasonings. Gradually beat in enough flour to form stiff dough. Knead well, roll out very thin and cut into squares. Let dry for about 3 hours. Mix together filling ingredients. Put a portion of the filling in the center of each square. Wet edges and fold over to form a triangle. Seal well and then press the two longer points together. Let dry ½ hour. Drop gently into boiling water or dairy soup and simmer 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream (if desired).

Hamentashen-parve:

1 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ cup oil
½ cup orange juice
2 tsp. baking powder
4-5 cups flour
desired filling – cherries, prunes, apricots, etc.

Beat eggs, then add sugar, then ¾ cup of oil. Add flour and baking powder which have been sifted together, alternately with orange juice and vanilla. Refrigerate for a few hours. Roll out and cut circles in dough. Place desired filling in center and pinch on three sides to form hamentashen. Bake at 350 degrees until medium color.

Baked Sea Bass:

Sea bass
Mushrooms, to taste
Onions, to taste
mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
Tabasco sauce
Paprika

Bake sea bass (or any other thick fish) for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Saute mushrooms and onion. Mix ¾ parts mayonnaise with ¼ part Dijon mustard and add a few drops of Tabasco sauce. On top of baked fish, put onion and mushroom mixture and spread mayonnaise sauce on top. Sprinkle with paprika. Place under broiler for about 5 minutes until lightly browned.