Photo by Jordyn Rozensky Photography

This version of the question collage craft project includes extra ideas for conversation with young children of different ages, plus follow-up questions to help guide conversation. You can also find a sample set of images here.

Question Collage

Recommended age: 3+
Supervision: Recommended
Supplies needed:

  • Child safety scissors
  • Old magazines and newspapers
  • Large envelope
  • Glue stick or tape, optional
  • 5×7 index cards, optional

The main idea for kids: Find pictures you like and use them to tell stories.

Instructions:

Part 1: Collecting pictures

  1. Flip through magazines and newspapers and cut out pictures you like until you have a pile of 15-25 images.
  2. Glue or tape pictures to large index cards, if you’d like.
  3. Stack the pictures and move on to Part 2, or store them in an envelope for later.

Part 2: Telling stories

  1. Place the pictures in a wide pile on a flat surface so each is visible and face up.
  2. Use the questions below to start a conversation together:
  • Recommended questions for 3- to 4-year-olds:
    • Which three pictures look like family?
      • Do they look like your family?
      • Do they look like other families?
    • Which three pictures look like hard work?
      • Have you done hard work like that?
      • Do you know people who have done hard work like that?
    • Which three pictures look like a lot of fun?
      • Have you had fun this way before?
      • What is your favorite way to have fun?
    • Which three pictures make you feel relaxed?
      • What are some ways to relax?
  • Recommended questions for 5- to 6-year-olds:
    • Which three pictures remind you of a great thing that happened during your week?
      • Who else was there?
      • What time of day was it?
      • Where were you?
    • Which three pictures remind you of a time when you worked hard on something?
      • Were you proud of what you worked on?
      • When was this memory?
      • Where were you?
    • Which three pictures remind you of a favorite family memory?
      • Who was there?
      • Where were you during the memory?
    • What is a dream you have? Maybe your dream is a trip you want to go on, a job you want to have when you grow up, or something you really want to do with friends or family. Which three pictures look like your dream?
    • Shabbat is about taking time to relax. Besides sleeping, what is the most relaxing thing you could do? Which three pictures look like that?

Note to parents: Feel free to adjust these questions depending on your child’s age and level of linguistic development. For younger children, you may need to use simpler prompts.

Check out a sample set of images, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, here.

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