At each Passover seder we ask the question, “Why is this night different from other nights?” The seder is a night, and an event, specifically designed to prompt question asking and answering. Our Jewish tradition encourages asking questions because it demonstrates a sincere interest in seeking answers. For those of us with little ones at our seder tables, we work extra hard to encourage our kids’ participation and their asking of their own questions. We try to make these meals special, different and intriguing for our children and to ease them into the back-and-forth of asking questions and offering their own ideas.
During the seder meal, we drink four cups of wine. For our children, we often make a big deal of their four “cups” of grape juice or similar special drink. Why four cups? Here’s a fun, easy craft I recently did with my 4-year-old son to help him see this as a “different” thing about the seder, something that’s unique and special. He helped me make decorative and personalized coasters for family members’ wine glasses, and he even made one for himself too! And wouldn’t you know it, as we talked about what we were doing, he couldn’t help but ask why we drink four cups of wine. While there are a few traditional answers, this year, for my son who recently celebrated his birthday, I think we might just go with, “Because you’re 4!”
Materials:
- Terra cotta plant coasters (I found that 4.25” coasters worked well, but you can choose any size that will best fit your wine glasses. These can be found cheaply—less than $1 at any hardware store or at Michaels.)
- Paint (I used metallic glass paint, which provides good coverage, but general acrylic paint works too)
- Paintbrushes
- Paper plate for palette
- Cup for water
- Kids’ artwork
- Wine glass (for tracing the circle)
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Mod Podge water-base sealer (glossy, matte or sparkle—whatever your preference or what you have on hand)
- Foam brush
- Puffy paint or Sharpie marker
- Self-stick felt pads
This makes a great addition to any festive seder table and serves as a unique keepsake for your guests! My son loved making artwork to be featured on the coasters, especially being able to choose which picture was for whom. (For a related project, try making these decoupage wine glasses.)
Directions:
- Choose the coaster size that best fits your wine glasses.
- Invite your child to paint each coaster with a base coat of metallic paint or any colors that fit your overall table décor. Set aside to dry.
- Have your child color pictures to be featured on the coasters. Note that non-washable markers and crayons work best so the colors don’t run. You can also get creative and use photos, other collage papers, etc., but I think utilizing kids’ artwork really personalizes the project.
- Using a wine glass as a stencil, trace a circle on your child’s artwork with a pencil. Cut out the circle with scissors and make sure it fits as you like it within the coasters.
- Brush Mod Podge on the bottom of each drawing and place them on the coasters. Smooth out the paper and then use Mod Podge to coat/seal the top of the whole coasters. Set aside to dry.
- Use puffy paint or Sharpie markers to personalize the coasters with your guests’ names.
- Add felt pads to the bottom of each coaster to protect your table.
Looking for another Passover craft to do with kids? Try our matzah box hack!