Plant Detective
Here is a game you can play with your friends or parents. It’s fun to discover what plants you have in your neighborhood. (This game was provided by COEJL/SC — The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life of Southern California.)
Concept: This activity will encourage the participants to observe plants carefully.
Materials: Paper and pencil for each child.
Method: Choose a meeting spot. Divide the participants into teams of two to four people. Each team should find a plant. Sit down and write a detailed description of the plant that will be a clue to help detectives find it. Reconvene at a meeting spot after writing the description. The teams should all switch clues and then find the plant. When they think that they have found the plant, they should ask the team they received the clue from if they are correct.
Now that you know the numerical equivalent of the letters Tet and Vav, you can calculate the day of the month Shevat that this holiday falls.
It’s 15! On Tu B’Shevat, many people have a seder feast, similar to a Passover seder. On the table are different types of fruit.
You can have a seder at home. Prepare by going to the store with your parents. See how many different kinds of fruit you can count and name. For the seder, make up a separate blessing for each fruit, like: Thank you God, for all the vitamin C in this orange. That way, you can really think about all the amazing gifts we receive from God and nature. You must take good care of these gifts. You must not break them, dirty them or use them up. One day, you will want to pass these gifts on to your children.
