Last Sukkot we made a really great paper chain…and it got rained on, soggy, and broken. And the kids were so sad! Here’s a view of inside our Sukkah, just to give you a glimpse into what we’re starting with (this is from last year – we aren’t all of the way set up yet!)
So this year, we thought ahead and made a “paper” chain out of foam. While not exactly durable enough to use as rope (yes, it was something they tried here – 3 little boys, of course they tried it!), it will hold up in rain and wind, and even be around for next year – we hope! If not, at least it was a fun craft and we’ll get the chance to make another. Here’s how we did it:
First, we bought the foam papers: rainbow colors and bright colors. These are links from Amazon – if you have prime, you can get them to you in time and still make this for a Sunday kid’s activity! You can also get these at most craft stores, or even Target or Walmart, and do it even sooner. (Note: we also purchased these glue dots, but they didn’t stick for long…maybe we can save you some trouble by telling you about ours!)
To make this beautiful and more durable chain, start by cutting your foam sheets into strips. We cut the 5.5″ x 8.5″ strips lengthwise into 4 strips – it’s half the size of regular paper. If you have full sized sheets, you can get 8 strips by cutting across the shorter side. Three sheets at a time was best. Once you have the strips, you have an important decision: random colors or a pattern?
We had one kid of each persuasion, so the pattern guy laid out the colors in piles and got started. The random guy just got started. 😉 To attach them, we tried glue dots, tape, and regular glue. But the best thing we found was a staple.
Be sure to staple through both layers!
Then just let the kids go!
This is an easy and fun idea for the kids. My 5 and 8 year olds were able to do this independently while my 3 year old “helped” by choosing colors. It was about an hour block of quiet as they worked, and then they each came back and did more independently throughout the day.
And then you’ll have a beautiful decoration for your sukkah!
Just in case you are looking, here is the OJH Sukkot Superpage, with menus, links, resources, and more!
