Preparation

Intended audience: 
Children 12 and under (young children)

What to Provide: 
• Old magazines and newspapers
• Crayons and/or markers
• Glue
• Scissors
• Tape
• Construction paper or reused (scrap) cardboard
• Hole punch
• String or yarn
• Any other ‘crafts’ materials such as glitter, tissue paper, etc.

Optional Materials: 
o Sponges
o Bowls with water
o Water sign templates
o Laminator

Introduction

Every single day, every single one of us uses more water than we absolutely need to.
Ask participants- what do you use water for?

(For younger participants, it might help them to ask them where water is used room by room in their house or shul. Don’t forget about things like watering plants or housecleaning.)

Ask participants to volunteer some ways to reduce the water that they use.
[Some ideas include: Turning off water when brushing teeth, taking shorter showers, using water from cooking pasta or potatoes to water plants (once it cools down), scrubbing dishes with the water off watering lawns in the evening instead of the middle of the day, going to a carwash instead of washing the car at home, keeping water in the fridge instead of letting the water run to let it cool off.]

By making these signs, they will be participating in the mitzvah of bal tashchis, which is the law against wasting in TWO WAYS:
1. They will encourage people not to waste water.
2. They will be reusing old materials that would otherwise get recycled or go in the trash. Recycling is a great thing to do but it ALSO uses water, so reusing is better.

By saving water, we are also making this world a healthier place to live. This may count towards the mitzvah of shmiras haguf – the mitzvah of keeping oneself healthy.

It is also especially important for Jews to save water on Sukkos because it is the holiday on which we pray to Hashem for rain. Wouldn’t it be a chutzpah to pray for rain and then just throw it down the drain?

Activity

Participants will be making signs to hang in the house and yard to remind their family and visitors to conserve water. They may use the templates provided to decorate their artwork.  When signs are finished, punch two holes near the top and tie yarn through the holes to make the signs ready to hang.

Optional: Laminate the finished artwork.

* If there is no laminator available, another option is to ‘podge’ or ‘decoupage’ the finished pieces. Put about 2 parts water to 1 part glue in a bowl and mix well. Dip a sponge in the mixture and brush it over the finished art. Beware: colors from markers or tissue paper art may run when coated with decoupage mixture. In these cases, use less water and more glue.