DIY: Groggers (noise makers)
Two ways to make joyous noise for Adar (and Purim)!
In Hebrew we say Mishenichnas Adar marbim b'simcha which translates to: As soon as the Hebrew month of Adar starts we should increase in joy.* One way to increase our happiness is by making some joyful noise! During Purim (the 14th of the month of Adar), we celebrate by shaking a grogger (Yiddish for rattle) to blot out the name of Haman, the villain of the Purim story.
In the spirit of Adar and increasing our joy, we are making two different kinds of groggers! The first with a (not-so-fancy) paper plate, and the second with plastic spoons and a plastic egg. So let’s go make some noise!
Paper Plate Grogger
You will need: A paper plate, dried beans, curling ribbon, stapler and stickers.
A paper plate grogger is the quintessential noise maker for very young children. For our grogger, we folded a sturdy 8 inch paper plate in half, and tucked in some beans, a long strand of curling ribbon and stapled the edges together. We put colorful tape over the staples, and then invited children to decorate the plates with mini stickers! That’s it! You’re all ready to shake!
Spoon and Egg Grogger
For this version of a grogger, you will need: 2 plastic spoons, one plastic egg, dried beans, colorful tape, and curling ribbon (optional).
To make a spoon and egg grogger, fill up a plastic egg with dried beans. Take the egg and nestle it between the rounded part of the two spoons. Tape the spoons together (use the photo above as a guide). We like making one for each hand and tieing a long strand of curling ribbon on the grogger too!
That’s it! You’re all set for making noise - two different ways!
We hope your family does a lot of merry making during the month of Adar and during Purim, and let us know if you make a grogger in the comments below!
For more fun during Adar and Purim, click here to make Mini Royal Crowns, click here to make “No Bake” Hamantaschen, get creative and dress-up with DIY clothespin dolls, pack a Purim-themed lunchbox, make gluten-free double orange Hamantaschen and click here to discover Jewish storybooks to celebrate Purim!
May your joy increase with each shake of your grogger! *Thank you to my dear friend Dikla for the Hebrew translation above!
Chag sameach! Happy Purim!