ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
AppleTree Editor

C

omedian Jerry Seinfeld said
that one of the best things
about being an adult is that
you can eat exactly what

you want.
Moms are always insisting, "You've
had two cookies — that's enough before
dinner. You'll ruin your appetite."
But when you're a grown-up, Seinfeld
said, you can eat whatever you want.
You can eat five cookies, 10 cookies, the
whole bag and then another — and no
one will tell you to stop because you're
going to ruin your dinner.
Of course, there are a few drawbacks
to being an adult — like having to pay
taxes and deal with telemarketers and
losing your sense of fun (when was the
last time you saw a grown-up spinning
around in a tire swing or eating so much
cotton candy he could hardly breathe?)
Fortunately, though, there's Purim,

2/22
2002

58

when everyone can act as ridiculous as
he
Here are some ideas to make
your family celebration — and that
means children and adults — just as
silly as can be.

,

#1) The Write Stuff
Since there's no halachic (Jewish Law)
admonition against writing on Purim,
this is a great time to have your children
color and draw their own version of the
story. But don't just give them paper and
crayons. Instead, begin an adventure.
Find a blank book and write a few
lines that will inspire art: This is what
the land of Shushan looked like; here is
Queen Esther looking out her window,
and she sees...; here is Haman as he sits
at his favorite chair, considering what to
do with the Jews; here is King Ahasuerus
before he became ruler of Shushan.
To make it even more fun, add things
like a telegram Haman sends to his rot-
ten associates to warn them that his
plans may go astray. Draw the design of

a blank telegram in the book, and let
children write the copy. Or tape one end
of a piece of paper to a page, so that it
can be lifted and a design drawn under-
neath (perhaps the king gave Esther a
present when they married? What would
it be?). Or draw a few scribbles and ask
children to make them into anything
having to do with Purim. You can
include some stickers and a new pack of
washable markers with this interactive
book, which will keep your child happy
and entertained for hours.

#2) Paper-Bag Dramatics:
A Twist: Prepare one small bag for
every family member. Inside each, place
an odd assortment of about 10 around-
the-house items, such as an orange or
apple, an envelope, a rubber band, a pair
of socks, a tube of lipstick, a box of
crayons, a can of tuna, pieces of pasta.
Then, have each person briefly tell the
Purim story using the items. There are
no rules, so Ahasuerus could be repre-

sented by a pair of socks, or the socks
could simply be his throne and viewers
would have to imagine the king.

#3) For The Bonehead In Us All:
As with most Jewish holidays, an inte-
gral part of the Purim celebration is the
seudah, or meal. Try celebrating yours
with qUirky foods that relate to the
megillah (a good imagination or weird
sense of humor is vital).
For example, make rolls that look like
scrolls (for megillah), make ice cubes
from tea (get it? Vashti), or serve soup
with lots of bones (because Haman
was such a bonehead).

#4) The Story Comes Alive:
Remember waaannay back, when you
were little? Children often made their
own dolls and puppets. It was fun then,
and it's still fun now Here are a few
ideas for making some you can use to
tell the Purim story:
• Use clean handkerchiefs filled with a

