Shabbat Around the Table -- Noach

Most everyone is familiar with this week's parsha, Noach. In it,

The Lord said, to Noah
There's gonna be a floody, floody . . .
Well Noah, he built him
He built him an arky, arky . . .

Aside from fun songs and lots (and lots) of illustrated children's books, such as my favorite (the details are extraordinary), what else does this story have to offer young children? What are the big ideas that they can relate to and understand?

We can use the story to teach them about caring for animals, patience (40 days and 40 nights!), and the beauty of God's natural world (the rainbow).

But what about the awesome power of God's natural world? About heeding a warning, accepting that the climate is about to change dramatically, and adapting accordingly? About then helping to rebuild a world that's been destroyed?

Children aren't too young to learn that they have responsibilities to help keep our natural world clean and healthy. There's one very easy, age-appropriate, and tangible way to begin teaching them these lessons: Trash Free Fridays. Rather than send in lunch foods packaged in plastic, send sandwiches, fruits, and drinks in reusable containers. The children take great pride in showing off their lunches that contain NO trash at all. Thanks to Morah Susan in Kitah Turkiz for this splendid idea.