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Double Wicked Seashell Sand Candle

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I got the seashell sand candle idea from Bob Sherman’s Candle Making book.

It’s one of the most detailed and informative books I have read on candle making.  He’s a well known candle maker and has been at it since 1971.

The only drawback to the book is that it doesn’t have much information on vegetable waxes. You can find out more about him and read some of his free updated articles at One Stop Candle.

To make the sand candle you can either press your hand or an object into the wet sand to make a shape for the mold.

For this one I just pressed the bottom of a large vase into the wet sand. I wanted a wide one and had some extra wax to use.

For sand candles you need to heat the wax a little hotter than usual before you pour it. I used two wicks so it would burn better. It was easy straightening out the wicks since they had paper cores and tabs to hold them down.

I added the seashells around the edge after pouring the wax and it was ready to come out in about four hours. Before pouring I added a coconut scent since I thought it would match with a seashell/beach theme.  Next time I would like to make a more interesting shape but it was fun.

If you want to see it in action, check out David Constable’s video demonstration on how to make a sand candle.

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Hanukkah Unit Studies for Kids

Learning about Hanukkah is important for people of all faiths as a reminder that December isn’t just about Christmas and that their are many other important holidays that happen during this time. Hanukkah unit studies can give you ideas for incorporating the holiday into your holiday studies that happen in December, or to use at home for learning about people of different faiths.

Homeschool Superfreak has a lot of basic ideas for how to build a Hanukkah unit study, as well as FAQs about what Hanukkah is and why it is celebrated. This list is a good stargint point but doesn’t include all the details you’ll need. For example it says you can play the dreidel game but doesn’t explain how to do that or why it’s important. (If you need that information, this post from Mama Smiles is a good source.)

Teachers Pay Teachers has lots of great lesson plans and activities if you’re willing to pay a little bit to get some good content. Two I really like are this Hanukkah PowerPoint presentation from Shelia Melton, which provides a good overview of traditions, food and the history of Hanukkah; and a virtual field trip to Jerusalem from MagiCore, which includes lots of videos showing the city and activities like playing dreidel, drawing a menorah and making latkes. It’s a Google Drive folder and also includes writing activities and more for kids in second to fifth grade.

Kids Activities Blog has some simple printables with facts about Hanukkah and things kids can color in like a Star of David, sufganiyots (jelly doughnuts) and a menorah. These are great for learning the basics.

Homeschool Giveaways has a printable ebook about Hanukkah complete with questions kids can answer after they read. This would be a good one for older kids with good reading comprehension.

NurtureStore’s Hanukkah unit study includes a printable mini book, tons of crafts, as well as math and writing activities. I love the dominoes game that’s part of the unit.

And check out our previous posts for more Hanukkah crafts and learning activities!