How to Make a Tzedakah Box with your Child

Tzedakah boxes, or pushkes, are a special place to put gifts for those who are less fortunate than you are. Regardless of their age, all children can learn to give to others by using their Tzedakah box, or pushke. This craft is ideal for children who are in pre-school and elementary age ranges.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Sharp scissors or a pairing knife
• The lid to an empty pre-made, plastic, cake frosting container
• Permanent marker
• Cutting board
• An empty plastic pre-made frosting container
• Construction paper, scrapbook paper, stamps, stickers for decorating
• Double stick tape
• Glue
• Scissors for your child
• Paper and other craft items to decorate the box
• Stamps and stamp pads to use with decorations

Cut a Hole in the Lid

1. Be sure that the lid has been washed with soapy water and is clean and dry.
2. The adult should cut out the opening in the lid that is used to insert money into the Tzedakah box. To do this, place the lid on a cutting board, with the lip of the lid on the bottom.
3. Draw a small rectangle that’s 1/ 2 inch wide by 1 1/2 inch long where you want the hole for money. With the pairing knife or scissors, carefully cut this hole.
4. Remove the paper label from the container. You may need to pick off the glue or soak the container in hot, soapy water to make glue removal easy. Wash it and dry thoroughly.
5. Now the fun starts. Let your child decorate the main part of the frosting container however they want.
6. Cut a piece of paper that is 3 1/4 inches wide by 11 inches long for your child to decorate. This allows your child to decorate the paper while it's flat and later attach it to the frosting container.
   
   This will allow a 1/2 inch seam where the decorated wrapper will overlap on the container.
7. Set out an assortment of papers for your child to select from. Let your child’s imagination run wild. They can decorate this to form a face, to be a landscape scene, or simply glue different colors on their Tzedakah box.
8. After your child has decorated the piece of 3 1/4 inch by 11 inch paper, use double stick tape to secure it to the plastic container.
9. Decorate the lid, either as part of the overall design, or by adding separate paper and decorations to it.

Tips & Warnings

• Your child can attach the lid to the frosting container and decorate it as one unit, or can decorate the lid separately.
• You can always make a small opening larger, but can't make a large opening smaller. When in doubt, cut the hole for the money small and make it larger if needed.
• You can glue the lid to the container to prevent little hands from playing with the money they've deposited in their Tzedakah box.
• You can teach your child about giving by having them make regular deposits to their Tzedakah box during Shabbat.