Thursday, December 21, 2000

THIS IS AN EDITED VERSION -
ALL CONTENT NOT RELATED TO TORAHTOTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED

Web Is Totally Decked for Winter Holidays

By KAREN JONES, Karen@kjnyc.com

    No matter what December holiday is celebrated, there are plenty of festive Web sites for children and their parents to enjoy. *******, ************** and Torah Tots each offer their own blend of good tidings for all.

     Torah Tots
     http://www.torahtots.com/
     Bringing Jewish traditions to life for children is the mission behind Torah Tots, and that's precisely what the site accomplishes, especially in the holiday section. All the basic Jewish holidays are well represented in this brightly designed, kid-friendly site, and Hanukkah is no exception.
     Tots can learn the story of the Festival of Lights, play an interactive round of "spin the dreidel," print out black-and-white line drawings for coloring and enjoy games and puzzles. Word Find asks kids to locate Hanukkah words within a puzzle grid; Star Grid is a code-breaking exercise; Replace the Latke is a culinary quiz; and Plopples features a jumble of nonsensical words that, if spoken enough times, suggest seasonal phrases.
     In addition to holidays, Torah Tots also includes Parsha, a weekly rundown of the Torah read in synagogue on the Sabbath, plus Learning Is Fun, where kids can explore the Hebrew alphabet and an ongoing series on prayers. There are also downloads of Jewish music, a Torah Tots printable monthly Jewish calendar, historical facts and events in Jewish history and a gift shop.