Courage Catcher Craft

Purim is a great time to talk about courage, bravery and standing up for oneself and others and this Courage Catcher Craft not only reviews this major theme of the holiday but also empowers your own children to think about how they can be courageous.

What You’ll Need

Paper Bag (or construction paper or cardstock)
Blank paper
Hole Punch
Needle
Yarn or embroidery thread
Decoration supplies: paint sticks, markers, paint, glue, jewels, whatever you have!

Putting It Together

I prepped the craft by cutting out two matching hearts for each child.
After a discussion about Vashti, courage, and consent (see the next section for more details on that conversation!) I asked each child to write or draw words or pictures of things that would remind them when they’ve been brave or how to be brave. Cut these affirmations out.
Match the hearts together and hole punch around the perimeter.
Sew around the heart, leaving a space open.
Slip the affirmations between the two hearts.
Finish sewing.
Decorate your Courage Catcher however you wish!

Finished & Loving It

My kids really enjoyed creating this craft, especially decorating the hearts with all the jewels I uncovered in our art supplies.

There are a lot of modifications that would work with this craft. While hole punching and sewing are great fine motor skills builders, you can easily skip this part and just staple or tape the heart close. You could also draw or write your affirmations on the outside of the heart instead of slipping them inside.

Using The Courage Catcher Craft to Discuss Vashti

When I first planned out my Purim Activity List and decided one of the activities would be a Courage Catcher Craft, I created it with Esther and her courage in mind. And of course she is the heroine of our Purim story and a great example of courage. But I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about Vashti these past few weeks and realizing how I’ve neglected this great opportunity to talk to my kids about courage, bravery, and consent.

Yes, we’ve talked about Vashti before (and mentioned her in our discussion of Purim symbols) but we didn’t linger or focus any activities specifically on her. So today I wanted to change that and really take the time to talk about Vashti and how she is also a symbol of courage and how brave it is to know and demand your consent be respected.

Connecting Vashti’s Story to Your Own Children’s Actions of Bravery

I started by asking them what they knew about Vashti. Then we dug a little deeper into why she was banished by her husband, the King. We talked about consent and how courageous she was to say no in a situation that made her uncomfortable. Most importantly, I tried to connect her actions to what my kids might do in a similar situation: How would they feel if someone asked them to do something that made them feel uncomfortable? Would it change if it was someone they cared out? A friend? Who has the right to make decisions about their bodies?

These questions are big ones. But I want my kids to be prepared for whatever situations they may find themselves in. I want them to be able to say “no” when they are not comfortable, even if it involves someone they trust.

As you can tell, I got a little heated with this conversation … and decided to write a whole blog post on the importance of including Vashti, her courage, and the issue of consent in your discussion of Purim and in your Purim activities this year. You can read it here.

Creating Courage Affirmations

After this heavy conversation, we talked about how important it is to remind yourself that we all have bravery and courage and the right to stand up for ourselves and others inside us. But sometimes we might need to be reminded of that courage. I asked the kids to draw or write down words or pictures that made them think of ways they could be brave. What images or words would help remind them of their courage when they needed it? Hopefully, when they look at the Courage Catcher Craft on their walls they will be reminded of the affirmations inside and will take those ideas of courage with them as they face situations in which they need to be brave.