The TipToe Through The Torah Game

Learning Torah is meant to be a sweet experience! Tiptoe Texts become a game when you add a sweet treat for all players who answer the discussion questions.
- Choose your sweet treat or provide more than one so players can choose. It doesn’t have to be food and it doesn’t have to be big. It only has to be an earned reward. When in doubt, go with fun cookies or candy or ice-cream. (In our house, we transformed our halloween candy into Torah Treats.)
- Print out the Tiptoe Torah Texts by clicking here. Best to start at the beginning, Book 1 - Genesis, Chapter 1 - Bereshit.
- In a group, have one person read the portion out loud (and with expression, please!) Others may also have a copy of the Chapter to follow along and/or you can pass it around and take turns reading.
- After each reading there are questions. Each person, even the youngest, must be given an opportunity to answer these questions. Everyone’s commentary counts. (Hint: There are no wrong answers, only honest ones!)
- After the questions are illustration ideas and children love illustrating their own Torah. (Note: Some adults may find that fun too.) Just remember, this is not an art contest. It is a time to be together. (Some prefer to do the reading and discussion on Shabbes and the illustrations are done after Havdalah.)
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take? Usually about 15 to 30 minutes. With illustrations, maybe 1 hour. What do I do if my child doesn’t want to Tiptoe? Before you begin, make sure your child chooses his or her own special treat. Make a big deal of it, especially those first few times!
How do I handle it when my children get squirmy? Let them know that it is okay to draw the illustration while the chapter is being read out loud.
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What if I don’t like or agree with an answer? The most important thing is not whether you agree or disagree with someone’s answer but whether or not you can respect, their answer. You will get your chance to answer the question too. Try to find something encouraging and positive to say about their answer — “I hadn’t thought about it that way” or “interesting idea”. If you can’t find anything nice to say then say nothing at all and think about what they did say. You will be surprised how much you will learn from your children. What if I have missed a few weeks? Don’t worry. Just begin where you left off. |