What to watch: Puppy Dog Pals (Season 1, Episode 20)
Where to find it: Disney+
Run time: 23 min
Best for ages: 3 and up
Why We Recommend Puppy Dog Pals
Bingo and Rolly are two pug brothers who go on fun adventures around their neighborhood and sometimes the world. Most of these missions feature lessons on being helpful and a good friend. Some even give viewers a glimpse into other cultures. During the second half of Season 1, Episode 20, the pups embark on a mission to get the ingredients for latkes so their owner Bob can make them for their neighbor's Hanukkah party. In the end, we see the pups and Bob at their neighbor's party learning about the story of Hanukkah, and lighting the menorah.
My husband has some Jewish heritage, so he grew up celebrating Hanukkah each year. We have continued this tradition with our children by lighting our own menorah, telling the story of Hanukkah, and enjoying foods like brisket, matzo ball soup, and, of course, latkes.
Latkes Recipe
One of Everly's and my favorite things to do together is cook so I was excited to have her helping hands in the kitchen with me this year. I have used this latke recipe for the past few years but this is the first time that Everly has been old enough to do some of the prep work (at four years old, she is far too young to help with the cooking part of it).
Estimated activity time: 20 minutes for prep and 20 minutes for cooking
Materials needed:
Latke recipe plus all listed ingredients
A food processor if you have one
Applesauce and sour cream for serving
My family and I agree that this recipe yields delicious latkes but I have one very important note: DO NOT warm the fried latkes in your oven at 350 as the recipe instructs. At this temp, they will continue cooking and will eventually burn. I warm them at 225 but latkes are best when they are eaten as quickly after frying as possible, when they are crispy and hot.
Everly was a great help with peeling the potatoes and she got a kick out of running them through the food processor. All in all, her participation in this activity took around 20-30 minutes but this could vary depending on how many potatoes you end up working with.
Throughout the process, Everly and I had a nice chat about the meaning of Hanukkah and why our family celebrates this holiday even though we do not identify as Jewish. You can share the story of Hanukkah with your kids by reading this child-friendly version together.
As a rule, when exploring new traditions in our house I feel that it's important to discuss or learn the answers to the following questions together:
What is the meaning of the holiday?
Who celebrates this holiday?
Where in the world is this holiday celebrated?
How do people celebrate this holiday?
Share the fun you are having with us on Social Media! Tag us @curiouscouchpotatoes when you try any of our activities.
Jeanette's Educational Insights:
There is no better educational lesson than one that teaches the richness of diversity. Each culture loves its own celebrations and traditions and what could be more exciting to a child than to learn about the traditions and celebrations of others. Instead of something being strange or different, children love to embrace new and exciting experiences. I am always amazed at how a variety of traditions often have similar themes and practices. The symbol of light is present in so many celebrations. Help your child find similarities in different traditions and even be excited about differences!