Kids eagerly wait for Passover and celebrate this festive with great pomp and gaiety. All the activities and rituals associated with this festival excite their little minds and naturally, fill it with all kinds of questions. It is a tradition during the Seder meal for family and friends to unite and narrate the story of exodus, drink wine and dine on symbolic foods to observe the occasion. Kids take this moment to enjoy this joyous festival whereas the adults cherish their memories and narrate stories to the children. The main objective of the grown-ups is to equip the children with various facts related to the festival and turn it into a fun activity. This way the children realize the true meaning of life and also know the right way to live it happy. Every year when Jews tell the story of freedom from Egypt, they begin with the children's questions and the story is told as an answer. Involving children in making charoset is a great idea, as it is simple enough to make and a fun activity for your kid on the Passover holiday. Scroll further and find ways to entertain the children.
Passover For Children
Passover is an important celebration for the Jews as well as the kids as it's the only way for them to learn more about the rites, rituals and tradition of the Jews. Read on for more on this.
Passover For Kids
- Telling stories is one of the best ways of learning for kids. Enact the scene of how the king of Egypt had hardened his heart and refused to heed the warnings of the ten plagues by God. Telling them the story of the death of the firstborn and the Passover and concluding it with a key learning that Lord protects those who love and obey him. This will help kids understand that the Lord is their protector.
- One can conduct activity sessions like creating an atmosphere of darkness by turning off the lights. Or creating an open space by moving furniture to one side of the room and asking the children to move into another room when the flashlight is not shining, with the flashlight representing danger. Once the children have reached safe, you can turn on the light and ask questions like what was it like to face danger? Or how did you feel when you reached the safe place. And then tell them how their ancestors faced danger and fled from slavery.
- You can collect some items that provide protection like an umbrella, brush, toothpaste etc. You can place all the items in a pile on a floor. Ask them questions about how important and useful these things seem to them. You can encourage children to examine the things and read them as a story from the book of Exodus. Ask a child to volunteer and read the story. Let children find out how their forefathers were protected from bigger and grave dangers by God.
- You can have kids gather around the table where you placed out crackers, matzos, and cups of water or juice. You can ask questions like,” who can tell me what a Seder is? And then explain to them how God told the people to get dressed as if they were going on a trip, then to eat the special Passover meal that night. The Lord told the people to have a special meal every year to remember how he had protected them. You can enact that special moment, too by telling the kids 'Let's eat a snack now to remember the time the Lord provided special protection for his people'.
- One can also buy children's storybooks illustrating pictures and activities. There are CDs available for Passover songs. Music is a wonderful way to connect to beautiful traditions while having fun and being childlike. Here are a few favorite Passover CD's for kids like 'A singing Seder', 'Celebrate Passover', 'It's Seder time' etc. Playing games is almost obligatory during the festival and that which is of particular appeal among such games is Afikoman. It actually involves a piece of matzo that is hidden and the child who finds it first is given a prize. This is indeed a fun way by which you can observe the fest with your children and enjoy their excitement and curiosity.