Children play an important role at the Passover celebration. One of the most well-known moments of the Jewish holiday is when the youngest child at the table asks “the four questions,” beginning with “How is this night different from all other nights?”
As the writer of this essay notes, “In light of this emphasis, the tendency to seat the children at the Seder table, immaculately groomed and completely silent throughout the evening, besides being undoubtedly unpleasant for the children, completely misses the original point of the Seder. ”
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Free Passover resources for children
Because Passover is in many ways a child-centered holiday, here are free resources to help parents and other adults pass on Jewish learning — and fun — to their children.
Books, games, activities and podcast stories
Long a trusted resource for Jewish families in more than 35 countries who receive their free books each month, PJ Library offers fresh reading, audio stories and tasty treats for families celebrating Passover.
You can sign up to receive PJ Library books and Passover resources. For instant access, check out the PJ Passover page online, which includes:
- Kid-friendly, printable recipe cards for homemade matzo, matzo trail mix and matzo pizza lasagna, along with ideas for serving a Seder grazing board
- Downloadable games like MadLibs sheets and a Passover card game
- A DIY Seder plate activity
The PJ Library Presents podcast network also includes Passover-themed content for children. Find more information at pjlibrary.org/podcast.
Passover for toddlers and preschoolers
TC Jewfolk, a Minnesota-based site focusing on the Twin Cities’ Jewish community, features a free “Playful Passover” e-book for celebrating the holiday with the youngest family members.
In addition, ReformJudaism.org has rounded up seven family Haggadot (plural of Haggadah) recommended by the Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism and the staff of the Union for Reform Judaism.
Videos, songs, stories, recipes and activities
Chabad has a Passover site with a large variety of holiday resources for families. A similarly comprehensive page for families is at aish.com, including a charming video from the Jewish version of “Sesame Street,” in which actor Jake Gyllenhaal has lost the afikomen (a piece of matzo).
For more ideas, including how to host a Zoom Seder, see our complete Passover article.
Photo: Deposit Photos
