How to Make The Passover Seder Night Fun for Kids
Seder night is different for each family, whether you have little children at home, an empty nester, have guests, go over other people, or on a Passover program. We all know that children look forward to Passover for the seder night. Children prepare and learn about Pesach in school for typically a whole month in advance. Their teachers will go over the Haggadah with them, each step of the Seder, and even make Passover projects and notebooks to share with family on seder night. I shouldn’t speak for everyone, but as a child, Seder night was something that I honestly awaited to share my projects with my family and have the spotlight for a few moments. This may not be the same for all children, so consider that you know your child best. If you are attending a Pesach program this year, you can still incorporate the traditions you do at home at a program. Many parents say that once their children bring home their Pesach projects, notebooks, and Haggadah’s, they immediately place them in a suitcase. That way they can ensure that the projects don’t get dirty or forgotten.
If you are attending a Passover program this year, try to bring along what you would do at home with you. A program should not stop you since we all know that children do not like change. So, try to incorporate aspects of a home seder while you’re on vacation. Of course, keep other factors in mind such as other families doing their Passover seder in the same communal space and noise levels. There are families who will either bring props for all the 10 plagues or place them around the table. Some families dress up or wear something that resembles the 10 plagues. Try and do what you would usually do at home. Just because you are on a program does not mean that all your traditions shouldn’t be included, rather they should! Not only can you inspire other families, but your family can be inspired to.
If you are at home this Passover, there is so much room for making seder night creative and exciting. Many parents make Pesach related crafts beforehand to ensure your children stay engaged and learn things at the same time. You can also decorate the Pesach table and buy special plates, napkins, and centerpieces that are Passover themed. Make sure to include the kids, ask them to share what they learned in school, go over their Haggadah with them, ask them to sing Mah Nishtanah, ask them to share what their teachers shared in school, and so on. Furthermore, some parents will hand out prizes or tickets during the seder for when a child answers a question correctly or is paying attention. Lastly, include them in the Afikomen hiding process, ask them where to hide the afikomen, and what gifts they would like. However, do not get disappointed if they lose interest after a while. The seder is long and the attention span is short. After a while, they may need a little break or something to eat. Don’t push them to sit for the entire seder or to listen to every song and Dvar Torah that is being said. It is supposed to be fun, not something that children will end up dreading each year.
Although it does depend on the child’s age, if your child is approaching bar/bat mitzvah age they can be more included and sit by the table for a little longer. Toddlers and tweens will usually get bored after a while so keep that in mind when you decide what to start with. It’s all about the quality of what you as the parent are passing down to your children. Not quantity, it doesn’t matter how many minutes they listened for, how much matzah they ate, how much grape juice they drank, and how late they stayed up for.
To make sure you are setting yourself and your family up for success, start preparing now. Search online and buy some Passover decor, make some projects now, and buy some prizes. Once you do the work and prepare your kids, your Pesach seder night will end up being memorable and engaging.
Your request has been submitted successfully.