Celebrating Passover Seder with Kids

Passover, or Pesach, begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 5 and ends Thursday, April 13. Passover Seder includes many prayers and rituals along with the retelling of the Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt—all before dinner is served! Seder is meant to be a relaxed and educational holiday observance, so celebrate with these creative ideas.

Passover Seders and Celebrations

April 5:

Chabad Intown, Atlanta – Community Passover Seder
Congregation Etz Chaim, Marietta – Passover First Night Seder
Chabad North Fulton, Alpharetta – Passover Seder Experience
Chabad Hall County, Gainesville – Passover Seder
Mitzva House of Dunwoody – The Seder

April 6:

Mitzva House of Dunwoody – Kids Pesach Seder
Congregation Bet Haverim, Atlanta – Second Night Seder
Temple Sinai, Sandy Springs – Second Night Passover Seder
Congregation Dor Tamid, Johns Creek – Passover Second Night Seder

April 10:

Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta – Atlanta Interfaith Hunger Seder

Involve Early

MJCCA offers a downloadable Seder camp packet for kids; PJ Library has a Passover for Kids site with podcasts, activities, games, downloads and more. Check out sites like Fun Family Crafts and PopSugar for craft ideas little artists can do, like making placemats, matzah covers or table centerpieces. Get Passover picture books to read and practice holiday songs kids can share during Seder.

Feed First

Set aside time for kids to eat a nutritious snack or meal before Seder starts. When tummies aren’t grumbling, they’ll be better able to follow the service and participate.

Go Interactive

Buy inexpensive items to represent the plagues (ping pong balls for hail, sunglasses for darkness) and give a set to each child so they can act them out. Create bingo cards or scavenger hunt sheets and have kids check things off as you go. Let kids draw slips of paper with prayers and readings on them to determine their order, or do the same with Seder guest names to pick who participates next. Play Passover trivia and give stickers or trinkets for correct answers. Haggadot has a coloring book version of the Haggadah. 18Doors has daily activities for a week of fun and learning.

Abbreviate

If you have younger children, a shortened version of the Haggadah (Passover prayer book) can work well. Some are online for free, or sites like 30minute-Seder offer printable booklets for purchase. Chabad offers resources, such as printable Haggadah prayers, recipes, historical stories and more that can help you explain the traditions to the kids.

Try a Theme

Pick a popular TV show, hobby or interest to use as a framework for the Seder. Even Shalom Sesame (a Jewish version of “Sesame Street”) has a great Seder song for a Broadway theme, set to a tune from “Les Misérables.”

Stagger Times

If you don’t think your Seder can work for all ages, stage an early, short service and meal just for kids, picnic-style outside or inside on the floor, using a children’s guide like Sammy the Spider’s First Haggadah. Other Passover books “The Littlest Levine,” “The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah” and “It’s Passover, Grover.” After bedtime, move on to an adults-only Seder.

Delicious Food

Order catering from these restaurants for Passover meals. Goldbergs Fine Foods has potato latkes, spinach, mushroom and onion farfel kugel, whole seder plate, sides and more. The General Muir is offering a dine-in or takeout meal for Passover.