8 creative & kid-friendly ways to celebrate Passover

This year Passover will be from April 22 to the 30th. It’s a time for beloved family traditions and gathering with family and friends for a Seder. The Jewish holiday is an important time of year for all who celebrate it.

This might also be a wonderful time to incorporate new family traditions, especially ones that allow your kids to participate in the Seder. When little kids help in the kitchen, it’s an opportunity for bonding and teaching them important skills. Check out these creative ideas to make Passover more fun for the kiddos in your life, including fun ways to tell the Passover story.

8 fun ways to make the most of Passover for kids

1. Review the meaning behind the traditions

Kids are naturally curious, especially where stories are involved. Before their questions start coming in, it would be helpful to review the story of Passover, along with the meaning behind the traditions, on your own. This article from Time Magazine gives a great overview of Passover (and will likely reignite your own curiosity, too!).

2. Make a cup for Elijah

One of the beloved traditions of the Seder is to set out a cup of wine for Elijah. Why not let your kids make it? We love this DIY cup (and totally understand if you want to make one, too.)

3. Bring the story to life

Kids love stories—especially when they can visualize what’s going on. These adorable finger puppet templates are so fun, and will help your child appreciate the magic and power of the Passover story.

4. Find the afikomen

When a Seder starts, a piece of matzo is broken, and hidden for your children find. This activity is fun on it’s own. Enhance it by making a DIY no-sew Afikomen pouch for creative and of kid-friendly ways to celebrate Passover.

5. Explain the Seder in a way kids can understand

The Seder is, of course, at the center of the Passover holiday. There are so many unique ways to have a Seder so feel free to get creative and make it work for you. If your child will participate in the Seder, they’ll likely want to understand what’s going on! Chabad’s brief overview of the Passover Seder is perfect for concise, easy-to-understand answers.

6. Make matzo ball soup!

Calling all little chef’s! Invite your little one into the kitchen to help out with the making of this traditional dish. Make the most of Passover for kids with hands-on activities.

7. Read a child-friendly Haggadah

The Haggadah is the book used during the Seder to guide the telling of the story and the traditions. Finding a children’s version of the Haggadah is a great way to get them involved and keep them interested. The Kveller Haggadah: A Seder for Curious Kids (and their Grownups) is an awesome choice.

8. Find a kid-friendly Passover story

The Passover story is beautiful…and pretty scary, especially for a younger audience. Luckily, there are some excellent, fun ways to tell the Passover story out there that convey the meaning, but leave out the frightening details—we’ll save talking about the plagues until they’re a little older. Here’s one to check out: PJ Library’s The Passover Story for Kids

A version of this post was published April 7, 2020. It has been updated.