3.15.2010

When Do We Eat? Part I – Kids at a Seder

If you’ve ever tried to hold a traditional Seder with young children, no doubt there’s been some squirming (at the least).  Here’s suggestions from a couple of EtsyChai Team members on their holiday traditions with kids at their Seders… be sure to leave comments of your own solutions and come back later this week for some more creative ideas!

 Blue Enamel Sterling Silver and Lapis Necklace Star of David Blue Enamel Sterling Silver and Lapis Necklace

 

Christine of  Beads of Paradise said:

“To keep kids busy during the Seder, we usually download some coloring pages from the internet on Passover subjects. Then we put a small basket of crayons on the table. Sometimes you can find little mazes and other quiet activities that they can do with the crayons. Usually little girls are more content than boys are. (My experience with having 5 sons and only one daughter!) To easily keep the boys busy, a few little Lego guys and a set of wheels and a few bricks can do it for them. We also set up a few surprises hidden on the table for when we talk about the plagues...I found some gummy bugs that I hid under the plates for the "vermin" and we got shooting Stretchy frogs and let them go a little "wild" with them for a couple of minutes. The kids seem willing to sit quietly for a while knowing these other activities are coming. Plus my husband, being also a teacher, usually targets the Seder a lot to the children and he manages to keep their attention. Sometimes the hardest part is keeping the teens attention! We try to get them involved in taking responsibility to help with prep and serving.”

Nisan Mezuzah CaseNisan Mezuzah Case (Passover begins on the 15th of Nisan)

 

Lisa of HAUTEfelt shares her experience:

“Our kids look forward to the reading of the plagues at our Seders. That's because with each plague mentioned, my husband throws a bunch of plague-related toys at the kids and our guests! He loves gathering plastic frogs, stuffed snakes, sunglasses for "darkness"...and he tries to change it up every year. Some of his "plagues" are a stretch, but it's always the highlight of the Seder, and the adult kids love it too. They just need to be reminded to cover their wine cups or it can get very messy.”

 

Derby Day Hats pattern Derby Day Hats Pattern

Come back later this week for more great suggestions!  And don’t forget to share your tips in the comments here.

3 comments:

Leslie Sirag said...

Anyone have ideas for a 1 year old who's recently become a runabout? Seder is at an older relative's house. Yikes! Leslie
And why does my google sign-in work at google but not here?

tamdoll said...

A 1-year-old at a Seder? Patience, coloring, and expect to clean up lots of matzah crumbs. Yikes.

As for google, I know there are lots of blogger glitches and sometimes it requires 2 or 3 clicks to post a comment. Maybe it has to do with third-party cookies in your Tools/Options, too. I would search for help online with the specific question.

Anonymous said...

Great post, thank you!