It can be tough to keep children engaged throughout the High Holidays. While there are plenty of holiday community events for families and kids all over the Bay Area, at home it’s a whole different ballgame.
For Yom Kippur, we want to talk about forgiveness and apologizing in a kid-friendly way. In my decade of teaching, I found that most kids enjoy cooking, science or art — and sometimes all three. These hands-on activities are designed to be fun and to gently help kids think through these serious topics. Try out these activities to create positive connections to the holiday for children and families.
Art: Kindness rocks
Yom Kippur is a time to think about kindness and repentance. For this project, children will think of a person they want to send kindness to (and maybe an apology) and create a sweet art piece.
Supplies:
- Rocks (relatively flat and smooth, about 3 inches across; look for these at a garden or home-goods store)
- Non-toxic kids’ paint
- Paint brushes and water dishes
- Cleaning supplies
- Aprons/clothes that can get messy
- Protective paper for your painting surface
Steps:
- Ask kids to think of a person they are sorry they hurt in the past year, even accidentally. (Examples: a kid they may have hurt on the playground, a friend they said something unkind to, a teacher to whom they showed disrespect)
- Think of some kind thoughts to send to them. (Examples: I’m sorry, thanks for being my friend, I want to play with you at school)
- Paint a rock and focus on your kind thoughts. Finish your kindness rock with a heart.
- If possible, give the kindness rock to the person you wronged. If that’s not possible, put it somewhere in your house to invite nice thoughts for your family and community.
Optional discussion starters and extensions:
- Read books together about forgiveness and repentance. Some of my favorites: “The Hardest Word: A Yom Kippur Story” by Jacqueline Jules and “The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight” by Stan and Jan Berenstain. PJ Library has a roundup of even more Yom Kippur books for kids.
- Write an “I’m sorry” letter to go with your kindness rock.
- Each person can think of a family member they hurt and make a kindness rock.
Science: Color changing flowers
On Yom Kippur, many Jews wear white clothes. For this experiment, we combine white flowers with food-coloring dye and water to create colorful blossoms.
Supplies:
- Flowers with white petals
- Large, clear cups
- Nontoxic food-coloring dye
Steps:
- Collect several flowers with white petals and cut stems at an angle.
- Fill cups with room-temperature water and a tablespoon of food-coloring dye, one color per cup.
- Everyone should pick a flower and a color, making sure the cut stems sit under a few inches of water and dye.
- Leave for several hours — then come back and check out the colorful petals!
Optional discussion starters and extensions:
- Why is the color white important on Yom Kippur? (Answer: White reminds us to reflect on our past year and the new year; it also symbolizes purity and repentance)
- Change the experiment: Use warm water, or add more dye and water so the stems are more fully submerged. What changed? (Answer for both: Petals will change color more quickly)
- Read together to learn more about plant science. I recommend “The Tiny Seed” by Eric Carle and “Trees, Leaves, Flowers and Seeds: A Visual Encyclopedia of the Plant Kingdom” by DK/Smithsonian Institution. PJ Library has a list of picture books for more gardening inspiration.
Cooking: Harvest Fruit Tart
Supplies:
- 9” graham cracker pie crust, prepared in tin
- About 1 cup vanilla pudding
- Fruit (look for seasonal harvest fruits like peaches, plums, melons, apples and pears)
Steps:
- Visit the grocery store or farmers market to pick out fresh fruit
- Wash and cut fruit into bite-size pieces
- Fill the pie crust about halfway with a layer of pudding. Chill pie crust and pudding for an hour until they are firm before adding toppings.
- Arrange fruit pieces on top of the pudding.
- Serve and eat!
Optional discussion starters and extensions:
- Vote and make a list of everyone’s favorite fruits in the tarts.
- Ask children to take photos or draw pictures of each step in this activity and write a “how to” guide for other kids.
- Practice tikkun olam (repairing the world) by making gift tarts for family or friends who need some extra love.
- Buy mini pie crusts (about 4 inches). Everyone can make their own personal tart or make a tart for another family member.
- Older children can help with cutting fruit (at parents’ discretion).
If you and your family enjoy these holiday activities and would like to share some of your own, send me an email at [email protected]. And make sure you sign up for Holiday Bytes, our seasonal newsletter throughout the year that helps families celebrate Jewish holidays in the Bay Area, produced in partnership with PJ Library Bay Area.