I have a love-hate relationship with the Passover Seder. The love part is all in the traditions and the yearly telling of the story from the Hagaddah about my people’s escape from slavery. The hate part is remembering having to sit still as my Uncle Lenny led the Seder every year, which, as a child, felt like it was hours and hours of sitting still. I realize that even as an adult, I get antsy sitting for that long, so for a child to sit through a L-O-N-G Passover Seder is a lot to ask.
Thankfully, the Seders we’ve had in more recent years have become multi-media events with a kazoo at each place setting set with the silverwear (I’ll tell you why in a minute), videos and audio of Louis Armstrong playing “Let My People Go” and a slide show pulled from paintings and photos that represent Passover. We still tell the story of Passover, but in a way that the entire family can easily digest. It makes it fun. As for the kazoo part — well, there are a few (OK, MOST) in our family who are tone deaf and can’t carry a tune. So instead of a rousing Dayanu, those who can sing SING IT LOUD, and those of us with voices that would make a Pharaoh’s eardrums bleed hum into the kazoo.
While this is our version of short attention span theater, for a 2 or 3-year-old, it doesn’t help much.
We still do the readings, symbolic foods, and rituals that unfold at a slower, more intentional pace. The kids may start out curious and wide-eyed, asking questions about everything on the plate. Why is this green? Why is that bitter? Can I drink the grape juice yet? And then, somewhere between the second cup of wine and the retelling of the story, you see it happen. The fidgeting begins. The whispering. The sliding under the table. The inevitable “how much longer?”
So, like last year, I have a plan that includes Bluey, Daniel Tiger, and Genevieve’s Playhouse.
Hear Me Out
We all get dressed for the occasion, but I don’t know a single toddler who wants to put on a button-down shirt and a pair of leather shoes. But what is more fun than searching for the Afikoman in a pair of Bluey Crocs for Big Kids and Little Kids?
Plus, when they start kicking (mom and grandma know exactly what I’m talking about) from the high chair or a big chair…swinging their feet back and forth, kicking the person sitting across from them, instead they’ll be looking down at their feet. I always ask, “Which one is Bingo?” or “Show me Bluey.” This keeps them focused on their favorite characters instead of disrupting things. Plus, with the straps in the back, they are secure enough to run around when it’s time to search for the hidden Matzoh treasure at the end of the meal.
They are available in both blue and pink (my grandson LOVES both colors, so he could wear blue on his left foot and pink on his right…just to make us all giggle a little bit).
- And you can order them at the last minute on Amazon
As we open the Hagaddah, we hand over a copy of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood My Dress-Up Friends & Sticker Activity Book. At 2½, he can’t read, but he has a book in front of him, just like the rest of the participants. Only THIS book is a sticker and activity book. So as we turn the pages to read the story of Passover, my grandson is turning the pages and putting stickers in the book or doing the activities. He feels like he’s a part of the celebration, and he’s very happy.
It’s chock full of
- Fun Dress-Up Stickers – Includes hats, clothes, and accessories kids will love.
- Interactive Sticker Activity Book – Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers to match stickers to scenes.
- Educational Play – Builds fine motor skills, creativity, and attention to detail.
- Perfect for Ages 3+ – Designed for young children with simple, colorful artwork.
- And, it’s available at Amazon
Speaking of searching for the Afikoman, this one is especially great for families that have quite a few children. We like to make the search more interesting so that there are other fun things hidden around the room aside from just the Afikoman wrapped in a napkin.
This year, we’re taking the Genevieve and Friends Figure 4 pack (stars of Genevieve’s Playhouse) and hiding each one of them in a different spot, so the children who DON’T find the coveted matzoh (that they can hold ransom for money) have their own prize. Each pack comes with special edition Fairy Genevieve, Red Gembug, Blueberry Cat, and Moose! This sometimes makes the search longer and so much more fun for all of the kids involved.
And what better prizes for finding the Afikoman than either a fun Pull Back N’Go Lady Buggy vehicle and figure from Genevieve’s Playhouse with a special edition Lady Buggy Genevieve ready to go on whimsical, engaging adventures with this colorful Lady Buggy Vehicle! She’s ready to pick up her friends with the interactive pull-back-n-go feature!
Or a Talking Plush Evie Doll that will let them know that even the Seder is magical (just press her foot). Evie says 8 different phrases. I’ll bet she can even the grown-ups at the table singing with her (after all of the religious parts of the dinner are done, of course). Plus, as I pressed her foot, I realized that all of the phrases are full of positivity that will bring everyone together, and isn’t THAT what the holidays are all about.
- Available at Walmart.com
As the last cup is poured and the crumbs of matzoh linger on the table, what matters most isn’t whether they got every word that was read or every tradition followed perfectly. When we make space for children to truly be part of the Seder, not just sit through it, we’re doing more than keeping them busy. We’re passing something meaningful on in a way they can hold onto. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll grow up remembering not how long the Seder felt, but how much they loved being at the table.
