Top 10 Fun Jewish Activities To Do With Your Kids
Keep the spirit of Hanukkah going the rest of the year by passing on Jewish tradition and pride to your little ones. Make it fun with these great hands-on activities that’ll get your kids excited about Jewish traditions and their heritage!
1. Keep the Themes of Hanukkah Going
Hanukkah may be over but it’s never too late to keep the spirit of the Festival of Lights going with Hanukkah games like dreidel, or retelling the story of the brave Maccabees and the strong and valiant Judith – real Jewish heroes that will inspire your little ones!
Since the holiday of Hanukkah is all about Jewish pride and preserving Jewish tradition, it’s the perfect theme to keep around in your home and remind your kids of its lessons all year round.
- See our post on fun holiday-themed games to play with your kids, including the full rules of dreidel!
- Don’t forget to stock up on festive Israeli-made dreidels as well as the yummy chocolate gelt that will get your kids excited about Jewish tradition!
Make sure you have everything you need for a game of dreidel with our festive, Israeli-made spinning dreidels – fun to play with and beautiful enough to display when not in use!
2. Share Jewish Rituals Together
Instill Jewish pride in your young loved ones through involving them in Jewish rituals like shabbat kiddush or candle lighting – which they can do with their very own kid-sized kiddush cup and kid-safe tealights, while wearing their own beautiful kippah!
They’ll feel grown up and more connected to their own heritage.
3. Cook Together
A great hand-on activity to pass on your traditions is making your favorite Jewish recipes together with your kids!
You can even help keep the mess at bay with fun Jewish-themed aprons for both adults and kids and cute hand towels.
- Need some ideas? Check out our top 4 Jewish recipes to make with your kids here, and our 8 traditional Hanukkah foods post here!
4. Tzedakah
Your kids will love learning about and taking part in the Jewish tradition of charity giving, or tzedakah, especially if you gift them their very own beautiful tzedakah box to save up their coins to donate.
The winter season is also a great opportunity for your kids to clean out and collect toys they no longer use or clothes that don’t fit them, and donate them to charity.
You can even have them start a neighborhood collection drive, and make it a competition among family members or neighbors to see who donates more!
Teach your child the value of charity, or tzedakah, with our beautiful tzedakah boxes from the Land of Israel.
5. Hands-On Jewish Puzzles
There’s no better way for a young mind to connect with Jewish history than through a hands-on Jewish-themed puzzle or building kit.
Your kids can build their own Model of the iconic Holy Temple that stood in Jerusalem, put together a puzzle representing Noah’s Ark or the prophet Elijah, or even make their own Menorah mosaic art.
6. Fun Ways of Learning the Aleph-Bet
One of the best things you can do for your children’s Jewish education is ensure that they can read the Hebrew alphabet, or the aleph-bet.
You can make it more enjoyable and accessible for them through fun Hebrew alphabet gifts like a mug or placemat that will remind them of the letters at every meal, interactive Hebrew letter magnets to play with on the kitchen fridge, or a t-shirt or kippah adorned with the alphabet.
7. Connect with Israel from Afar
Travel to Israel may be complicated for a variety of reasons, especially with little ones, but you can always bring our Jewish homeland to life for your kids through books, movies, posters, and toys.
And don’t forget to let them express their own Israel pride in their choice of Israel-themed clothing, kippahs, or jewelry!
Check out the best ways to express your pride for the Jewish homeland with our top 10 gifts celebrating the Land of Israel.
8. Bring Jewish History to Life
Make it a family activity and learn about Jewish history together through movies, richly illustrated books, or educational toys.
And don’t forget to explore our blog and our posts on Jewish history topics such as:
9. Get Them Their Own Kid-Friendly Prayer Book
Another way to both practice the Hebrew alphabet and connect to Jewish tradition on a deep level is through learning Jewish prayers – and special children’s prayer books with variations for all ages can make it interesting and accessible with engaging illustrations and easy, age-appropriate content.
10. Connect with Biblical Stories
Help your child connect with our foundational Jewish texts and spend quality family time by reading the Bible together, especially the most famous and kid-friendly stories like the Creation of the World or Noah’s Ark.
And help bring the Bible to life with meaningful and beautiful Bible-themed toys and home decor!
Help your loved ones connect with our ancient history with a magnificent Hebrew or Hebrew-English Bible from the Land of Israel.
