In our home, we love decorating apples, setting the table together, and crafting simple holiday projects that help us capture the joy of the season. These activities aren’t just fun, they’re full of meaning and connection.
Whether it’s helping in the kitchen or singing holiday songs, these small moments help our kids feel included and connected. Baking challah, for example, lets children knead the dough with their hands, giving them a deep sense of pride while teaching them about Jewish traditions.
And of course, we never forget dipping apples in honey! This sweet custom is a favorite in our home. It sparks conversations about new beginnings and lets kids share their sweet hopes with family and friends.
These types of meaningful kids activities help us build lasting memories, spark curiosity, and create a festive, warm atmosphere the whole family can enjoy year after year.
Curious about Rosh Hashanah? Wondering, what is Rosh Hashanah and why is it celebrated? Click here to watch a video that explains the history, traditions, and the special significance of this Jewish New Year!
Kids Activities
Crafting Rosh Hashanah Symbols
Looking for a fun and meaningful way to teach your kids about the traditions of Rosh Hashanah? Try crafting!
Simple Rosh Hashanah themed crafts can help children connect with the holiday in a hands-on, memorable way. Whether you’re making apples and honey decorations or holiday cards with symbolic images, these small projects spark creativity and open up conversations about the deeper meaning behind the celebration.
By involving your kids in these types of activities, you’re not just keeping them busy, you’re helping build a tradition they’ll look forward to each year. It’s a beautiful way to bring the holiday spirit to life through art, stories, and shared moments.
Shofar Sounds and Crafts
The sound of the shofar is one of the most iconic parts of Rosh Hashanah and kids love it!
You can make this tradition come alive by creating mini shofars at home using simple materials like paper towel tubes. Let your children decorate their shofars with earthy paints, stickers, or even a touch of glitter to give it a festive feel.
Then, turn it into an experience: play real shofar sounds so they can hear the powerful tones. Ask your kids to try and mimic the sound with their crafted shofar, it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s all about learning through fun.
This hands-on activity not only engages their imagination but also connects them emotionally to the tradition. Plus, it’s a wonderful way to blend play, creativity, and learning into one joyful moment.
Apple and Honey Art Projects
After exploring the sound of the shofar, another fun way to bring the Rosh Hashanah theme into your home is through apple and honey art.
This activity is perfect for symbolizing sweet beginnings. You and your children can use paint, sponge stamps, or markers to create apples, honey jars, and bees on paper plates or craft paper. These materials are easy to find and give kids the chance to express themselves in colorful, creative ways.
With a bit of guidance, children can create meaningful art that reflects the central ideas of Rosh Hashanah. Displaying their work at home can serve as a visual reminder of kindness, blessings, and new beginnings throughout the holiday.
Creating Greeting Cards
Rosh Hashanah greeting cards are a wonderful way to mix creativity with meaning. Kids love making something they can share, and this activity lets them create a gift from the heart.
Set up a small table with markers, stickers, colorful paper, and fun stamps. Your children can draw familiar holiday symbols like apples, honey jars, or shofars. You can also encourage them to write short, kind messages to friends and family.
While designing the cards, talk with your kids about what the new year means to them. These moments open the door for deeper conversations and help your children feel more connected to the traditions. Each card becomes a simple but powerful way to express love and intention.
Family Cooking Fun
The kitchen is one of the best places to bring everyone together. During Rosh Hashanah, it becomes even more meaningful when your little ones join in.
Invite your kids to be your sous chefs for the day. Whether they’re washing apples or helping stir ingredients, they’ll feel included and important. Cooking together is a beautiful way to share traditions and make the holiday feel alive.
Each dish becomes more than just food. It becomes a memory. When we cook side by side, we pass down family love in the simplest, most delicious way.
Baking Challah Together
Baking challah can be more than just a fun kitchen project. In many homes, it becomes a spiritual moment. We start by saying a blessing over each ingredient, sharing words of gratitude and intention. Then, as we prepare the dough, we pause to do afrashat challah, a quiet and sacred step that turns baking into something deeper.
Kids can join in by mixing, rolling, and braiding. Even young children love brushing the tops with egg and sprinkling seeds. As the dough rises, so does their excitement.
While we wait, it’s a perfect time to share memories or talk about what Rosh Hashanah means to your family. These simple, shared moments leave a lasting impression. They help your children connect not only to the tradition but also to the values and blessings behind it.
Preparing Sweet Treats
Sweet treats add a special touch to the holiday. They also give kids a chance to get creative in the kitchen while learning about Rosh Hashanah traditions.
Set up a small workspace where your children can help make honey cakes, mini apple tarts, or even holiday-themed cookies. You can use cookie cutters shaped like apples or pomegranates and let the kids decorate with colored icing or sprinkles.
As they work, talk about the meaning of sweetness in the new year. These little baking sessions are more than fun. They help children feel part of the celebration and connect through joyful, hands-on moments.
Cooking Traditional Meals
Traditional meals bring comfort and meaning to Rosh Hashanah. Whether it’s brisket, chicken soup, or roasted vegetables, these dishes remind us of family, stories, and togetherness.
Invite your children to help with small, manageable tasks. They can wash herbs, measure ingredients, or stir the pot. Simple actions like these help them feel involved and proud of their contribution.
As you cook, take time to explain what each dish means. Talk about where the recipe came from or who used to make it. These moments turn ordinary cooking into something sacred. You’re not just preparing food. You’re passing down love, memory, and tradition.
Engaging Children in Traditions
Including kids in family traditions during Rosh Hashanah can be both meaningful and fun. When we bring them into storytelling, music, or simple holiday customs, we create lasting memories while passing on our values.
Looking to add a special touch to your Rosh Hashanah celebration?
Click here to watch this beautiful flower arrangement video and bring elegance to your holiday!
Storytelling with Elders
Gathering with our teens becomes truly meaningful when elders share stories from the past. Inviting grandparents or older relatives to talk about their own Rosh Hashanah memories brings the holiday to life in a way no book or activity can. It also deepens family bonds and helps our teens feel rooted in something greater.
To keep the experience engaging, we ask questions as they speak and let the conversation flow naturally. A cozy setting with pillows and snacks helps everyone feel comfortable and open. These moments stay with our teens, reminding them that tradition is carried not just through customs, but through stories and love.
Learning and Singing Holiday Songs
Holiday songs bring joy and a festive energy to Rosh Hashanah. Singing with our teens is not just fun. It’s also a great way to connect them with the deeper meaning of the holiday.
We like to make it a family moment. Each person picks a song and takes a turn leading. Sometimes we talk about the lyrics or what the songs mean to us. This kind of shared activity adds spirit to our celebration and helps build memories that last beyond the holiday itself.
You can try this with your own family too. Even a short sing-along can turn into a moment of connection, laughter, and tradition.
Rosh Hashanah Games
Bringing excitement into your family’s Rosh Hashanah celebration can be as simple as adding a few engaging games. These playful activities help children connect to the meaning of the holiday through apple decorating, shofar blowing, or a symbolic treasure hunt.
Apple Decorating: A Sweet Kids Activity
Apple decorating is a fun and simple way to add creativity to your Rosh Hashanah celebration. Set out toppings like honey, sprinkles, pomegranate seeds, or mini chocolate chips. Let each child decorate their own apple slice with the flavors they love.
This activity turns a meaningful holiday symbol into a playful experience. It also gives kids a chance to express themselves while connecting to the sweetness of the new year.
Shofar Blowing kids Activity to Celebrate
The sound of the shofar is a pivotal part of Rosh Hashanah, and encouraging kids to participate in a shofar blowing challenge can be both fun and educational. We gather different small shofars and give each child a chance to produce the traditional blast.
Explaining the different sounds, such as Tekiah, Shevarim, and Teruah, enriches their understanding. We can host friendly competitions to see who can blow the longest, loudest, or most accurate sound.
This activity deepens our appreciation of this cherished ritual while making the holiday memorable for everyone.
Treasure Hunt for Symbols
Creating a treasure hunt with symbolic items is a fun and meaningful way for kids to learn about Rosh Hashanah. We hide small tokens representing holiday symbols, such as pomegranates, honey, and round challah, throughout the home.
Children can play in teams or search on their own to find each item. We provide clues along the way and include short facts about what each symbol represents.
At the end of the hunt, exchanging the collected items for a small prize or treat adds to the excitement. This simple activity helps kids engage with tradition while learning the meaning behind the holiday in a playful and memorable way.
Read more,
How to Become a Strong and Connected Family?
My Wish to You!
Wishing you a joyful and meaningful Rosh Hashanah. As we celebrate the New Year, it’s a wonderful time to strengthen our family bonds and nurture relationships with our children and teens.
Engaging in Rosh Hashanah activities with kids, like decorating apples or creating festive crafts, not only brings the holiday to life but also creates cherished moments we can hold onto.
These shared experiences help deepen connection, encourage communication, and bring out the joy in celebrating traditions as a family. May this year be filled with love, growth, and stronger family ties.
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