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Does anyone have any good ideas for teaching toddlers about Shabbos, yom tovim etc? My son loved Sukkos but I wasn’t really able to prepare him for it. He loves to sing songs so we are doing some of those (in preparation of chanukah), but I would love any other ideas! He is 20 months old.
General ideas are welcome too!
SJS, probably a lot of people will disagree with me here–but I think that toddlers don’t need special instruction in Shabbos/ Yom Tov beyond singing songs, telling stories, and a simple art project or two. My 3-year-old learns about preparing for Shabbos by grocery shopping with me & watching/ helping me cook & bake. Of course we talk about what we are doing also.
Regarding learning about Yom Tov, I think that observing/ helping with Yom Tov preparations helps kids get excited & learn about what to expect.
If you are looking for fun worksheets or project ideas, a good source is http://www.chinuch.org (not sure if the mods will let this through, but it is under the auspices of Torah Umesorah).
How about some Uncle Moishy / Mitva Tree tapes and CDs.
There are great childrens books out there too.
every erev shabbos when my husband gives my son (2 1/2) a bath, he always sings with him about how every step of the bath is prep for shabbos. when im cooking (if im not too frazzled) i let him pour spices and do some other things. this year he is in play group, and he has great moros- they taught him about eating in the succah, and he made a lulav and esrog and they taught him how to shake it. i also suplement (i dont know if that is the right word) at home- im going to start teaching him about chanuka- basics, about the yivanim and the macabim, the oil, simple stuff that he can grasp. ans of course were gonna sing songs too 🙂
b”h my son gets very excited about shabbos and yom tov, and he is a quick chap-er, so i can teach him a lot and he really understands.
also, i agree with anon, chinuch.org is a GREAT site!! id actually forgotten about it, but im going to check it out now 🙂 i havent been there in quite a few years!
Do you not have a library that you could takes tapes or CDs from? Uncle Moishy has some great tapes with songs about helping mummy and going to bed on time. It all depends what ideas you are looking to concentrate on. It has nice “exercise” songs, and songs about e.g siddur or Shabbos table. Mitzva tree songs can be heard on the Chabad site. Hatzlocho
If you’re looking for a CD with Seasons/ Months/ Yomim Tovim- 613 Torah Ave has one that is really good. It also gets in some other concepts like using your imagination and getting up after a fall. It goes through each Season of the year, discussing weather, Jewish months and Yomim Tovim in each one, all with those great 613 Torah Ave songs.
My daughter is 3 and we just started buying the 613 Torah Ave CDs for her about 6 months ago (I hadn’t thought about them before then). She has Bereishis and this Holiday one. She loves them and I often hear her singing the songs to herself or to her dolls.
SJSinNYC: I think the best idea is to buy a menorah toy.
Like a stuffed menorah etc… then he’ll know what its called,
looks like, up close safely, telling him stories etc.. it might even become his favorite.
When he’s a little older he’ll be prepared & you can fill in the blanks.
this applies to every yom tov as well.
SJS I think you should just try to make it something to look forward to. Buy him a special treat for Shabbat (if you go somewhere for Shabbat buy something for all the kids and let him give it out) Also all the Uncle Moishys are very good and the kids love them!
One thing that we do is, immediately prior to candle-lighting, is call our daughters in to put money in the pushka. In addition to teaching them the importance of tzedaka, It also emphasizes that immediately after, we do not touch money. they like the idea of putting the money in themselves, of course, as it is an activity, rather than just a passive learning experience.
Include your children in your spiritual activities. WHen baking challah, have e/o answer Amen and give your children a piece of dough. When cooking for shabbos say out loud “L’kavod Shabbos kodesh”
Have a special little rhyme or song to sing when a child wants to do s/th Muktza.
Bring the simcha of Yidishkeit into your home.
dear confused totty, why are you so confused? Hashem at the end places the person in the sem. that is best for him.
I also like playing games with the tfillot, like finding the “secret names” in l’cha dodi and zmirot.
And finding the names of the astronomical bodies in ” -l adon”.
hud: Looks like you got confused & posted your comment in the wrong thread.
Also HB”H won’t place a guy in a girls seminary. 😉
we have to do our hishtadlus first, but good point!
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