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Does anybody have any suggestions or ideas how to keep children alert and active during seder night . i know what Chazal suggest give them nuts and sweets to keep them up but i want to know if anybody has any other ideas.
KLALL Yisroel Boruch Hashem have large families so i am sure this question came up once or twice in every family, so what does everybody do? thanks
Sugar high, with no letdown!
Sound like Chazal was right on (as usual).
You can try active participation, and/or a play about the Yeztiah.
Let them nap Erev Yom Tov till late afternoon.
Make sure they’re actively participating in the Seder, so they don’t get bored!
Punish them if they fall asleep.
Don’t let them have dessert for the whole yontiff.
Chocolate and ice cream, our nuts for kids
depends what you call small…
age 4 & under.. personally i put them to sleep and give them a mock seder on their level on first day yom tov!
older than 4 – father should be leading seder on childrens level and saving lomdisher divrei torah for later by the meal when the kids have dropped off to sleep.. or save it for another pesach seuda or afternoon when kids are not around.
Seder is a time to connect with children.. not give them a boring & dry experience.
It goes without saying that ALL children AND adults should take a nice nap on erev pesach. YES it is possible.. with a little foresight & planning. (& reward!)
If a child wants to leave seder table for a little break to read or play a game.. i see no reason..
Lots of singing & acting out the stories will keep kids up.
let them bathe and get into pajamas or something comfy and sleep- a nice good nap in the afternoon!
We give out a small piece of chocolate for each good question.
Gear at least the first half of the seder to THEM, and leave the deeper divrai Torah to the end.
and…
The ADULTS should take a good long nap in the afternoon so THEY stay up, and so THEY do not lose patience with the young kids.
as everyone said, nap!!!!! though as leah 222 said, even with a nap, they usually can’t make it too much past mah nishtana. 6 and up – my kids are so involved and so excited. they talk so much about what they learned – they and my husband are the stars of the show. i also give them cola at the seder (rest of year, they’re not usually allowed) to help them stay up.
Someone told me to try cutting the 4 kosos with Red Bull!
Might not be a bad idea for the adults (IF it’s kosher l’pesach of course) but wouldn’t recommend it for kids in any case.
Make it interesting.
it takes some planning beforehand..
I have been using supper & bedtime for past couple of weeks to pretend to my children that they are in mitzrayim.. and acting different parts out in story version. I even told them my own version of the story Dual Discovery.. (great book)
Read Let my nation Go! by Yosef? Deutch.. it gets your imagination going!
you can buy kits for the Makos.. or make your own.. Oriental Trading has good stuff.
I know someone that even had his lights timed to go off for 15 mins for Makos Choshech! it wasn’t always perfect from 1 night to the next.. but it was fun.. especially as it surpried everyone!
Give ‘parts’ out to family members to act out..
Focus on the timeline.. from Avraham.. through history.. so kids can relate.. that this is US.
My kids know that Seder is time for Tatty to talk and answer.. all the divrei torah they learn in schol – there are 8 other seuda’s to say them at.
bu us, the kids (and my husband) say all (ok, not all – but a lot) of the divrei torah – my 7, 9, and 10 year old (last year they were obviously a year younger) really enjoy discussing it and saying their midrshim. at some point, if i’ll serve them soup, before shulchan aruch, so they’re not starving. and we also give out nuts and candies for any good questions they have.
We nap them very late in the afternoon like 5-6pm and wake them 15 minutes before the seder starts.
i say sing lots of songs, especially with tunes they know! And go through it with them before. Even though sounds funny, really helps! Also let them say all the divrei torah they want even though it starts to get a bit much, and let them keep showing you the hagaddah they made even if you saw it 20 times before! 😉
Good Luck!
>O<613
I have a friend who planned a 10 Makkos treasure hunt throughout the Seder she gave the kids clues to different locations and when they went there they found something connected to each of the makkos (ex. red jello for dam, little toy frogs, etc.)
Puppets are also great for them to act out parts of the story as you read through the Haggadah. You can buy coloring books of the Pesach story and let them color them while you are cleaning the week before and let them follow the story from their books (the haggadas from school usually go through simanay haseder, not the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim.)
A magid shouldnt have a problem finding stuff to say that will keep kids awake. We do what many others have said ie make the seder on their level, involve them and make a small spiel. This is what they will remember for years to come. Giving them coke is a nice idea.
But definitely the best, proven, certain, guaranteed, true tried and tested method of being sure your kids stay up and stay alert at any time is… To try sending them to bed!!
Make sure that you don’t keep children awake if they are not intellectually capable of understanding. My four-year-old goes to sleep and is a happy child the following morning. I hope that her first exposure to the seder will be at an age that will be meaningful.
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