Purim is a celebration of the Jewish people being saved from a death sentence by Queen Esther. This is not the easiest thing to explain to a preschooler! The VeggieTales episode “Esther, the Girl Who Became Queen,” is about as good as it gets. (If you’re explaining it to an older child or adult, Mayim Bialik has a great little four-minute breakdown.)
There are lots of fun ways you can celebrate at home, even with your youngest kids. Here are three truly easy ways to celebrate Purim with preschoolers.
1. Super Easy Hamantaschen Cookies
When you look up easy-to-make hamantaschen, you will find some really fantastic from-scratch recipes. Those are great for days when you have time and a focused kid.
But if you have multiple littles or limited time, you need something more simple. In addition to your ingredients, you’ll need a wide rimmed cup and a pinch of patience. While you’re making them, you can talk about what they mean to you traditionally or talk about Esther. This is a delicious way to celebrate Purim with preschoolers.
Ingredients
Pie crust or pre-made cookie dough
Raspberry jam (jam will work better than a jelly)
Directions
- Roll out the dough or crust.
- Use the wide-rimmed cup to cut out circles.
- Place a little jam in the center. It does not have to be neat.
- To make the triangle: Fold a little dough from the edge towards the center of the circle. Do this in thirds so it creates a triangle. Pinch the corners together for best results. See image at the top of this article for reference! If your littles want to make squares, other shapes, or it doesn’t quite look like a triangle, roll with it.
- Bake according to the package instructions and enjoy.
2. Royal Crown Paper Hats
Dress up like the king or Esther for a super easy and fun craft. The only required supplies are round paper plates and scissors. You can decorate them with things like sequins, jewels, and markers if you have them.
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Poke a hole in the middle of the plate and cut outward toward the rim, making “v”s. Fold the v crown points back so they stick up. You don’t have to size the crown because it adjusts as you pull it on. This is an easy, fun, and quick dress-up to celebrate Purim with preschoolers.
3. Shopping Together for the Food Pantry
Giving is NOT the easiest concept for preschool-age kiddos to grasp! But my kids are already used to picking out presents for people, so picking out things at the grocery store for the food pantry is a win in my book.
There are four big things I consider when buying something for the food pantry:
- Would I eat this food or serve it to my kids?
- Is it filling, protein-packed, and/or healthy in any way?
- How easy is it to make? What do you need to make it? Do you need multiple dishes, a can opener, a microwave? There are so many things in my kitchen that other people don’t have access to, and that is easy to forget. But, it is important to remember when you are donating.
- What items are the pantry/organization requesting?
There are a TON of ways to give and get involved in the social giving and justice aspect of this holiday. Reform Judaism is a helpful resource.
How do you get your littles involved in celebrating Purim? What’s the simplest activity you do with kiddos?
