In my classroom, I like to include the parents as well. When they come in they know ahead of time what to expect for that day based on a note I had sent home. This way if they are coming from work they know to bring a spare t-shirt for the charoset making (see below).
At my Pesach party, I welcome the parents inside, and they all sit down on the floor with their children (circle time). I hand out masks (frogs, Jewish people, pharoah, Moses, matzah, etc) to the children. The children help me to tell the story. At specific parts of the story I add different Pesach songs. They hold their masks and sing along with me. To end circle time, we say all the blessings and move to the tables.
We make the charoset with the families. I prepare the tables ahead of time with apples, cinnamon, grape juice, and raisins. The families get together at the tables and chop, pour, mix, chat, and have fun.
When the charoset is ready it's time to sit at the table and eat.
Pesach is all about family gathering. In my classroom we are a big family.
Here are the songs we sing in the classroom:
DO YOU KNOW IT’S PESACH TIME?
(Tune: Do you know the muffin man?)
Do you know it’s Pesach time,
Pesach time, Pesach time?
Do you know it’s Pesach time?
Pesach time is here!
BANG, BANG, BANG
(The children sing this song with plastic hammers
and shovels. It's an active song)
Bang, bang, bang
Hold your hammer low
Bang, bang, bang
Give a heavy blow
For it’s work, work, work
Everyday and every night
For it’s work, work, work
When it’s dark and when it’s light
Dig, dig, dig
Dig your shovels deep
Dig, dig, dig
There’s no time to sleep
For it’s work, work, work
Everyday and every night
Foe it’s work, work, work
When it’s dark and when it’s light
OH LISTEN…
Oh listen, oh listen
Oh listen King
Pharoah
Oh listen, Oh listen
Please let my people
go.
They work so hard all
day
They want to go away.
King Pharaoh, King Pharaoh
What do you say?
No, no, no- I will
not let them go X2
ONE MORNING
(The children sing this song with
the frog puppets they've made.)
One morning when Pharaoh
Woke in his bed
There were frogs in
his bed
And frogs on his head
Frogs on his nose and
frogs on his toes.
Frogs here, frogs
there
Frogs were jumping
everywhere.
BAKE A MATZAH
(The children sing
this song with hand motions.)
Bake a matzah pat,
pat, pat
Do not make it fat,
fat, fat
Bake a matzah flat,
flat, flat
Bake a matzah just
like that.
AFIKOMEN
Afikomen, Afikomen
Where are you? X2
Where could you be
hiding? X2
Wish I knew. X2
Here are some of the projects from my classroom:
Bulletin Board: This bulletin board was a complete class project. The children painted the sea, and Moses' costume and the sand beneath their feet. The frogs are also made by the children.
Matzah Tray: Painted with Legos, and the Star of David on a white hard paper. It's laminated after it dries. Folded from four sides and tied with paper brass or ribbons.
Afikomen bag: We paint the hard oak tag paper with the middle of a cardboard box. If you look at a cardboard box, in between of the two sheets you'll see the wrinkly part. That's what we use to give a matzah effect while we are painting. Then the children lace their own bag.
