High Holidays 2023/5784 Shelfie + Starter Activities

Rosh Hashanah starts in a month so that means it’s time to share our new High Holidays 2023/5784 Shelfie + Starter Activities, start our High Holiday learning, and have lots of fun while doing so! Our shelfie has hands-on activities, fine motor skill practices, counting and number sense opportunities, and of course books and stories about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The activities are simple, easy to set up, and a meaningful and fun learning experience for your family!

What You’ll Need

• Your favorite High Holiday books (check out our recommendations here!)
• Your favorite High Holiday arts, crafts, toy sets, and activities that you already own and/or look below to see if any of ours inspire you to create similar ones!

Putting It Together

Here is the list of activities that I set up. Get inspired or grab whatever of your own! I also plan to add new activities as we create them to this High Holidays Shelfie.

1. High Holidays Book Box
2. Rosh Hashanah Montessori-Style 3 Part Cards
3. Yom Kippur Montessori-Style 3 Part Cards
4. Rosh Hashanah Play Set
5. Basket of Shofrot
6. Beehive High Holiday Candleholders + DIY Toilet Paper Roll Bees
7. Simanim Match
8. Apple Tree Picking Tray
9. Apple Sheet Matching Game
10. Tashlich Sensory Bottle
11. Rosh Hashanah Symbol Sensory Bottle
12. Dip Your Apples In Honey With A Pom Pom Apple Toss
13. Apple Threading Necklace
14. Beaded Apples
15. Jonah & the Whale 3 Part Cards + Jonah & the Whale Pretend Play
16. Challah Raisin Number Match

Make the grade for less. Back-to-school Rollbacks & more.

High Holidays Book Box

You know I always love starting off our holiday learning by gathering all related holiday books and displaying them in an easy to use, and holiday decorated!, book box! We made this book box years ago and I just store and pull it out each High Holiday. The kids know where the holiday books are stored and can pull from the box whenever they want some easy holiday learning!

The full how-to for the book box can be found here. I also love adding a fun reading challenge to our holidays with our holiday-themed reading bingo challenge. You can download the High Holidays Reading Bingo Challenge printable for free here!

Rosh Hashanah Montessori-Style 3 Part Cards

Another simple but thorough way I start our holiday learning is with our Montessori-style 3 Part Cards. Today we read and matched the set for Rosh Hashanah. It’s such an easy way to touch on the main details about the holiday, including important stories, traditions, customs, and symbols.

You can buy your copy of the Rosh Hashanah Montessori-Style 3 Part Cards here.

Yom Kippur Montessori-Style 3 Part Cards

I set out our Yom Kippur Montessori-Style 3 Part Cards but decided that this year I will wait until after Rosh Hashanah ends to re-introduce the cards and use those Ten Days of Awe to really focus and learn about Yom Kippur. These holidays are obviously often grouped together but sometimes it’s helpful to separate them out and do concentrated learning for each holiday individually. And we have plenty of time to do both!

To get your family ready for Yom Kippur, buy your Yom Kippur Montessori-Style 3 Part Cards from the With Love, Ima Shop now!

Rosh Hashanah Play Set

This Rosh Hashanah play set is a really sweet and easy way to have children engage with some of the ritual objects they will likely see during the holiday. My littlest may have been using the round challah as drums, but he is getting exposure to the objects and symbols and engaging with them which I totally love.

And do you see the lovely tea cloth under the playset? It’s by the amazing JewishTogether! I have two different ones and I love using them for holiday play and holiday decoration!

Basket of Shofrot

I may have had to cover my ears a few times, but how could there be a High Holidays Shelfie without a basket of shofrot?! The kids love blowing the kid-friendly plastic shofar versions. Once they get their initial blows out, try teaching them the special sounds for the holiday!

If you’re looking for a more in-depth shofar activity, I loved this beautiful Shofar Exploratory Activity that I did with the kids years ago. This activity allows kids to touch, look and explore our real shofar and learn more about what shofrot are, how they are made, and the special sounds they make during Elul and the High Holidays.

Beehive High Holiday Candleholders + DIY Toilet Paper Roll Bees

I made these Beehive High Holiday Candleholders last year and am still so in love with them! They sat on our shelfie last year and on our Rosh Hashanah seder table and will do so again this year. They are so simple to make and the kids instantly knew what they were. Such a fun addition for both play, decoration and a special dinner addition.

This year I easily made some DIY toilet paper roll bees to add as our bee symbols for this year’s shelfie. To make the bees, paint a toilet paper roll yellow. Once dry, cut into thirds horizontally. Use a sharpie to add antenna, eyes, and black stripes. Ta-da, happy little bees!

To add an additional layer of learning, I printed out this Bee FAQ sheet from Itsy Bitsy Fun. Today we read the FAQ and learned a little bit more about bees and honey in addition to playing.

Simanim Match

Last year we made a beautiful simanim garland that we displayed on our shelfie and by our dinner table so we could see it while we ate our holiday meals. This year I used some of the simanim pieces and created a simple matching game. I printed out images of the simanim, used mod podge to glue them to smooth rocks, then invited the children to match each rock to the simanim paper pieces. As we matched we talked about why each simanim had special significance and symbolism to Rosh Hashanah.

I have plans for the simanim rock pieces. I think they could easily be used for pretend Rosh Hashanah seder plate play. Or Rosh Hashanah story cues. So many possibilities!

Apple Tree Picking Tray

I love this Apple Tree Picking Tray! The tree tray is very versatile and I’ve used it in so many sensory invitations. For this Apple Tree Picking Tray invitation, I filled the tree top with green split peas and the trunk with dried chickpeas. I found these adorable apple erasers and added them to the tree top. The kids were invited to “pick” the apple erasers and transfer them to the collection basket.

I also challenged my first grader to count each apple that he picked so that this sensory tray was also a number sense opportunity and practice.

The erasers are smooth and soft but firm enough for some fun tactile feedback. I envision bringing this same tray out again and using number cards, a ten frame, and some other prompts to continue the learning and fun!

Apple Sheet Matching Game

This Apple Sheet Matching Game is another super simple idea that has opportunities for multiple uses. The apple coloring sheet is a free printable from @JewishTogether. I absolutely love her coloring sheets and I’ll be honest, after our vacation, sitting down to color while watching a little TV was a beautiful and meditative way for me to unwind!

After I colored the sheet, I laminated it so it could be reused. But you could easily buy a protector sheet from Dollar Tree and just slide the sheet in. Because I already had Rosh Hashanah themed counting cards made, I decided our first matching game would be with numbers. With a dry erase pen I wrote the numbers 1-10 three times on different apples. I then invited my first grader (the preschooler really wanted to participate too!) to look at the number card, identify the number, then find its match on the coloring sheet. This was a pretty simple practice for him but it’s also still summer break for us and since we just play in summer it’s nice to ease back into academics slowly and easily before school starts 😉

Because I used a dry erase marker on the laminated sheet, I can easily wipe off the numbers and add a new prompt on the apples for matching. Maybe the alphabet? Diagraphs? Sight words? There are lots of possibilities!

Tashlich Sensory Bottle

Okay, this Tashlich Sensory Bottle may be one of my favorites on the shelfie this year. Why? It’s super simple to make and the concept is so simple too. But it can be so powerful if you take the time to slow down and really talk and think it through. And it’s a calming sensory tool, which is always a win for me!

I will share how I made the Tashlich Sensory Bottle on Instagram (have you followed me yet? ;-)) but all you need is a plastic bottle, water, blue food coloring, oil and small rocks. So simple and easy!

Once you have the bottle made, invite your children to give it a shake. They will see bubbles and the rocks moving and floating. Invite them to look at a rock and share about something they want to change in this new year. Remind them that this is the process of Tashlich. In our family, we go to a local pond and toss in a small rock or stick for every action we think about and want to change for the new year. The rocks they see in the bottle remind them of this ritual and is a wonderful way to practice before the real day.

Rosh Hashanah Symbol Sensory Bottle

This Rosh Hashanah Symbol Sensory Bottle is another item from a previous year that is easy to store and bring out each year. Not only is it a lovely sensory and calming tool, it’s really a wonderful way to review the Rosh Hashanah symbols.

In the past we played I Spy with the bottle and that’s an option for sure, or you can just ask your children to identify the different objects and together talk about their symbolism.

It’s also a pretty decoration too–bright and colorful and filled with Rosh Hashanah love and symbols!

Dip Your Apples In Honey With A Pom Pom Apple Toss

Want another super simple activity that gets your kids moving a bit, using hand-eye coordination, and invites conversation about why apples and honey are important Rosh Hashanah symbols? Try this Dip Your Apples In Honey With A Pom Pom Apple Toss game!

I had saved a yellow container from my face wash but you can use any container you have. I added a honey jar picture to it to further remind the children of the honey symbol. Gather red, green and yellow pom poms to act as your apples. I used the jumbo pom poms. Then invite your kids to take an “apple” and “dip” it into the honey jar by yes, tossing it!

My youngest two had so much fun trying to get the pom poms in! And there was such a sense of accomplishment when one finally made it in!

In addition to some fun physical movement, this activity also let us talk about why dipping apples into honey is a Rosh Hashanah tradition. Such a sweet way to review the symbolism and tradition 😉

If you want, add some color identification and maybe even matching or spelling as they grab a pom pom and toss it! So many options!

Apple Threading Necklace

I discovered this sweet Apple Threading Necklace invitation from Our Happy Tribe. I prepped the activity for the preschool and knew my kids would like it as well. Fine motor skill practice, cute smiling Rosh Hashanah apple, AND yummy Cheerios? A total win!

Beaded Apples

We made these adorable Beaded Apples last year and I thought they were a sweet and happy decoration for this year’s shelfie. They are simple to make and another really lovely fine motor skill practice. And look how cute they are on a shelf, or your seder table–LOVE!

Jonah & the Whale 3 Part Cards + Jonah & the Whale Pretend Play

I set out our Jonah & the Whale 3 Part Cards + Jonah & the Whale Pretend Play but didn’t plan on actually using them until Yom Kippur, like the Yom Kippur 3 Part Cards. However, the kids saw the adorable whale on the shelf and wanted to play with it then and there. So of course I said yes and added some learning as well 😉

Our Jonah & the Whale 3 Part Cards are an easy way to tell the story of Jonah, traditionally read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur. I set out the cards today but also had made this super simple and adorable whale so the kids could use the whale and peg doll Jonah to act out the story as we read the cards. It was great!

To make the whale, paint your toilet paper roll gray or blue. Once dry, add a paper tail and staple the back closed and the tail on the bottom. Glue or tape on fins and draw or add googly eyes. So simple! Let your children explore the whale with a peg doll or other Jonah symbol. As they play they will think about the story and remember it so much better. And also have fun, of course!

Challah Raisin Number Match

I included one final simple matching practice, a Challah Raisin Number Match. I added 1-10 black ovals to represent raisins on round challah then invited the kids to count and match the correct number of raisins with our black loose parts (small, smooth rocks). It’s a wonderful hands-on way to review the specialness of the round challah, practice counting, one to one correspondence, and get a little sensory feedback as well!

Just the beginning …

We had such a great time with all these starter activities! And these are truly starter activities, just the beginning of our learning about the traditions and celebrations that relate to the High Holidays.

I have lots of ideas planned for the next month so make sure to check back (or subscribe!!) but so much learning and fun already happened just in this afternoon and with these few shelves!

I’ll admit, after we went through our High Holidays 2023 Shelfie + Starter Activities, the kids were super in the High Holiday mood so we continued it with a … Rosh Hashanah dance party! They love singing some of the songs (Dip Your Apple) themselves, but it’s also so much fun to be able to dance and sing along with some of our favorites. We use the With Love, Ima Rosh Hashanah YouTube playlist and put it on the TV for some fun singing, dancing, and true rocking out! Bring on the new year!

We have a whole page dedicated to the High Holidays, our High Holidays Hub. Check it out! It includes some of the High Holidays activities we do this year, as well as the activities we’ve done in previous years.

And don’t forget our Rosh Hashanah Montessori-Style 3 Part Cards, our Yom Kippur Montessori-Style 3 Part Cards, or the High Holidays Montessori-Style 3 Part Card Bundle, all a wonderful way to introduce High Holidays!

The following sites are amazing resources for learning more about this holiday:

PJ Library: High Holidays

Reform Judaism: High Holidays

BimBam: High Holidays

Chag Sameach!!

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