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12 Creative Purim Activities Your Kids Will Love

Purim

It's Almost Purim!

At Judaica.com, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to meaningfully engage children during the Jewish holidays.

Purim seems simple -- what’s not to love? Kids get to make a lot of noise (when Haman’s name is mentioned in the megillah), indulge in sweets and candy, dress up in costumes, and attend parties with their friends. But it can still be a challenge to make sure that all of this fun actually translates into the meaning behind the traditions.

Below are some of our favorite Purim activities for kids. It's time to get in the Purim spirit!

12 Purim Activities For The Kids

1. Carnival Games

Carnival games can be Purim themed with a little creative modification. We particularly like “pin the ear on Haman” -- with “ears” shaped like hamentashen.

2. Mask Decorating

Cut out and decorate masks to go with their costumes. This can be a fun family activity the week before Purim!

3. Create Your Own Crown

Decorate king and queen crowns for fun or to put on a spontaneous fashion show.

Purim

4. Gr-gra-graggers!

Make graggers to use during the megillah reading to sound out Haman's name. Your kids will love this, but get ready for a few days of non-stop noise!

5. Purim Painting

Paint a giant mural of Esther, Mordechai, and other Purim characters. Offer to hang it in your local school or synagogue during their Purim festivities.

Purim

6. Finger Puppets

Make finger or sock puppets from characters of the Purim story. Older children might enjoy putting on a puppet show for the younger ones. Set up a chair and a blanket as your makeshift puppet theater, and sing or act out the story.

7. Hold An Auction

Kids will earn tickets for doing Purim-related activities at school or at home. Some ideas include volunteering to set up for a community carnival, taking a class trip to visit seniors and hand out shalach manot, helping prepare for a Purim seudah, and assembling shalach manot. Then they’ll use the tickets to bid on prizes. They can join forces in small teams to pool their tickets together. What a great way to learn how to work together!

8. Assemble Mishloach Manot

This is a meaningful activity for the kids to do. Whether you’re giving individually or as a family, create an assembly line for your children to put together the mishloach manot bags you plan to give to your friends and family.

9. Dress Up Photo Booth

Photo booths are all the rage these days! Go through past Purim costumes and birthday supplies that you know you should have gotten rid of but somehow still have around. If you’re super organized and simply don’t have random junk lying around (it’s okay, we don’t judge!) just take a quick trip to the nearest dollar store or Party City for some cheap props. As for maskswe’ve got you covered. Designate a space for a rented or makeshift photo booth for kids and adults to have fun posing in. Save those photos - you'll want to treasure them in a few years!

10. Put On A Purim Shpiel (Play)

Have the kids put together a skit about Purim, either their interpretation of the original story, or a spinoff. It can be totally planned or somewhat improvised. The funnier the better!

Purim

11. Make Hamantashen!

This classic Purim custom never gets old! This fun activity will give your kids a sense of pride to help make something that will enhance your mishloach manot baskets. Or save them for the Purim meal, and serve the hamentaschen on these colorful Purim paper goods.

12. Read A Purim Story

We carry a number of wonderful children’s books about Purim. We've got Megillahs for the whole family, too.

Make sure to check out our Purim section, stock full of books and items for all your Purim needs!

Wishing you all an action-packed, fun, enjoyable, and meaningful Purim!