Pesach for kids — a 30-minute lesson you can teach this week.
A table set for a story, four questions asked by the youngest child, flat crackers called matzah, and a hidden piece of afikoman to find. Pesach is the great Jewish story of freedom — and the Seder is practically built for kids. Written for the homeschool parent who didn't grow up doing this, with every Hebrew word transliterated and no prior Hebrew needed.
When is Pesach?
Pesach 5787 begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 21, 2027 — the first Seder is that night — and runs eight days in the diaspora (seven in Israel), ending at nightfall on Thursday, April 29, 2027. The second Seder is the following night.
Need exact times or other years? See the 5-year Jewish holiday calendar.
What is Pesach, in 30 seconds?
Pesach (חַג הַפֶּסַח — Passover) is the holiday of freedom. Long ago the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt — Mitzrayim — and God brought them out to freedom. We remember that story every year at a special meal called the Seder, where we tell the whole story in order, eat foods that help us feel it, and celebrate being free.
For a young child, the big idea is simple:
- We were slaves, and then we were free. Pesach is the story of leaving Egypt — going from not-free to free. That's the big, happy idea.
- We tell the story at a special meal. At the Seder we don't just hear the story — we taste it (matzah, bitter herbs, sweet charoset) and the youngest child asks the Four Questions.
That's the whole holiday at age 5: we were slaves, then free, and we tell the story at the Seder. The harder parts of the Exodus stay gentle and in the background. Pesach is a celebration of freedom — lead with the Four Questions and the afikoman hunt.
The 30-minute lesson plan
Designed so you can teach it in one sitting. Adjust on the fly — younger kids need more of the hands-on parts, older kids can handle more of the story and the Hebrew.
The big idea (5 min)
Say: "A long time ago the Jewish people were slaves in a place called Egypt, and God helped them become free. Tonight we tell that story at a special dinner called the Seder."
Walk through the Seder (5 min)
Seder means "order." Show the Seder plate and the Haggadah — the book that walks us through the story step by step. Point to the matzah, the bitter herbs (maror), and the sweet charoset that looks like the mortar the slaves used.
The Four Questions (5 min)
The youngest child asks the Mah Nishtana — "Why is this night different from all other nights?" (full Hebrew below). Practicing it is a beloved job for a young child, and the whole Seder is the answer.
Matzah & the story (10 min)
"When the Jewish people left Egypt, they had to leave so fast their bread didn't have time to rise — so it baked flat. That's matzah, and we eat it all week to remember." Tell the going-out story gently and simply.
Afikoman, Dayenu & Eliyahu (5 min)
Hide a piece of matzah — the afikoman — for the children to find. Sing Dayenu ("it would have been enough") together. Open the door for Eliyahu HaNavi near the end. These are the moments kids remember all year.
The heart of the Seder for kids — Mah Nishtana
The Four Questions are the Seder moment built for children. Here's the opening line in full Hebrew with transliteration — practice it together before the night.
The Four Questions — Mah Nishtana
מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת?
Mah nishtana halaila hazeh mikol haleilot?
Translation: Why is this night different from all other nights?
The youngest child asks this aloud — and the whole Seder is the answer. Four short questions follow, about matzah, bitter herbs, dipping, and leaning.
Hebrew vocabulary for this lesson
Every word your child will hear during a Pesach lesson. Don't drill them — just point them out as they come up. After a couple of years your child will recognize them all.
| Hebrew | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| חַג הַפֶּסַח | Chag HaPesach | Passover — the holiday of freedom |
| סֵדֶר | Seder | "Order" — the Pesach-night meal that follows a fixed sequence |
| הַגָּדָה | Haggadah | "Telling" — the book that guides the Seder |
| מַצָּה | Matzah | Flat, unleavened bread — what we eat instead of bread all Pesach |
| מָרוֹר | Maror | Bitter herbs — to remember the bitterness of slavery |
| חֲרֹסֶת | Charoset | Sweet apple-and-nut paste — like the mortar the slaves used |
| אֲפִיקוֹמָן | Afikoman | The piece of matzah hidden during the Seder for children to find |
| מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה | Mah Nishtana | "Why is this night different?" — the Four Questions |
| דַּיֵּנוּ | Dayenu | "It would have been enough" — the gratitude song of the Seder |
| מִצְרַיִם | Mitzrayim | Egypt — the place we left in the Exodus story |
More Pesach terms in our full Hebrew glossary →
Common questions parents ask
When is Passover 2027?
Pesach 5787 begins at sundown on Wednesday, April 21, 2027 — the first Seder is that night, and the second Seder the next night. It runs eight days in the diaspora (seven in Israel), ending at nightfall on Thursday, April 29, 2027.
How do I explain Passover to a young child?
One sentence: "The Jewish people were slaves in Egypt, and God helped them become free — and we tell that story at a special dinner called the Seder." That's the whole lesson at age 3. The Four Questions and the foods of the Seder come at ages 4–5.
What are the Four Questions?
The Mah Nishtana — the youngest child asks "Why is this night different from all other nights?" and then four short questions about why we eat matzah, why bitter herbs, why we dip our food, and why we lean while we eat. The whole Seder is the answer. The opening line in Hebrew is above.
Why do we eat matzah?
When the Jewish people left Egypt, they had to leave so quickly that their bread had no time to rise — so it baked flat and hard. Matzah is that same flat bread, and we eat it all week to remember how fast freedom came.
Do I need to know Hebrew to teach this?
No. Every Hebrew word here is transliterated, with the meaning in English — including the Mah Nishtana, which your child can practice in transliteration before the Seder.
Is there a Pesach lesson pack from Hebrew Homeschool Hub?
Yes — it's ready now. The Pesach pack is Seder-first: every part of the Seder in order, the Four Questions in full nikud, the afikoman, Dayenu, and Eliyahu HaNavi, plus a gentle Exodus story and a Seder-night reader outline in the parent guide. See what's inside the Pesach pack.
More from the Hub for Pesach.
- The Pesach lesson pack — Seder-first, the Four Questions in full nikud, and a Seder-night reader outline in the parent guide.
- Pesach 2027 in the full calendar — exact timing for both Sedarim and all eight days.
- Hebrew glossary — Seder terms — Seder, Haggadah, matzah, maror, afikoman, with full nikud.
- Counting the Omer with kids — the 49-day count that begins on the second night of Pesach.
The Pesach lesson pack is ready.
This free guide gets you through the first lesson. The full Pesach pack gives you the whole holiday — an English presentation deck, the same lesson in fully vowelized Hebrew, printable worksheets, a teacher prep PDF, and an 11–12 page parent guide with 1-day and week-long lesson plans. No prior Hebrew required.