From Sukkot to Passover: How the Jewish Calendar Shapes a Year of Hands-On Learning at Our Jewish Daycare in Vaughan

Key Takeaways

• Jewish holidays give young children a predictable rhythm across the year, which supports a sense of security and belonging.
• Each celebration offers natural chances to practise fine motor, language, early math, and social skills through play.
• Activities are adapted for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarten children, so every age group can take part in a meaningful way.
• Because traditions repeat each year, children learn to remember and anticipate them, and to connect what happens in the classroom with life at home.

Young children learn best when an idea is tied to something they can see, touch, hear, and taste. At our Jewish daycare in Vaughan, the Jewish calendar gives us that kind of learning all year long. From talk of apples and honey in early fall to the story of Passover in spring, each holiday brings our educators new stories, materials, and hands-on experiences to build into the day.

We don’t treat holidays as one-off craft days. At ACE Daycare, they run through our play-based programs and connect cultural identity with the everyday skills children need as they grow. Since the cycle comes around again each year, children begin to recognize what’s coming. They look forward to it and take pride in sharing what they already know.

Fall and Winter Holidays Bring Stories, Light, and Busy Hands

Preschoolers appreciate sensory activities the most. For learning about Rosh Hashanah, I love doing an apple and honey sensory activities. Using apple and honey-themed letters, words, and pictures helps children understand the meaning of the Hebrew words “l’shanah tovah” (or “may you have a good year”) and “momah” (or “honey”). Children also appreciate seeds and beautiful flowers.

Soon after Shemini Atzeret, Sukkot comes along. This holiday is an invitation to build. This year construct a temporary hut and decorate it with seasonal produce? The natural materials, bocks and boxes, become the basis for a mini sukkah. Kids work together and problem solve to figure out how to keep the roof from caving in. It’s a holiday, the warm up for Engineering, to solve problems with partners.

By December, the story of light: Hanukkah. We tell the story of the Maccabees in simple language that children can understand. This year we focus on themes of bravery, family and light in the darkness. Paper and felt classroom menorahs provide a safe way to tell the story. Each day we practice the fine motor skills of glueing, cutting, and decorating menorahs and paper chains as we prepare for Hanukkah. This is a time of educating young children about practical life skills as we prepare for the coming of light.

At our Jewish Daycare in Vaughan, our Educators change each activity to match the age of the child. Toddlers (18 months to 2.5 years) work on exploring colours and textures. Preschoolers (2.5-4 years) begin retelling parts of the story. Kindergarten children (4-6 years) compare and count, take on longer projects and explain traditions in their own words. This is in line with our philosophy to meet each child where they are at.

Spring Celebrations Build Language, Memory, and Belonging

Incorporating seeds and growth into your early childhood activities during Tu BiShvat can be a great way to integrate culture and nature into the same lesson. This is a great opportunity to work outside. Early learning in outdoor classrooms works best when seasonal changes are considered and incorporated, especially the early signs of spring.

Purim preparations bring anticipation to the school year and the Jewish year. Dramatic play is a favorite and the story of Purim lends itself well. Children can practice active listening in preparation for their turn to talk.

Passover, and in particular the celebration of the Seder, can help reinforce question asking and the importance of critical thinking with young children by showing them that their questions are welcomed and valued. Question asking helps children build a deeper understanding of the activities in which they engage, transforms their wonder into stimulus for thought and helps build a deep appreciation for the symbolic foods of a tradition and the culture of which they are a part.

• Listening and self-regulation during Purim storytelling
• Curiosity and question-asking inspired by Passover
• Observation and early science through Tu BiShvat’s focus on nature

These experiences also connect to Ontario’s early years pedagogy, How Does Learning Happen?, which puts belonging, well-being, engagement, and expression at the centre of early learning. When children see their family’s traditions reflected in their classroom, their sense of belonging grows. Families can follow along through our Procare app, which shares updates on their child’s day. That makes it easy to pick up the conversation at the dinner table or during the holiday itself.

The Year at a Glance

A year that moves from holiday to holiday gives children something to look forward to and a reason to remember. They also learn a little more about who they are and where they come from. By the time spring arrives, many children can tell you what comes next and why it matters to their family.

If you’re looking for a Jewish daycare in Vaughan that blends cultural traditions with thoughtful early learning, we’d be glad to show you around. Our Thornhill (Vaughan) location on Rutherford Road is part of the CWELCC $22-a-day program. You can contact us to book a parent and child visit and learn about future availability.