The 2022 Quick Guide to Celebrating Purim With Kids

This year Purim begins in the evening on Wednesday, March 16th and ends in the evening of Thursday, March 17th.

The holiday of Purim is exuberant, colorful and full of pure joy. It takes place on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Adar, which usually falls in March. Purim, with all of its fun and festivity, is an especially accessible holiday for children. On Purim it is customary to listen to the biblical Book of Esther, also known as the Megillah in Hebrew, read aloud in synagogue, put on comic productions of the story of Purim called purimspiels (Yiddish for “plays”), dress up in costumes, and give gift baskets, mishloach manot, to friends.  

Use the buttons below to learn more and celebrate Purim with your kids this year.

Purim with Kids Under Age 5

For small children and toddlers, Purim is all about the party. Kids can play dress up, shake groggers, and help big kids and grown-ups put together gift baskets for friends. Introduce your little ones to Purim traditions with these adorable books:

Is it Sukkot Yet?
Purim Masquerade
Sammy Spider's First Purim

You can also:

Dress up in costumes and enjoy a costume parade. 

Sing along and shake your grogger with a playlist of Purim songs.

Purim with Kids Ages 5+

Wonderful Purim stories for this age group include: 

Cakes and Miracles
Purim Chicken
Queen Esther Saves Her People

Children in this age group continue to enjoy the festivities of Purim but can also actively engage in observing the mitzvot or commandments of Purim: listening to the Megillah, giving gifts, helping the poor, and enjoying a Purim feast. Try one of these activities to participate with your children:

Related: Celebrating Purim With Kids

Bake hamantaschen and put them in mishloach manot, Purim gift baskets

Make your own groggers, Purim noise-makers

Craft costumes together. Here are a few inspired by PJ Library characters.

Purim with Tweens

Weeks before March, toy stores all over Israel start bringing out racks upon racks of costumes to satisfy every child’s whim for Purim. A cursory looks proves that Esther, Mordechai, and superheroes are the most popular characters. And why not? Purim is the story of the unlikeliest of heroes: Esther who finds herself fighting for the fate of her people; and Mordechai who persists until safety for the Jews in guaranteed. Purim teaches us that with or without a costume, all of us have the ability to be a super-hero and perform heroic feats for those in need.

Since kids in this age group already know the customs and traditions associated with Purim, use the holiday as a jumping off point to talk about what it means to be a hero. Here are some great titles to check out:

Jordan and the Dreadful Golem
Black Radishes

Purim for All Ages

The entire family can get in on the Purim fun together!

Shake your noisemakers and yell "Boo!" whenever you hear Haman's name during the Purim story.

Do tzedakah as a family and other good works to spread joy and help the needy.

Bake (and eat) so much hamantaschen.

Attend a Purim carnival or spiel

Need more Purim ideas? Here are 18 to try with your family!