Yom Kippur Activities for Kids

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Here is a fun, meaningful, age-appropriate list of Yom Kippur activities for kids. The activities are designed to help children understand themes of teshuvah (returning/repentance), forgiveness, prayer, kindness, reflection, and reconciliation without making the day feel frightening or overly solemn.

A Day of Reflection, Forgiveness, Prayer & Returning to God

Important: Children should not be expected to fast unless their parent/guardian and healthcare provider determine that it is appropriate. Young children can participate in Yom Kippur through age-appropriate meals, prayer, rest, learning, and acts of kindness.

🌿 1. What Is Yom Kippur? Mini-Lesson

Teach children the meaning of Yom Kippur in simple language.

Discuss:

What does Yom Kippur mean?
Why is it called the Day of Atonement?
What is teshuvah?
Why do we ask God for forgiveness?
Why do we apologize to other people?
What does it mean to make a fresh start?

Kid-friendly thought:
"Yom Kippur is a special time to stop, look at our hearts, make things right, and turn our hearts back toward God."

💛 2. Teshuvah Heart Activity

Give each child a paper heart.

Have them write or draw:

"Something I want to make better."

They might choose:

Being more patient
Sharing
Listening
Telling the truth
Being kinder to siblings
Saying sorry
Helping more at home

Then have them write:

"One thing I can do differently."

📝 3. My Teshuvah Checklist

Create a simple checklist:

☐ Is there someone I need to apologize to?
☐ Is there someone I need to forgive?
☐ Did I hurt someone's feelings?
☐ Did I say something unkind?
☐ Did I fail to tell the truth?
☐ Is there something I need to make right?
☐ What can I do better tomorrow?

Remind children that teshuvah isn't merely saying "I'm sorry." It includes changing direction and trying to make things right.

🤝 4. Apology & Forgiveness Practice

Use simple role-playing scenarios.

For example:

Scenario:
"You took your sister's toy without asking."

Ask:

What happened?
How might she feel?
What could you say?
How could you make it right?

Practice:

"I'm sorry for ____. I understand that it hurt you. Will you forgive me? I will try to ____."

💌 5. Make an "I'm Sorry" Card

Children can create cards for someone they have hurt.

Include:

"I'm sorry..."

"I should have..."

"I want to do better by..."

"Will you forgive me?"

❤️ 6. Forgiveness Tree

Draw a large tree on poster board.

Cut out paper leaves.

On each leaf, children can write:

Something they are thankful for
Someone they want to forgive
Someone they want to apologize to
Something they want to change

Attach the leaves to the tree.

Title it:

"Our Teshuvah Tree"

📖 7. Yom Kippur Scripture Reading

Choose age-appropriate passages from the Tanakh and the words of Yeshua.

Possible readings include:

Leviticus 16 — The Day of Atonement
Leviticus 23:26–32 — Yom Kippur
Psalm 51 — A prayer of repentance
Psalm 103:8–12 — God's mercy
Isaiah 1:16–18 — Turn from wrongdoing
Micah 6:8 — Walking humbly with God
Matthew 5:23–24 — Reconciliation
Matthew 6:14–15 — Forgiving others
Luke 6:36–37 — Mercy and forgiveness

Afterward, ask:

"What does this passage teach us about God's heart?"

8. "Create a Clean Heart" Prayer

Read Psalm 51:10 together:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

Have children draw a heart.

Inside the heart, write things they want God to help them grow in:

🌱 Kindness
🌱 Patience
🌱 Honesty
🌱 Courage
🌱 Compassion
🌱 Self-control
🌱 Forgiveness

🕯️ 9. Quiet Prayer Time

Create a peaceful prayer corner.

Provide:

Pillows
Children's Bible
Prayer books
Journal
Drawing materials
Soft lighting

Give children 5–10 quiet minutes.

They can pray:

"God, thank You for..."

"I'm sorry for..."

"Please help me..."

"Please help ____..."

📔 10. Yom Kippur Reflection Journal

Give each child a small notebook.

Create these prompts:

Today I am thankful for:

Something I want to change:

Someone I need to apologize to:

Someone I need to forgive:

A kind thing I can do:

My prayer to God:

🎨 11. Yom Kippur Coloring Pages

Create coloring pages featuring:

Shofar
Hebrew words
Prayer hands
A heart
Dove
Open Torah
Jerusalem
"Teshuvah"
"Forgiveness"
"God Is Merciful"
"Day of Atonement"

🔤 12. Yom Kippur Hebrew Word Hunt

Teach children several Yom Kippur words:

Hebrew	Transliteration	Meaning
יום כיפור	Yom Kippur	Day of Atonement
תשובה	Teshuvah	Returning/repentance
סליחה	Slichah	Forgiveness
תפילה	Tefillah	Prayer
צום	Tzom	Fast
רחמים	Rachamim	Mercy
שלום	Shalom	Peace
לב	Lev	Heart

Have children search for these words on a worksheet.

🧩 13. Yom Kippur Word Search

Create a word-search puzzle using:

YOM KIPPUR
TESHUVAH
PRAYER
FORGIVENESS
MERCY
ATONEMENT
SHALOM
HEART
KINDNESS
REPENTANCE
GOD
YESHUA

🎲 14. Yom Kippur Teshuvah Board Game

Create spaces such as:

🟢 Kindness — Name one kind thing you can do.

🟡 Reflection — What is something you want to improve?

🔵 Forgiveness — Name one reason forgiveness can be difficult.

🟣 Prayer — Say a short prayer.

🟠 Make It Right — What could you do after hurting someone's feelings?

🏆 Fresh Start! — Move ahead two spaces.

💭 15. "What Would You Do?" Cards

Prepare scenario cards.

Examples:

You accidentally broke your friend's toy. What should you do?

Your brother said something mean. How can you respond?

You blamed someone else for something you did. How can you make it right?

You see someone sitting alone. What could you do?

Someone apologizes to you. What does forgiveness look like?

🌳 16. The "Good Deeds" Challenge

Give children a Yom Kippur kindness challenge.

Try to complete:

☐ Help clean the house
☐ Help prepare the table
☐ Encourage someone
☐ Give someone a compliment
☐ Help a sibling
☐ Call or visit someone lonely
☐ Give to someone in need
☐ Write a thank-you note
☐ Pray for someone
☐ Forgive someone

🥣 17. Prepare for the Break-Fast Meal

Let children help prepare the meal that follows the fast.

Age-appropriate jobs might include:

Setting the table
Folding napkins
Making place cards
Preparing fruit
Arranging bread
Decorating the table
Helping prepare soup or other family foods

Explain that the meal can be a joyful time of family, gratitude, and community.

🥛 18. Design a Break-Fast Place Card

Children can create place cards saying:

"May our home be filled with..."

❤️ Love
🕊️ Peace
🌿 Mercy
😊 Joy
🤝 Forgiveness
🙏 Gratitude

🕊️ 19. Make a "Let Go" Activity

Give children paper strips.

Ask:

"What is something unhealthy I want to let go of?"

They might write:

Anger
Jealousy
Mean words
Unkind behavior
Holding grudges
Lying
Complaining

Then create a paper chain titled:

"Leaving the Old Behind"

Explain that Yom Kippur reminds us to turn away from wrongdoing and return to God's ways.

💧 20. Mercy & Water Experiment

Use a bowl of clean water.

Place a small amount of dirt into it.

Discuss how the water changes.

Then explain:

"Our hearts can become messy too. Yom Kippur gives us a special opportunity to stop, confess, turn around, and seek God's mercy."

Emphasize that God's mercy isn't something we manipulate with an activity—the demonstration is simply a visual teaching tool.

🧠 21. Yom Kippur Quiz

Ask children:

What does Yom Kippur mean?
What is teshuvah?
Why do people apologize?
Why is forgiveness important?
What is the Day of Atonement?
What is one thing we can pray about?
What does mercy mean?
How can we make peace with someone?
What does Psalm 51:10 ask God to create?
What is one change you want to make?

🎭 22. Yom Kippur Puppet Show

Have children create a short puppet show about:

"The Apology That Changed Everything."

Characters could include:

Two siblings
A parent
A friend
A teacher
A narrator

The story should demonstrate: mistake → recognition → apology → forgiveness → changed behavior

🎨 23. Make a "Fresh Start" Poster

Give children paper and art supplies.

At the top write:

MY FRESH START

Have them illustrate:

🌱 What I want to grow
❤️ What I want in my heart
🤝 How I want to treat people
🙏 What I want to pray about
🕊️ What peace means to me

🫶 24. Family Forgiveness Circle

Gather together as a family.

Each person can complete:

"Something I appreciate about you is..."

"Something I'm sorry for is..."

"Something I hope we can do better is..."

"I forgive you."

Keep this voluntary and gentle—children shouldn't be pressured to disclose something deeply personal.

📬 25. "Letters to God" Activity

Children can write a private prayer letter to God.

They can begin:

Dear God,

Thank You for...

I'm sorry for...

Please forgive me for...

Please help me...

Please help my family...

I want to become...

Thank You for Your mercy.

Amen.

🌟 26. Yom Kippur Gratitude Jar

Decorate a jar.

Throughout Yom Kippur, children place notes inside answering:

"What am I thankful for?"

Read the notes together after Yom Kippur.

🕯️ 27. Talk About the Meaning of Light

Use a candle as a teaching symbol, observing appropriate fire safety.

Ask:

"What does light represent in Scripture?"

Discuss:

God's guidance
Truth
Hope
Holiness
Walking in God's ways

Then let children draw a candle and write:

"How can I be a light to someone this week?"

🥁 28. Shofar Reflection Activity

If you have a shofar, let children learn about it.

Discuss:

Why is the shofar associated with the High Holy Days?
What does its sound make us remember?
Why do Jewish traditions connect the shofar with awakening and repentance?

Children can draw their own shofar and write:

"What do I need to wake up to?"

🏠 29. Family Service Project

Choose one project together:

Donate food
Prepare care packages
Help an elderly neighbor
Donate clothing
Make cards for people who are lonely
Volunteer at a community organization
Collect supplies for families in need

Explain that repentance involves not only words but also turning toward righteousness, mercy, justice, and love.

🌅 30. "Tomorrow I Will..." Activity

Yom Kippur shouldn't end with a list of things children feel guilty about.

Instead, have them complete:

Tomorrow I will...

☐ Be kinder
☐ Listen better
☐ Tell the truth
☐ Help someone
☐ Pray
☐ Forgive
☐ Say thank you
☐ Be patient
☐ Make peace
☐ Try again

End with:

"A new day gives me another opportunity to walk with God."

✡️ Bonus: Yom Kippur Kids Activity Book

These activities could easily be turned into a printable Yom Kippur Children's Activity Book, including:

What Is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur Coloring Page
Teshuvah Worksheet
My Prayer Page
My Apology Page
Forgiveness Worksheet
Hebrew Vocabulary
Hebrew Word Search
Yom Kippur Crossword
Yom Kippur Quiz
Good Deeds Challenge
Teshuvah Tree
Gratitude Jar Page
My Fresh Start Poster
Yom Kippur Journal
Shofar Activity
Family Discussion Page
Scripture Reflection Pages
Break-Fast Place Cards
"My Yom Kippur Promise" certificate

🌿 A simple theme for the whole day

STOP → REFLECT → RETURN → REPAIR → FORGIVE → PRAY → BEGIN AGAIN

That sequence can help children understand Yom Kippur as more than a day of solemnity: it is an opportunity to learn about returning to God, taking responsibility, seeking reconciliation, receiving mercy, and choosing a better path.