The High Holidays are coming soon, beginning with Rosh Hashanah, which starts on the evening of Sunday, Setpember 16th. These holidays are a wonderful time to share meals with families, reconnect with the Jewish community, and take a step back to take stock of ourselves as summer fades into autumn. But Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur can be difficult holidays for families with young children. Often, the religious observance of these days is focused on prayer services that offer little for those too young to engage on that level. Even the basic ideas of the holidays – prayer, forgiveness, and justice – can be difficult to translate into developmentally appropriate activities.

The holidays can be meaningful for kids and adults alike. But to ensure we’re all getting the most out of our experiences, we can’t leave it to others to do the work. That’s where this guide comes in.

This past April, we asked Jodi Jarvis to create a resource for families who wanted to make their Passover seders more interactive. Her Guide to Engaging Kids and Adults Together was the biggest hit of our Passover season on JewishBoston.com. So we are thrilled to have her back to offer similar resources around the High Holidays.

This guide offers more suggestions than any one family will want to attempt, so read through and choose your favorites. Next year you can return to ideas that worked for your family or try some others. Let us know how it goes! We welcome feedback (and, if you have them, pictures!) at feedback@JewishBoston.com.

L’shana tova tikateivu – may you be written down for a good year!

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(Looking for the version for young adults who don't have kids? Find it here.)