I like to keep some sort of activity out, sensory bin or otherwise, that V. can independently walk up to and play with at any time. Last week it was as simple as crayons and paper. One day I got brave and left watercolors out. (She tried to drink the paint water several times. Even if the paint is non-toxic, I didn't want her drinking it.)
For our seders, I found this cheap plate at Target. It is colorful and fun, and kept her busy during the actual seder with some seder plate items I had knit for her last year and some matzoh I stitched up in the car on the way to my in-laws. Once the seders were over, the plate went to her play table along with Elijah's cup (another cheap Target find, but not pictured because it has been rather popular for feeding Baby) and the pieces for the plate.
The books were gathered for the picture, but usually live in the living room. They are National Geographic's Celebrating Passover (great photos, factual) and The Great Matzoh Hunt, which is a lift-the-flap book. It doesn't use any Hebrew, which irked me, but features a duck, which V. loves. She loves it so much that she tore all the flaps off her first copy, and fortunately was given a second copy (hidden from her grasp) by her great aunt. (Afikomen prize, even if she made no attempt.) The third book, below, is Tomie de Paolo's My First Passover, which is much more her speed. Once I unearthed the copy, I left it open to the seder plate page as a helpful suggestion. (No pages to rip or flaps to tear off. Sometimes I love board books.)
Dayenu! is one of my favorite Passover books for children (and it is a great haggadah!) but I didn't get to the library or Amazon soon enough. Next year, if we aren't in Israel.
Having seen seder plates in action the past few evening, she had the basic concept down: put things into the spaces.
My little Magpie ran around the house and collected all the things she needed for her Seder plate in an empty wipe container. Then she and her lizard set to work.
It's a work in progress.
