THEME:

Havdalah (Separation)

AGE(s):

Nursery (Ages 3-5)

YEAR:

Winter 2025 (5785)

INSIGHT:

“I’ve been struck by the physicality of havdalah – the light, the smell, the sounds. It’s an effective way to situate ourselves in the present moment.” – (Parent of a three-year-old)

PROJECT:

Marking Time, Engaging the Senses

STORY #10:

Nursery children were introduced to the facets of Havdalah – the objects, rituals, blessings, and their own feelings – through sensory exploration that sparked children’s curiosity and captivated their imaginations. Children built connections slowly with the ritual by learning its choreography, turning their bodies into dancing flames, and sampling fragrances that captured feelings about closing one week and moving into a new one. To give voice to children’s fascination, we designed an immersive Havdalah mobile, setting into it nighttime fabrics, bright flame paintings, hanging spice satchels, and children’s own words of awe and connection with the ritual. The mobile was life-size, fully surrounding children and families with the sights, smells, textures, and sounds of Havdalah, imbuing them with a sensory memory of Havdalah to carry with them as they grow.