Afikomen Bags

Introduction:

Preschoolers can create their Afikomen bags to use at their family seder. Here are some ideas submitted by Marjorie K. in New York.

Materials:

• Handkerchief (tie-dyed with food coloring or nontoxic dyes), fabric scraps, wallpaper samples, etc.
• Yarn
• Velcro or buttons (for closures)

Directions:

1. Punch holes along the sides of the handkerchief, fabric, wallpaper sample, etc.
    
2. Fold the piece of fabric in half, with the fold forming the bottom of the bag.
    
3. Take yarn and put tape on the end to create a needle that preschool students can use.
    
4. Using the tape "needle", weave the yarn in and out of the holes to sew the sides of the bag.
    
5. Put velcro or a button and a button hole on the ends to fasten the bag. (This works best on the fabric/handkerchief bags. The wallpaper bags can remain open.)
    
6. Congratulations! You have now made your very own Afikomen bag.

More Afikomen Bag Ideas:

Plastic Afikomen bags
(from Candi who teaches 3-year olds in New York)
We use large (1 gallon) Ziploc plastic bags (one per child). Each child decorates his/her bag with permanent marker (sharpie markers) or paint pens. The bags can be used at the seder and can also be used to store matzo in during the week. A whole box of matzo fits in one bag!

Note: Please be very careful when using plastic bags with preschool students. We recommend sealing the bags well with tape and their Ziploc closure before giving them to the children to decorate. Once the children have given the bags to their parents, the parents can remove the tape to put matzo in the bags.