Mitzvah Wheel

A Yom Kippur Activity for Young Children

What You’ll Need

  • Paper plates
  • Scissors
  • Markers or crayons
  • Pieces of thin cardboard cut into arrows for pointers
  • Brass paper fasteners

What You’ll Do

  • Ask children to think about the year that has just ended. Were there things they wish they had done differently? Ask them about nice or thoughtful things they can plan to do next year.
  • Ask children think of the people to whom they would like to show kindness. Then, have them divide the back of a paper plate into pie-shaped “slices.”  Designate one slice for each of these people and label each slice with the person’s name. Have them draw a picture inside each slice and u se crayons or markers to decorate the rest of the plate.
  • Help each child attach the arrow shaped cardboard pointer to the center of the plate using a brass paper fastener.
  • Have the children spin the arrow and decide what nice thing you can do for the person chosen by the pointer.
  • Use the Mitzvah Wheel each day during the Ten Days of Awe.  Keep track of the mitzvot each child does.  Display the list in a place where it will be seen all year to remind children to perform these sacred deeds throughout the year.