Reading Time: 7 minutes Tu Bishvat Activities for 2024 – Free Activities for Kids
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When is Tu Bishvat 2024? Tu Bishvat 2024 starts at sunset on Wednesday, January 24th. Tu Bishvat ends the night of Thursday, January 25th.
In this post, you’ll find 2024 Tu Bishvat activities for the whole family.
What is Tu Bishvat (also called Tu B’Shevat and Tu B’Shvat)?
On the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, Jews celebrate the holiday Tu Bishvat. Judaism has several new years. Tu Bishvat is one of the four “new years” in the Jewish calendar and appears in the Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 14a)
Tu Bishvat is the celebration of the New Year for Trees. Tu Bishvat is sometimes referred to as The Birthday of the Trees or Jewish Arbor Day.
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Tu Bishvat Seder
Tu Bishvat’s Seder is modeled after the Passover Seder. In celebration of Tu Bishvat, fruit such as dates, figs, pomegranates, grapes, and olives are eaten and nuts like almonds.
Sometimes apples, peaches, plums,, wheat, and barley are also part of the Tu B’Shvat Seder menu. Wine or grape juice is usually drank.
The Jewish blessing over the fruit is Baruch Atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech ha’olam borei pri ha-etz. (Blessed are you, lord our God, king of the universe, who created the fruit of the tree.)
Tu Bishvat Activities
During this time, the trees start blooming in Israel and begin the fruit-bearing cycle. Fruit trees were awarded the special status in the Torah since they are critical to sustaining life. Fruit trees are a symbol of God’s divine favor.
In addition to the Seder, many families spend Tu B’Shevat planting tree saplings or doing basic gardening.
These things show appreciation, gratitude, and respect for trees and the earth. Tu Bishvat is an agricultural festival to honor the planet.
Instead of planting trees, many people contribute money to the Jewish National Fund (the JNF) to plant trees in Israel.
Since some people have Tu Bishvat seders, I included links to kid-friendly Tu B’shevat Seders.
Tu Bishvat Preschool Activities
Tu Bishvat, the Jewish New Year for Trees, is a beautiful opportunity to engage preschoolers in nature-related activities.
These Tu Bishvat activities for preschool can be fun and educational, helping young children understand the importance of trees and nature in our world.
One popular Tu Bishvat activity is planting seeds. Preschoolers can plant seeds in small pots, learning about the growth cycle of plants and the significance of trees in the environment.
This hands-on experience is educational and gives them a sense of responsibility as they care for their growing plants.
Another engaging Tu Bishvat activity for preschoolers is a nature walk. Teachers can organize a walk in a nearby park or garden, where children can observe different types of trees and plants.
This can be turned into a scavenger hunt, where kids are encouraged to find leaves, pinecones, or specific types of trees, fostering a deeper connection with nature.
Storytelling sessions focused on trees and nature are also excellent Tu Bishvat activities for preschoolers.
Books about trees, their growth, and their importance to the environment can be informative and entertaining.
These stories can be followed by discussions, helping children articulate what they have learned.
Tu Bishvat Crafts for Toddlers
Crafts are a fantastic way to celebrate Tu Bishvat with toddlers, making the holiday both fun and memorable.
Tu Bishvat crafts for toddlers should be simple, safe, and enjoyable, allowing young children to explore their creativity while learning about the holiday’s significance.
One such craft is creating tree collages. Toddlers can use construction paper, glue, and various materials like leaves, twigs, or cotton balls to create their own tree.
This activity sparks creativity and helps develop their fine motor skills.
Fruit stamping is another great Tu Bishvat activity for toddlers. Using cut fruits like apples or pears, toddlers can dip these into paint and stamp them onto paper, creating beautiful and unique patterns.
This craft is fun and a sensory activity, allowing toddlers to explore different textures and colors.
Lastly, making bird feeders is a wonderful “Tu Bishvat activity”. Using simple materials like pinecones, peanut butter, and birdseed, toddlers can create feeders to hang in trees.
This activity teaches them about caring for nature and the animals that live in it, aligning perfectly with the spirit of Tu Bishvat.
Free Tu Bishvat Activities For Kids
If you are looking for Tu Bishvat activities for kids, then you’ll want to look at these free Tu Bishactivities.
- In sod pots by a window with natural sunlight, plant parsley seeds. For the Passover seder, gather the parsley.
- Next to a window with sunlight, plant a flowering bulb kit. This is a beautiful teaser to the upcoming spring season in the middle of winter.
- Plant a sapling in your yard if you live somewhere where planting outdoors at this time of year is feasible.
- Tu Bishvat Crossword Puzzle and Word Search
- Make a difference in your neighborhood by joining a cleanup initiative.
- Torah Tots Word Find
- Tu B’ishvat Online Greeting Cards
- Allow children to help you make trail mix by sorting the ingredients, such as five carob chips, eight dried apple slices, four almonds, etc.
- Cook traditional Tu Bishvat foods like dried fruit, honey, nuts, olives and dates
- Go on an outdoor nature scavenger hunt to find items associated with the holiday such as wheat, figs and grapes
- Sing songs about trees or Jewish holidays that celebrate nature
- Relax and enjoy a picnic in your backyard or local park
Tu Bishvat Crafts
- With these Tu B’Shevat Coloring Pages, you can learn about the Jewish holiday. Tu B’Shevat coloring pages from Chabad and Torah Tots Tu B’Shevat coloring pages
- Make a nature craft, like a tree made out of paper and decorated with colorful leaves
- Gather construction paper, scissors, glue, and a pencil or crayon. Sit down with your child. Have your child draw the trunks of trees. Help them cut out leaves for the trees. Then glue down the leaves on the trees.
- Find trees with your kids. Let the child take a picture. Then have the picture framed for them.
- You can also glue cotton balls for clouds. All along, talk to them about the importance of the environment and nature. Ask them what they are thankful for and write those down with them.
- To attract birds and other wildlife, fill a bird feeder with birdseed or unbuttered popcorn and hang it from a tree.
- Create artwork depicting the seven species of Israel; wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates
- Make Tu Bishvat cards for friends and family and share your wishes for the new year
Free Tu Bishvat Seders And Activities Online
- Run a Tree campaign for your school!
- Tu B’Shvat Seder for Very Young Children by The Lookstein Center– Seder for young kids ages 3 -5
- Seeds of Hope: A Babaganewz Seder for Tu B’shevat – Printable Seder
- 3 Tu Bishvat Haggadahs for Kids – PDF TuBishvat Family Friendly Haggadas
Tu Bishvat Kids Books
In addition to Tu B’Shevat activities, there are a variety of Tu Bishvat kids books.
Tu B’Shevat Games, Music, Activities, and More – For Purchase
Tu B’Shevat Games, Music, Activities, and More – For PurchaseIf you are looking for some games, music, and more, to celebrate the Jewish new year of the trees, then check out these links.
And more Tu Bishvat goodies for purchase here.
The Many Spellings Of Tu Bishvat
The Jewish holiday of Tu BiShvat can be spelled in various ways due to its translation from Hebrew to English.
Why are there so many different ways to spell Tu Bishvat? The differences in spelling are largely due to the different transliterations of Hebrew letters and vowels. Here are some of the common spellings:
- Tu BiShvat
- Tu B’Shvat
- Tu B’Shevat
- Tu BiSh’vat
- Tu Bishvat
- Tu BeShvat
- Tu BeShevat
- Tu Bishvat
- Tu BiShevat
- Tu Bishevat
The “Tu” part of the name is an acronym of the Hebrew letters Tet and Vav, which add up to the number 15, as the holiday falls on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat.
The variations in the spelling of “Shevat” or “Shvat” reflect different preferences in the transliteration of the Hebrew letter “Shin” and whether the vowel is rendered explicitly.
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