Activity ideas for 6 year old girl in shul

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amother

Wed, Sep 08 2021, 11:15 pm

My youngest is 6 years old. I'm looking for things that I can bring to shul that can keep her quietly occupied during davening on Yom Kippur. She will be sitting right next to me. I brought lots of new books for her with me on Rosh Hashana, and that definitely worked out quite nicely, but I'd like to have some more tricks up my sleeve for yom kippur. Of course I will take breaks with her and feed her, but as long as she's occupied, she won't mind sitting in shul while I daven. There isn't a side room or other place she can play, so it needs to be small activities that are basically silent, and don't take up too much room.

Thisisnotmyreal

Wed, Sep 08 2021, 11:22 pm

Puzzels

amother

Moonstone

Wed, Sep 08 2021, 11:24 pm

The only think I can think of is books or this fidget popper toy. I think anything else will make noise.

amother

Tealblue

Wed, Sep 08 2021, 11:25 pm

Your 6 year old will be able to stay quiet in shul from 9 am until late and not disrupt anyone?
Have you asked your rav if you are required to go to shul this year?

amother

Moonstone

Wed, Sep 08 2021, 11:30 pm

amother [ Tealblue ] wrote:

Your 6 year old will be able to stay quiet in shul from 9 am until late and not disrupt anyone?
Have you asked your rav if you are required to go to shul this year?

OP didn't say she'll be in shul all day. My daughter can be quiet for hours if she has enough books.

amother

Tealblue

Wed, Sep 08 2021, 11:31 pm

amother [ Moonstone ] wrote:

OP didn't say she'll be in shul all day. My daughter can be quiet for hours if she has enough books.

There are no children in my shul. Its understood mothers stay home. OP, you can try bringing melissa and doug reusable stickers. They have a lot of different themes

amother

Gray

Wed, Sep 08 2021, 11:31 pm

amother [ Tealblue ] wrote:

Your 6 year old will be able to stay quiet in shul from 9 am until late and not disrupt anyone?
Have you asked your rav if you are required to go to shul this year?

Many 6 year olds can be quiet in shul. Just like they can be quiet in school.

amother

Snowflake

Wed, Sep 08 2021, 11:46 pm

Please no to the PopIt toy! I have misophonia and it drives me CRAZY!!!
(I'm sure you suggested it because you never noticed it. Probably most don't. If you're sensitive to noises, you'll know that it does make noise.)

amother

Tan

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 12:03 am

amother [ Snowflake ] wrote:

I agree. I'm not sensitive to most noises and normally the pop it is fine for me but during shul that's a big no. Only silent activities should be brought. Can be so distracting otherwise. I would get soooooooo annoyed with a kid popping a pop it next to me while in shul and like I said I do not have issues with one normally.

amother

Moonstone

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 12:57 am

amother [ Tan ] wrote:

Oh wow, I didn't realize they make noise!

amother

Hosta

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 1:15 am

Mini legos or building sticks.

Mayflower

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 1:21 am

https://www.smartgames.eu/uk/o.....q-fit
A smart game such as this one could keep her busy for hours and doesn't disturb anyone.

champion

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 6:23 am

She should not be in shul any longer than she can appreciate. It is simply not nice.
Also you might ruin her future connection to shul as an adult.

amother

Dustypink

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 7:22 am

Nothing with a lot of pieces. They spill, and clatter together or on the floor or against a chair, and then she has to pick them up, which is disturbing. And please don't let her have food or drink in the shul davening space on Yom Kippur. Also, on the other side will she be sitting next to anyone not from your family?

Books are your best option. I can't think of anything else. You'd need something she can do in her lap, because you don't want her on the floor using the chair as a table. And maybe talk to another mom with a similar ages child about trading off time. For the future, my dh does seating in our shul for yamim noraim, and will get requests to put two families next to each other who are switching off. Whichever mom is there helps all the kids in both families while the other mom is out with the youngers.

amother

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 7:37 am

It's uncanny how a simple request can yield so many judgy and uncalled for comments. Sheesh.
No I will not bring a popper, my request was for SILENT activity ideas.
I did bring a similar thing to Melissa and Doug reusable stickers, and my daughter LOVED it, but I found it took up too much space. I would love a small booklet of that rather than the huge pad. It also needs to be shul-appropriate themed (no dress up themed ones with half naked dolls and untzniyus clothes). Hoping to find something on Amazon or locally...
In case anyone was wondering, my daughter LOVED being in shul on rosh Hashanah, and prob now associates it with getting awesome books that she had been asking for for a while. If I have new toys/activities for her, it will still be more fun than staying home and playing alone with her own old toys on yom kippur. In addition, she was sitting next to me, getting squeezes, back rubs and lots of (silent) positive 1:1 attention from me. Had she exhibited or expressed the desire to go home, of course I would have taken her home.
If you don't have any suggestions for my request, please refrain from commenting on the circumstances that I included. I was not asking for advice on if my daughter belongs in shul. Thanks!

dragoneye126

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 8:49 am

OP, my almost 6-y-o daughter sat in shul for all of RH davening without issue. She loves books, loves shul, and loves sitting with Abba, so she had the best day. This is the book that made it happen. It’s the size of a regular picture book. https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod.....45b57

amother

Dill

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 8:54 am

Other than books or sticker album activities there really aren't many options for small items that a. don't have lots of pieces and b. are used quietly.

If you are looking for appropriately themed sticker booklets you can try a Judaica store and look in the children's section.

amother

Moonstone

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 10:03 am

dragoneye126 wrote:

Those are regular stickers and are assur on shabbos/yom tov afaik.

amother

Moonstone

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 10:04 am

Rina and Dina has some magnetic sticker crafts that are very cute. Maybe melissa and doug has some magnetic crafts as well.

trixx

Thu, Sep 09 2021, 10:16 am

Interactive books like choose your own ending (what would Darla do) or I spy
Not sure if reusable stickers are muktzah?

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