Q: How can we make our Seder fun for kids while maintaining the sanctity of the celebration?

A: The Passover Seder, a 15-step ritual dinner commemorating the Jews' Exodus from Egypt, is one of the most important events in the Jewish faith.

But because the ceremony traditionally begins after sundown and often lasts well into the evening, it's a long night for children. With a little planning, you can make your Seder engaging and enjoyable for young guests.

Start by including kids in the preparations. Let them help you make some of the foods, such as the haroset (a sweet chutneylike dish), and explain their relevance to the ceremony.

Some families organize a hunt for chametz, or leavened bread, the night before Passover begins, hiding bread and cereal around the house for children to find and clean up. This is often done in addition to the game commonly played during the Seder, where kids search for a hidden piece of matzo, called afikomen. Both games are good ways to prompt questions about why certain foods are not permitted during the holiday.

Discuss the Haggadah (the book of prayers, blessings and stories that maps out the order of the Seder) with kids beforehand. Children like to hear stories repeated and will get more out of the Haggadah if they are familiar with it, says Rabbi Amy Scheinerman, of Beth Shalom Congregation in Westminster, Md. There are many versions of the Haggadah; be sure to choose one with children in mind — in this case, the best is usually the shortest.

It's traditional to ask the youngest child to recite the four questions, which begin the telling of the Exodus story. Depending on the ages of your guests, you can also ask them to come up with a skit based on the Passover story — complete with props and costumes — and to perform it at the Seder.

Kids who are enrolled in Jewish schools probably know some relevant songs they can sing during the ceremony, says Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz, regional director of admissions and recruitment at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Kids should get plenty of sleep on the nights leading up to the Seder. If possible, have them take a nap on the day of the Seder, Scheinerman says.

Keep the ceremony lively: Do some of the steps in different rooms or outside. Offer a snack before the Seder starts, and provide hearty helpings of foods eaten early in the ritual — adults will appreciate this, too.

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