Create Your Own Sensory Seder Plate

Passover is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ journey from slavery to freedom. It is celebrated with a seder, a special meal where families retell the story of Passover using symbolic foods on the seder plate. Each item represents a part of the story, connecting past and present through taste, texture and tradition.

This year, Keshet is bringing the seder plate to life in a new way with a sensory seder plate—a hands-on experience designed for all to engage with the symbols of Passover through the senses. Along with the plate, we’ve put together simple instructions to help families create their own sensory-friendly seder at home.

What You’ll Need

All can be found at Dollar Tree or Amazon

To assemble

• 1 large clear/white plastic plate
• 6 small clear/white plastic bowls
• Glue gun
• Glue stick

For the Seder plate

• White plastic egg (for Beitzah – egg)
• Felt leaf chain (for Maror – bitter herbs/lettuce)
• Red sand (for Chazeret – second bitter herb)
• Toy carrot with no green top (for Zeroa – shank bone)
• Reindeer moss (for Karpas – parsley)
• Two shades of brown yarn (for Charoset – mortar mixture)

Optional materials

• Cover for the plate (fabric, paper or foil)
• Stickers or markers to decorate

Directions

Step 1: Assembling the plate

1. Using a glue gun, attach the six small bowls to the large plastic plate.
2. Arrange them around the edges, leaving the center empty.
3. Allow the glue to dry completely before adding the symbolic foods.

Step 1.5: Decorating (Optional)

1. Customize your plate with stickers, drawings or a decorative cover to make it unique!

Step 2: Preparing the symbolic foods (Simanim)

1. Egg (Beitzah): Place a plastic white egg in one bowl. No glue needed.
2. Parsley (Karpas): Add a small amount of dried green leaves to a bowl. (Optional: Glue it down.)
3. Charoset:
   • Cut 10-inch pieces of both shades of brown yarn into small pieces.
   • Spread hot glue inside one bowl and press the yarn pieces into it.
4. Bitter Herbs (Chazeret/Maror):
   • Use a glue stick to spread glue inside one bowl.
   • Pour red sand over the glue, let it dry, and then pour the excess back into its container.
5. Shank Bone (Zeroa): Use the toy carrot to represent the shank bone. No glue needed!
6. Lettuce (Chazeret/Maror):
   • Cut 3-5 leaves from the felt leaf chain.
   • Staple the leaves together and place them in a bowl.

Your seder plate is now complete and ready for Passover. Chag Sameach!