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They, along with numerous other fun props, are there to keep the Parshan seder, well, jumping. Like parents everywhere, Dovid and Lisa Parshan love having a seder with their children. But this can be challeng- ing when your children are tiny and sit- ting still for a few minutes (much less a few hours for the seder) is a challenge. So the Parshans — parents of Shira, 8; Avi, 6; and Eli, 4 — have lots of Pesach toys and activities. This year, Lisa has prepared a Makot (plagues) bucket, filled with cool stuff to use at the table. During the reading of the 10 Plagues, for example, the Parshans take out cot- ton balls and throw them (that's a softer version of hail). They bring out a bevy of fierce creatures (small, plastic zoo ani- mals) when it comes time to talk about the wild animals. There's a back scratch- er, to help with those itchy boils, and rubber grasshoppers, the bigger the bet- ter. This year, though, Lisa is thinking about surprising her children and keep- ing the grasshoppers hidden on her lap instead of in the bucket, "then I'll just pop them out" at the appropriate time. At 4, Eli is still learning to read. But "he likes to stay up" for the whole seder, Lisa says, and he likes to participate. As the youngest member of the family, it is his job to recite Mah Nishtanah ("Why is This Night Different?"), but that can be a bit daunting when you're still learn- ing to read. So Eli's mom prepares him a special Mah Nishtanah kit, a kind of Pesach teleprompter. Among the items within: a piece of matzah (to answer "why do we eat only matzah on this night?") and his sister's Barbie chair, which helps Eli remember the reclining part. Because the Parshans understand that sitting still a long time can be a bit much for little ones, they keep their seder moving — literally. While not Sephardi, they have adopted the Sephardic custom of marching around the room, carrying matzah, while they sing `Avadim Hayenu"("We Were Slaves"). "It makes it a little more excit- ing," Lisa explains. Start Early Sometimes, the Parshans travel to spend the holiday with out-of-town family. For this, naps are a ne c essity. Even when they just stay at home, Lisa recommends having the children shower early (think of baths before bed), then nap or just have a quiet time. Lisa and Dovid take turns reading to their younger children, who invariably fall asleep. It helps. Last year, they "made it all the way to the end of the seder [about 2 a.m.]." And when they do, they get to sing "Chad Gadya, "but with a twist. "They make the animal noises to represent the animals in the song," Lisa says. (What could be more fun when you're 6 than mooing and bleating?) A few more hints from the Parshan family: • Lisa buys a Haggadah for each child (she likes the ArtScroll version) and they review it together. As they read, the chil- dren prepare their own commentaries. Lisa then writes notes about their remarks on Post-It Notes, which can be affixed directly to the appropriate page. This way, all that interesting information children came up with, or learn at school, won't be forgotten. • The Parshans also like to extend every child's favorite part of the seder, the hiding of the Afikoman. In the Parshan home, first Dovid hides the Afikoman and the children find it, then the children hide the Afikoman and their father has to find it. Out On The Table If children attend any kind of Jewish school — from day school to Sunday school to Hebrew school to nursery — invariably they have lots of handmade holiday-related treasures: drawings, paintings, collages. "Their projects can be laid between the tablecloth and the plastic covering it for all to see," suggests Chaya Devorah Bergstein of West Bloomfield.