How to Honor the Day of Atonement / Yom Kippur With Kids: Simple, Meaningful Ideas for Families
How do you observe the Day of Atonement with young children? What if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, sick, or unable to safely fast? Here are simple, Scripture-centered ways to make Yom Kippur meaningful for your family.
Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement—is one of the most solemn appointed times described in Scripture.
And if you’re a mom of young kids, you might be wondering:
“Okay… but what does this actually look like with little ones?”
Especially when Leviticus says:
“You shall afflict yourselves.”— Leviticus 23:27
Does that mean your toddler needs to fast?
What if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding?
What if you’re sick?
And how do you help young children understand a day centered around sin, atonement, repentance, and holiness?
I’ve found that the answer doesn’t have to be complicated.
Start with Scripture.
Keep things age-appropriate.
And focus on the heart behind the day.
First: What Does “Afflict Yourselves” Mean?
Leviticus 23:27–32 tells God’s people to observe Yom Kippur as a Sabbath and to “afflict” or humble themselves.
Fasting has long been understood as part of this practice, and Scripture gives us examples of fasting connected with repentance and seeking God.
But the Bible doesn’t give us a detailed set of instructions for how every person in every circumstance must fast.
And that’s important.
There are people for whom a full food fast may not be appropriate or safe, including:
pregnant women
breastfeeding mothers
young children
people who are sick
people taking medications that require food
people with certain medical conditions
anyone for whom fasting could be unsafe
You do not need to put yourself or your child in danger to honor God.
If you have a medical reason that makes fasting questionable, talk with your healthcare provider rather than assuming you need to push through it.
The purpose isn’t to see how much discomfort you can endure.
It’s to humble yourself before God and intentionally turn your attention toward Him.
So What Can We Do Instead?
If a complete food fast isn’t appropriate for you or your children, consider what you can intentionally set aside for the day.
Think less:
“How miserable can I make myself?”
and more:
“What comfort, distraction, or indulgence can I willingly lay aside so I can focus more intentionally on God?”
For example:
📵 Fast from screens
No:
social media
television
video games
unnecessary phone use
mindless scrolling
Instead, spend that time reading Scripture, praying, talking as a family, playing outside, or simply resting.
🍭 Fast from a particular indulgence
If it’s safe and appropriate for you, you could choose to give up:
desserts
added sugar
snacking between meals
coffee
another favorite treat
The point isn’t that giving up sugar is somehow equivalent to the biblical command to fast.
It is simply a personal practice of self-denial.
🥕 Simplify your meals
Another option is to intentionally keep food very simple rather than preparing elaborate meals.
Again, this isn’t a replacement command from Scripture.
It’s simply a way some families may choose to make the day quieter and more intentional.
⏰ Create a prayer rhythm
You could even replace your normal snack or coffee breaks with prayer.
For example:
Morning: Psalm 51
Mid-morning: Pray for your family
Noon: Confession + gratitude
Afternoon: Pray for someone else
Evening: Family prayer + reflection
It doesn’t need to be elaborate.
Even stopping for two minutes can redirect your attention.
What About Day of Atonement / Yom Kippur Ideas for Kids?
This is where I think we can sometimes make things harder than they need to be.
Your three-year-old doesn’t need to understand the theology of substitutionary atonement.
Your five-year-old doesn’t need to spend the entire day sitting quietly reading Leviticus.
And I certainly wouldn’t expect a young child to participate in a full food fast.
Instead, let them participate at their level.
You could have them:
📖 read a children’s book about Yom Kippur
🎨 do a simple Bible activity
🙏 pray with you
📵 take a break from screens
🍭 skip a favorite treat if appropriate
💬 talk about forgiveness
❤️ apologize when they’ve done something wrong
🤍 forgive someone
🕊️ practice being quiet and reflective for short periods
The goal isn’t to make children miserable.
It’s to help them begin understanding that this is a day set apart to focus on God.
📚 Use Books to Make the Day Tangible
One of my favorite ways to teach my kids about the biblical feasts is through children’s books.
Having something they can actually hold, look at, and read together gives them a tangible connection to something that can otherwise feel very abstract.
Here are some of the books we’ve been using for our feast studies:
I don’t expect every book to teach every theological detail perfectly.
They’re simply tools we use to introduce ideas, start conversations, and get our kids excited about opening Scripture.
And honestly, sometimes a five-minute conversation sparked by a children’s book is more memorable to a little one than a formal lesson.
✏️ Add Some Hands-On Bible Learning
Another resource we’ve enjoyed is Bible Pathway Adventures.
You can also find free printables online to make your own activities! My friend Meggan made a beautiful printable packet for kids that we'll be using this year! I love the idea of printing a goat page and either writing some sins in red on it, or even stamping a red paint handprint on it!
I love having activities available because young kids don’t always want to sit and listen to a long Bible lesson.
And that’s okay.
They can color.
They can complete an activity.
They can look at pictures.
They can ask questions.
They can listen while their siblings work.
Learning God’s Word doesn’t always have to look like sitting perfectly still at a table. 😂
For us, these kinds of activities are simply another way to help Scripture stick.
📖 Do a Yom Kippur Study Together
If you’re homeschooling, you can also use Yom Kippur as an opportunity to incorporate the feast into your normal school rhythm.
We’re using the Gather ’Round Yom Kippur study with our kids.
I love being able to learn alongside my kids rather than treating Bible study as something completely separate from the rest of our homeschool.
We can read Scripture, talk about what we’re learning, work through activities, and ask questions together.
And each child can participate at their own level.
🤰 What If You’re Pregnant or Breastfeeding?
This is one I especially want moms to hear:
You don’t have to choose between honoring Yom Kippur and caring for your body and your baby.
If a food fast isn’t medically appropriate for you, don’t do it simply because you feel guilty.
Instead, consider what you can intentionally set aside.
Maybe it’s:
📱 social media
📺 television
🍬 sweets
☕ a favorite indulgence, if safe
🛍️ unnecessary shopping
🎮 entertainment
And use that space for:
prayer + Scripture + reflection + worship.
If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding and wondering what is appropriate for you specifically, talk with your healthcare provider and pray about it.
Your physical circumstances don’t make you less devoted to God.
🧒 What Could a Yom Kippur Day Look Like With Little Kids?
It might be much simpler than you think.
Morning
📖 Read a Yom Kippur passage
🙏 Pray together
📚 Read a children’s book
Midday
✏️ Complete an activity
💬 Talk about forgiveness or repentance
📵 Stay off screens
🌿 Go outside
Afternoon
📖 Read another passage
🙏 Pray
❤️ Talk about making things right
Evening
🍽️ Have a simple meal (WE LIKE TO DO BREAKFAST FOR DINNER SINCE WE ARE "BREAKING OUR FAST"!)
📖 Read Scripture together
📝 Let everyone share one thing they’re thankful for
🙏 Pray as a family
And then…
rest.
Yom Kippur is a Sabbath.
It doesn’t need to become a full-day homeschool curriculum.
One Important Distinction
This is something I’ve been trying to teach my kids—and remind myself of, too:
Know the difference between God’s command and your family tradition.
Scripture commands Yom Kippur.
Scripture commands the day to be treated as a Sabbath.
Scripture tells God’s people to humble/afflict themselves.
But Scripture doesn’t command:
a particular children’s book
a craft
a certain meal
a specific prayer schedule
a particular screen fast
a certain activity book
Those are things we choose to do.
And that’s okay.
We don’t need to make every family tradition into a biblical command.
We can simply say:
“God commanded this. Here’s one way our family chooses to honor it.”
That distinction gives us freedom to celebrate meaningfully without creating another checklist of rules.
And Most Importantly: Point Them to Jesus
Yom Kippur isn’t ultimately about how well we can fast.
It’s about atonement.
It’s about sin.
It’s about holiness.
It’s about our need for reconciliation with God.
And when we read Yom Kippur through the lens of the New Testament, we’re pointed toward Jesus, our High Priest and ultimate sacrifice.
Hebrews 9–10 is an incredible passage to read with older children or study for yourself.
The earthly high priest entered the Most Holy Place once a year.
Jesus offered Himself once for all.
That’s the part I most want my children to understand:
We don’t observe Yom Kippur because we think our observance saves us.
Jesus saves us.
We observe and study because He already saved us! We want to understand what God established and allow it to point our hearts toward Him.
You Don’t Have to Make It Perfect
Maybe your Yom Kippur looks peaceful and beautiful.
Maybe your toddler melts down.
Maybe someone spills something.
Maybe your baby needs to nurse every hour.
Maybe you aren’t able to fast.
Maybe your kids are running around the house while you’re trying to read Leviticus.
That’s okay.
A holy day doesn’t require a perfect family.
Start with Scripture.
Make space for God.
Teach your children what you can.
Set aside distractions where you’re able.
Pray.
Repent.
Rest.
And let the day point you toward the One who made atonement for us.
Jesus. 🤍
📖 Want to Study Yom Kippur More Deeply?
I’ve created a FREE Day of Atonement / Yom Kippur Bible Study Guide to help you study the biblical foundation of the day and what it means in light of Jesus.
Start with:
Leviticus 16
Leviticus 23:26–32
Numbers 29:7–11
Isaiah 53
Hebrews 4:14–16
Hebrews 9
Hebrews 10
Don’t just take my word for it. Open your Bible and study it for yourself.
A Few Bible Study Tools I Recommend
You absolutely don’t need to know Hebrew or Greek to begin doing word studies.
One of the easiest tools to use is a Strong’s Concordance, which lets you find the original-language word behind an English translation and trace where that word appears throughout Scripture.
I also recommend comparing several Bible translations rather than relying on only one. These are my two favorites that I use in every study:
You don’t have to own ten Bibles. 😂
Even having two or three translations that approach the text somewhat differently can help you notice things you might otherwise miss. And if you don't have physical books, you can use Blue Letter Bible website/app and other websites for translations.
Related Reading
day of atonement yom kippur for kids
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