During the Rosh Hashanah holiday, many adults and kids alike observe tashlich. It’s a fun outdoor tradition whose origins go back to the Middle Ages. It’s called Tashlich (pronounced tash-leekh), which is the Hebrew word for “casting off / throwing off.”

You can perform this ritual at a body of flowing water—often a nearby river. Bring something to throw in the water (previously, bread crumbs were traditional, but have learned they are not good for the animals). Ask your kids to grab a handful of what you’ve chosen to toss (pebbles are an easy one, but see more ideas below) and imagine that they represent all of their misdeeds over the course of the past year. Then, explain that they can toss them into the water, symbolically “casting our sins upon the waters.”

This year, it may not be possible to gather with community, or even to get to a body of water. PJ Library has new ideas for participating in tashlich with your kids from home this Rosh Hashanah. You can click below to download the print ready PDF.