Dr. Emily AronoffPassover is a time for storytelling, connection, and tradition—and music is one of the most powerful ways to bring it all to life for children! These 10 educator-approved Passover songs help kids engage with the story of Pesach through movement, melody, and meaning. Use this guide to find interactive teaching tips, curated song recommendations, and strategies for making your Passover programming more impactful—whether at home, in the classroom, or in a congregational setting.
Click to explore more educator-approved Passover music.
1. Sing, Dance, Jump, and Shout
by Lisa Baydush
This is a “Tot Shabbat” favorite of mine, so I encourage you to build familiarity with this tune throughout the year! I particularly love the simplicity of this song, as well as its invitation to action.
When listening to this song with kids, I usually distribute tambourines (and might follow this song with Debbie Friedman’s (ZL) Miriam’s Song).
2. Where is Baby Moses?
(movements presented by Miss Nina)
This is always one of the first tunes I use when presenting a unit on Passover because it provides critical context.
Here is an example of how I may introduce this song to a group of little ones:
I’ll often use a baby doll in a basket as a prop for “Baby Moses in a Basket.” To encourage more participation, it can even be fun to hide the baby doll in a basket somewhere in the room (if your environment is safe for children to explore.) I then use a few yards of blue fabric to represent the river and lead children through the space to make a game out of learning this part of the story.
3. Baby Moses in a Basket
by Ellen Allard
I adore this feminist rendition of the story, as each verse highlights a different woman who supported Moses. When introducing this song, I ask participants if they know the names of the women who helped Moses, and even in adult groups, most folks don’t know Yocheved (Moses’ Mother) or Batya (Pharoah’s Daughter). Because this song is very wordy for pre-readers, I tell kids that their job is to sing, listen, and move through the chorus with me, and to take a listening turn while I tell the story during the verses.
The chorus with moves:
| Lyrics | Movement |
| “Baby Moses in a basket” | Pretend to be swaddling baby in arms, rocking horizontally across the body. |
| “In a basket on the river” | Move arms like waves. |
| “Baby Moses in a basket” | Pretend to swaddle a baby in your arms and rock again. |
| “On the river Nile” | Move arms like waves again. |
4. Go Down Moses
by Alan Eder
To initiate this song, I start by dramatically introducing a Moses Puppet to the group. (This helps encourage interactivity during this song.) I say something along the lines of, “This is Moses. Who knows something about him?”
I repeat this song and activity during the weeks leading up to seder to evaluate the responses that my prompt provides. Kiddos will become increasingly familiar with the “Moses” character as they learn about Passover in their classrooms and (for some) at home.
At this point, it is more likely that the children will feel more comfortable singing along, as they have gained familiarity with the song and the storyline (especially since this song is well-known in both Jewish and secular circles.) Encourage your participants and give positive feedback as their participation increases.
I often assign parts to go with different parts of the song. For example, “When I hold my Moses, I want you to sing what Moses said: ‘Let my people go’!” Then, practice this a few times by instructing the learners to sing that line when I put my hand up in the air. Before we break into the song’s verses, I usually prompt the group by saying: “Listen to the verses of the song that tell the story and join me on the chorus” (since there are many versions of the lyrics).
[Verse 1]
When Israel was in Egypt land
Let my people go!We worked so hard we could not stand
Let my people go![Chorus]
Go Down, Moses
Way down in Egypt land
Tell old Pharoah to let my people go!God told Moses what do to
Let my people go!To lead the children of Israel through
Let my people go![Repeat Chorus]
[Verse 2]
Moses led us across the splitting sea
Let my people go!Towards freedom for you and me
Let my people go![Repeat Chorus]
5. Listen, King Pharoah
by Shira Kline
I use this song as an opportunity to emphasize that Moses TRIED to use his words and ask for help. He went to the mean man in charge and asked him to let his people be free:
Oh listen! Oh listen! Oh listen King Pharaoh!
Oh listen! Oh listen! Please let my people go!They work so hard all day, we want to run away!
King Pharaoh! King Pharaoh! What do you say?
(I might prompt the kids to respond)
NO NO NO, I will not let them go. (x2)
6. Make A Matzah
by Rachel Buchman
I like to throw this song in the mix when babies and toddlers are present. This simple song doesn’t add much content, but it does create an opportunity for even the smallest kiddos to participate in a Passover music activity.
Make a matzah, pat pat pat
Do not make it, fat fat fatMake a matzah, flat flat flat
Make a matzah just like that!
7. Miriam’s Song
by Dr. Emily
This song is meant for movement! When I’m leading a Tot Shabbat or Singalong Shacharit service, I use this freeze dance song to re-engage participants.
If you use my recording, you might want to skip ahead to the 0:26 mark.
I enjoy incorporating tambourines for this purpose. We use them with Rick Recht’s Avadim Hayeinu too!
This is a zipper song, meaning it has an A part and a B part.
A: Participants add their ideas to the song to “fill in the blank” for this section.
Miriam sang a ___________ song…
For example:
Miriam sang a timbrel, a timbrel song, a timbrel song!
Miriam sang a timbrel song, so timbrel now with me!!
Miriam sang a timbrel, a timbrel song, a timbrel song!
Miriam sang a timbrel song at the shores of the sea!
Replace “timbrel” with any action word: jumping, dancing, clapping, spinning….
B: I might tell learners, “Listen to the words the Torah tells us that Miriam sang when she crossed the sea.“
“Mi Chamocha ba’elim adonai, Mi Chamocha nedar bakodesh?
Great and holy God, who is like you? No one is awesome as You!
I don’t always sing the B section. If kids are very small and Hebrew is unfamiliar, I might only sing it once as an example.
8. Moadim L’Simcha
by Eliana Light
This song beautifully teaches kids (and grown-ups) how to participate in meaningful ritual:
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Moadim l’simcha: A greeting that means “festivals of gladness” or “may your times be happy.” It is commonly used during Chol Hamoed, the intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot.
-
Chagim u’zmanim l’sason: A response meaning “holidays and seasons of joy.”
9. Afikomen Mambo
by Joe Black
Sharing this song along with this delightful singable storybook has been a staple of my celebration for years. I also sing this song at the Passover Seder table before the kids go to look for the hidden Matzah.
Sharing this song along with this delightful singable storybook has been a staple of my celebration for years.
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Passover Songs as a Pathway to Connection
Passover music is more than just melodies—it’s a gateway to history, values, and collective memory. Each song in this list is designed to help children experience the richness of Jewish tradition through movement, rhythm, and joyful participation.
Ways to Deepen Engagement:
- Use props and movement-based storytelling.
- Create illustrated songbooks or interactive games.
- Foster discussion about freedom, resilience, and community through music.
Need help structuring your Passover programs? I offer personalized coaching for educators and community leaders! Let’s work together.
Personalized Coaching to Elevate Your Passover Programs
Want to create a more meaningful, engaging, and interactive Passover experience for children and families? My Little Voices, Big Connections coaching program is designed for Jewish educators, clergy, and community leaders who want to strengthen family engagement, enhance musical programming, and build deeper connections through Jewish music and storytelling.
Through personalized coaching, I help you craft experiences that are developmentally appropriate, spiritually enriching, and joyfully engaging.
Ready to bring more impact to your Passover programming? Schedule a consultation today!
Looking for fun, meaningful activities beyond music? Check out these guides for Passover programming inspiration:
