Tisha B'Av for Kids: Printable PDF and Explanation

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Looking for a printable Tisha B'Av page for kids? This original guide is ready for use at home, in class or in a community activity: a gentle explanation of the day, what to tell children and what to leave out, a short glossary, a "from mourning to repair" activity, suggested PDF structure FAQ and a Tisha B'Av quiz for kids.

Editorial note: This page includes original explanations, activities and a quiz. It does not include the full text of Megillat Eikhah, Kinot, long biblical passages, translations or external PDF materials. If full religious texts, vocalization, translation, illustrations or worksheets from another source are added later, they should be reviewed for source, rite and licensing before publication.

At a Glance: What the Printable Page Includes

What Is Tisha B'Av for Kids?

Tisha B'Av is the day on which the Jewish people remember the destruction of the First Temple and the Second Temple. It is a day of mourning, fasting, reading Megillat Eikhah, reciting Kinot and prayer. But when explaining the day to children, it is important to remember: the goal is not to frighten them or overload them with pain. The goal is to help them understand that memory can lead to responsibility, unity, kindness and hope.

At the Western Wall, the remnant connected to the Temple, Tisha B'Av has a particularly powerful meaning. Each year, worshippers gather for Eikhah, Kinot and prayer near the place that reminds us of the destruction and the longing for rebuilding. For children, the connection to the Kotel can help show that the story is not only something that happened long ago, but part of the living memory of the Jewish people.

A printable Tisha B'Av page for children should hold two ideas together: this is a serious and sad day, and it also opens a path toward repair, respectful speech, helping others and love of fellow Jews.

How Do We Explain Tisha B'Av Without Frightening Children?

Children do not need to hear every harsh detail of the destruction. They can understand that the Jewish people had a holy place in Jerusalem, that the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed, and that since then we remember, pray and learn how to build a better society.

You can say it this way:

Long ago, the Beit HaMikdash stood in Jerusalem. It was a very holy and important place for the Jewish people. People came there for the festivals, prayed there and felt close to God. Many years ago, the Temple was destroyed, and the Jewish people felt deep sadness. On Tisha B'Av, we remember what was broken. We sit more quietly, read about Jerusalem, say words of sorrow and learn how to increase love, respect and kindness.

The most important sentence for children is: "We remember not in order to stay sad, but in order to learn what we can repair."

What Do We Do on Tisha B'Av?

Customs differ among Jewish communities, but in general Tisha B'Av includes several central elements:

In 2026, Tisha B'Av begins on the evening of Wednesday, July 22, and continues until nightfall on Thursday, July 23. Fast start and end times vary by location, so a practical page should always direct readers to a current Hebrew calendar or daily-times tool for their city.

Do Children Fast on Tisha B'Av?

This depends on the child's age, health, family custom and halachic guidance. In general, young children before bar or bat mitzvah are not obligated to complete the full fast. Some families educate older children through partial participation, such as avoiding treats or eating more simply, but fasting should not become a contest or a source of pressure.

A children's page should emphasize: children can take part in Tisha B'Av even without fasting. They can listen to the story, ask questions, prepare an activity, say a chapter of Tehillim, do an act of kindness or choose one "stone of repair" for the coming week.

Short Kids' Version for Printing

Tisha B'Av is an important day of memory for the Jewish people.

On this day we remember the Beit HaMikdash that stood in Jerusalem and was destroyed many years ago. The Temple was a place of prayer, holiness and pilgrimage. When it was destroyed, the Jewish people felt great pain and longing for Jerusalem.

On the night of Tisha B'Av, Megillat Eikhah is read and Kinot are recited. These words help us remember what was broken. But Tisha B'Av is not only a day of sadness. It is also a day when we ask: how can we build better? How can we speak respectfully? How can we increase love, peace and kindness?

Children can also be part of this day. We can learn about Jerusalem, speak about the Beit HaMikdash, do a repair activity, help someone at home or in class, and pray for more unity and consolation.

Tisha B'Av Glossary for Kids

Printable Activity: "From Mourning to Repair"

Draw or print a page with two headings:

1. What was broken?
2. What can we build?

Under "What was broken?" write words that fit Tisha B'Av: the Beit HaMikdash, Jerusalem, unity, joy, peace, trust.

Under "What can we build?" write small actions children can do: speak respectfully, help a friend, apologize, honor a holy place, learn about Jerusalem, give in during an argument, bring a little light of hope into the home.

At the end, each child chooses one action for the coming week and writes it inside a drawing of a stone. All the stones together create a "wall of repair" for the family or classroom.

Discussion Questions for Family or Class

• Why is it important to remember sad things too?
• What is the difference between feeling sad and learning from sadness?
• What can help a child who feels the story is too hard?
• What small action can increase love at home or in class?
• Why does the Western Wall remind us of both pain and hope?
• How can we speak about destruction in a sensitive and respectful way?

Suggested PDF Structure

Tisha B'Av Quiz for Kids

1. What do we remember on Tisha B'Av?
2. In which city did the Beit HaMikdash stand?
3. What is the Western Wall?
4. Which scroll is read on the night of Tisha B'Av?
5. What are Kinot?
6. Are young children required to fast like adults?
7. Write one act of repair a child can do this week.
8. Why is it important to speak about consolation and hope even on a sad day?

Answers for the Facilitator

1. The destruction of the First and Second Temples, and the pain of Jerusalem and exile.
2. Jerusalem.
3. A holy remnant connected to the Temple and a central place of prayer.
4. Megillat Eikhah, the Book of Lamentations.
5. Liturgical poems or prayers of sorrow and memory recited on Tisha B'Av.
6. In general, young children before mitzvah age are not obligated to complete the full fast; parents and halachic guidance should be consulted when needed.
7. Open answer: kindness, helping, apologizing, respectful speech, learning about Jerusalem or prayer.
8. So memory does not remain only pain, but leads to responsibility, love of fellow Jews and rebuilding.

FAQ

Is it appropriate to teach children about Tisha B'Av?

Yes, when done sensitively. The depth of the story should fit the children's age, overly harsh details should be avoided, and the page should emphasize that even a sad memory can teach repair, respect, unity and hope.

Is this page suitable for preschool children?

Yes, if you use only the short version, the simple glossary and a creative activity. For younger children, focus on sentences such as "we remember Jerusalem," "we speak respectfully" and "we do a good action."

Is this page suitable for school?

Yes. It can be used for a short pre-Tisha B'Av lesson, class discussion, activity station, quiz or take-home page for parents and children.

Should fast times be included on a children's page?

It is better to point readers to a current calendar rather than publish a fixed time without calculating by year and location. Fast times vary by city.

Do children need to read Megillat Eikhah?

May Kinot excerpts be included in the PDF?

How can the day connect to a quiz without losing its seriousness?

The quiz should be respectful and not overly competitive. Combine knowledge questions with values-based questions: what we remember, what we learn, and what act of repair we can do.

Related Quiz Idea

Quiz title: "Tisha B'Av for Kids: Memory, Jerusalem and Repair".

Suggested structure:

• 4 knowledge questions about the Beit HaMikdash, Jerusalem and the Western Wall.
• 4 questions about Eikhah, Kinot and the customs of the day.
• 4 values-based questions about love of fellow Jews, respectful speech and consolation.
• Final open question: "What stone of repair will I add this week?"

Image and Asset Ideas

• Children around a table with an activity page, a small candle and a gentle silhouette of Jerusalem.
• Softly illustrated Western Wall stones, each labeled with a word: respect, kindness, unity, hope.
• A clean worksheet in stone, deep blue and subtle gold colors, without frightening imagery.
• An illustration of a family or classroom building a paper "wall of repair."