Bible Belt Balabusta has a brilliant way to help young children understand Teshuva:
"Count the omer with swim noodles! I needed a BIG omer counter for a classroom (and maybe the school entrance, too), and this is it. I love abacus-style omer counters because it is a pleasure to slide something across something: I feel like I’ve counted, I’ve moved, I’ve gone from here to there. All the more so with swim noodle “cookies” and my beloved PVC pipe. The two materials create just enough friction.
Count up from the bottom: from second day Pesach up to Mt. Sinai and Shavuot.
I’m keeping this one simple. I like the raw PVC and the obvious pool noodle cookies because kids are attracted to both. Fancier folk can modify the design by wrapping the discs with tape, adding numbers, or color-coding the discs to reflect special calendar days or the “Kabballah color” of that week.
I did wrap the 33rd disc with red electrical tape, which will hopefully connote fire for Lag BaOmer."
Access instructions HERE