In the project, we will prepare surprises to distribute on the Surprise Train all year round – lots of options, easily and without financial expense, you can even volunteer to draw and send by email and we will prepare drawing game booklets to distribute.
The trains are given as gifts to hospitals, kindergartens, schools, and institutions for the mentally disabled.
The train is not just for beauty, it allows it to become an interactive celebration. For example, in institutions, birthdays are celebrated for children of the month in a celebration. The children in the educational institution prepare appropriate greetings that can be attached to the train. Children who have difficulty with the preparation itself can choose from a variety of accessories that volunteer children have prepared. And most importantly, the activity of distributing surprises turns every event that is celebrated into great excitement and an empowering ceremony.
The train, which contains a locomotive and carriages with interchangeable panels, is prepared by the association with the help of volunteers in companies and volunteers in the community at volunteer events. The locomotive is mounted on a stroller that is adapted for the purpose and allows one of the children to be the driver, and behind it are several children with carriages that are worn on large bags with clips on which other accessories can be attached. The carriages have colorful panels that change according to the event being celebrated.
Accessories for designing the train and carriages and gluing them are made by the children of the special education schools, to which the train belongs. The activity enables the children to be empowered and to feel a sense of belonging.
Surprises to be distributed on the surprise train and additional accessories to be chosen by children who cannot prepare them themselves are prepared by volunteer children all over the country, on various and varied topics, in community settings, schools and kindergartens, and even families independently in their homes.
Lots of surprises and accessories are needed – for all the different events, every birthday of the children of the month and every holiday or event such as the beginning of the year, young volunteers from the age of 3 are needed throughout the year, and you can choose from a wide variety of participation options, from making a bookmark to preparing games or greetings. It is recommended to volunteer more than once for the same project and often even adopt an institution and maybe even sometimes participate in the celebrations.
Thus strengthening the connection and practicing empathy between the school and the institution for special education and creating a community that practices empathy and volunteers
In the project, we will prepare craft kits, which contain craft materials and tools, an explanatory booklet, and even ready-made examples for inspiration for different ages – from 3 years old to teenagers, so that it truly suits everyone.
During the emergency, the kits will be distributed to shelters on the northern border and in Haifa. If the emergency situation develops again throughout the country, we will increase the distribution as needed. After the emergency, we will continue to distribute kits to daycare centers for children in need, shelters for battered women with children, and more.
Assessments are not only a savings for the recipients, they are empowering by allowing children to volunteer by preparing surprises for distribution at a hospital. Volunteering at a young age strengthens self-confidence, mental resilience and leadership skills, and of course develops values at the right time when they are being built.
Furthermore, this is an opportunity to develop community volunteering in a non-school setting, which will allow for deeper family involvement.
It is also an opportunity to expose children who might not otherwise be exposed to volunteering.
The assessments are prepared by volunteers, either at home, such as cutting out stickers and making patterns, or at meetings together in Haifa, as well as in nursing homes, youth movements, and even at volunteer events for young children, and in kindergartens and daycare centers.
Children and communities volunteer and make empowering costumes for children in wheelchairs and walkers.
The idea is to make costumes that cannot be bought that turn the accessory into an advantage
We are the largest project in the world in this field. The project has existed since 2019. The organization was actually born from the project volunteers. We have made many hundreds of costumes so far
In 2025 we made more than 250 wheelchair costumes.
(We are working on a better gallery of examples – in the meantime you can google "rolling costumes" and see some examples on the website below)
Thousands of children and hundreds of adults all over the country, at community events and in dozens of schools and kindergartens, and even families from their homes as independent volunteers, the project has been operating since 2019, even before the establishment of the association that was born from it. The project even operated during the Corona period and volunteers sent their creations from afar.
Many companies recruit their employees to help and create volunteer workshops that complement the children's work, and thanks to them, the project is free.
The children in wheelchairs fill out a request form to receive a costume (free of charge) and that's how we know which costumes to make.
We have the experience to guide remotely and adapt what needs to be made – the goal of the association is to make volunteering easy and fun for you.
Volunteering to make a costume is possible in 2 main ways.
One way: making accessories such as candy for the candy stores, fish for the sea costumes, flowers for the Queen of Flowers, and more.
We put these accessories together from many schools and volunteers for a particularly impressive rich costume.
Second way: accepting the challenge of creating a complete costume for a child, if there is one in the area near the volunteers' residence.
In any case, you are not alone, you will receive guidance and you can seek help and advice.
Most of the materials are recycled, such as cardboard, and the rest are very accessible and cheap – you should not spend more than 50 shekels on buying materials.
To create accessories, you can see a tutorial file that changes from year to year as needed.
However, despite the larger costumes, it is easy to make a wheelchair costume and the reduced cost, the products are of the highest quality, as if we had created a single costume.
In the project, the children prepare complete costumes or accessories that adult volunteers from commercial companies participate in volunteer workshops leading up to Purim and help transform into impressive, designed costumes.
Most of the materials are recycled, such as cardboard, and the rest are very accessible and cheap materials.
However, despite the large size of the costumes and the reduced cost, the products are of the highest quality, as if we had created a single costume.
The project begins in October/November and lasts until a week before Purim.
From Eilat to the northern Golan Heights, we will be happy to help with guidance worldwide – it's right now, just via WhatsApp
It is recommended to follow us on social media and subscribe to the newsletter, as we publish the forms to join the project there, and it is recommended to join as early as possible to receive a suitable challenge.
