Simchat Torah is the only time of the year when children are called up to the Torah, for the Kol Hane'arim ("All the Youth") aliyah.
As the girls and boys stand around the Torah with a tallit spread above their heads, the congregation sings Jacob's blessing to his grandsons, "The Angel who has redeemed me from all harm bless the lads" (Genesis 48:16). The children then recite the blessings over the Torah together with a grown-up and usually receive some sweets. The accompanying adult then reads the last section of the Torah.
You can buy a super-sized Kol Hane'arim tallit, so that all the kids can fit under it. Some synagogues commission a tallit with all the children's names embroidered on it.
Kol Hane'arim is a moving moment. It is when we highlight the value of continuity and of letting our children know that even at a young age, they have a place up close to the Torah.
