Nursery school students at Temple Shalom in Aberdeen hopped their way to more than $2,200 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Forty-two nursery school students, ages two to four, engaged in a hop-athon for two minutes last month. Sponsored by family and friends, the children also collected tzedaka contributions as part of the nursery school's weekly Shabbat observance, which brought the grand total of donated funds to $2,290, according to nursery school director Cindy Terebush.

The hop-athon is an official MDA fund-raising activity. The association provided the temple's nursery school teachers with an age-appropriate curriculum and materials that taught the children about disabilities and the value of raising funds, Terebush said.

"The nursery school children really got the message," she said. "After listening to the stories and watching the DVD, they were able to understand that they were using their strong leg muscles to help people with weak leg muscles who need braces and wheelchairs. It was a very rewarding experience for all of us."

Terebush, who contacted the MDA several months ago to schedule the activity, selects a different charity each month to coincide with classroom themes.

In addition to the MDA, the nursery school children have learned about and collected funds for Monmouth County's Meals on Wheels program, the Jewish Guild for the Blind, and the American Dental Association Foundation.

"It's all part of teaching the children about tzedaka and tikun olam," Terebush said. "A child is never too young to start learning about this; the children's enthusiasm and eagerness to participate in these charitable projects shows us that it's working."