Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a joyous Jewish eight-day celebration that brings families together to light the hanukkiyah (or special menorah), play dreidel and pass down Jewish traditions from generation to generation. With gelt and gifts and yummy potato latkes, it is certainly a kid-friendly festival. But it is also one that commemorates the ongoing and ever present Jewish themes of courage and survival, resilience and perseverance in the face of antisemitism. The holiday tells the story of the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after it was desecrated by King Antiochus’ powerful armies and later restored by the Jewish Maccabees, as well as the subsequent miracle of light that kept the temple aglow for eight days.
The familiar symbols of the holiday (which, in 2023, begins at sundown on December 7) lend themselves to family-friendly holiday activities that help keep these stories and customs — and, thus, Jewish culture itself — alive for our children. From adorable felt dreidels and DIY menorahs to beaded bracelets that remind us and others to embrace the love and light of the candles, these 13 fun and meaningful Hanukkah crafts (meant to be done with our children) will make the holiday last well beyond its eight nights. Moreover, Hanukkah crafts can help bring light to the season and spread hope in a world that certainly needs more miracles.
1. Paint and “light” a paper tube menorah
This simple but stunning “eco-friendly” menorah Hanukkah craft from Make It Jewish encourages families to recycle their paper tubes and turn them into candles that can be “lit” each night with tissue paper. Gather eight toilet paper rolls (for the candles), one paper towel roll to be the tall shamash candle, some paint, a cardboard base and tissue paper — and follow these step-by-step instructions. (In the nine-branched hanukkiyah, the shamash is the “helper candle,” one that stands taller, lights the others and often serves as an inspirational message for children.)
The end product allows children as young as preschool-age to safely light their own Hanukkah menorah, adding the correct number of candles each night — starting from the right and then lighting them from the left, so the most recent night’s candle is lit first. Plus, I’d like to think that the enduring nature of the repurposed materials can be likened to the oil the Maccabees are said to have found after saving and restoring their desecrated temple — oil that was only supposed to last only one night but miraculously lit the temple for eight.
2. Follow a recipe for puffy paint donuts
You don’t have to be a professional pastry chef to whip up the puffy paint frosting for these DIY donuts from With Love, Ima (also found here on With Love From Ima’s Instagram account). Simply mix equal parts glue and shaving cream, add food coloring and then have children use popsicle sticks to frost their cardstock donut cutouts. Add sprinkles, and — voila! — it’s a delightfully delectable hands-on messy Hanukkah craft for preschoolers and kids of all ages. And it’s presumably much less messy than frying traditional sufganiyot, or jelly donuts, in oil. (The miracle of oil is thread throughout the holiday, symbolized by lighting the Hanukkah candles and eating fried foods, like donuts and potato latkes.)
3. String together a paint chip dreidel garland
Turn the dreidel (which means “spinning top” in Yiddish or German) into colorful Hanukkah decor. This cheerful Hanukkah craft is a paint chip garland from Our Happy Tribe can be made by stringing together paint chips cut into the familiar dreidel shape along with pompoms and beads. (While the craft encourages the practice of fine motor skills, make sure to watch little ones closely while handling tiny objects, like beads, and any sewing needles — even plastic ones — that are used to string the pompoms.)
Like many traditions, the origin of the dreidel game (find PJ Library’s instructions on how to play here) has several explanations — one that it was adapted from an old German gambling game and another that it represents the spinning tops Jewish children took out to play during the time of the Maccabees if they were caught studying Torah, which was forbidden. Either way, the letters on each side represent the saying “a great miracle happened there” or, in Israel, “a great miracle happened here.”
4. Spread cheer with a 3D menorah card
Help children send happy Hanukkah greetings to friends and family (and those, like the elderly or sick, who might need extra cheer) with this DIY menorah card from The Best Ideas For Kids. Simply gather some colored cardstock (think: dark blue, light blue, orange and yellow) and some basic art supplies, and follow these crafting directions (free menorah and pop-up card template included!). The project can also become interactive, with children or card recipients adding a flame each night to symbolize each newly lit candle.
5. Fashion a dreidel out of felt
It may not be made out of clay (as the traditional dreidel song goes), but this adorable dreidel craft from RachelsArtClub is certainly one that kids can cuddle. Rachel explains that all it takes is some felt (to cut into two dreidel shapes, as well as hands and feet and facial features), some acrylic pillow filling, a needle and thread to sew the stuffed dreidel together and glue for the eyes and mouth. While children might need help putting it all together, this “softie” project is one that can help
teach new crafting skills and will festively adorn shelves for years to come.
6. Create an under-the-sea Hanukkah adventure
These Under the Sea Hanukkah Habitat reusable stickers, created by Rabbi Yael Buechler of Midrash Manicures, are sure to spark tons of Hanukkah creativity. Using the double-sided storyboard, Rabbi Buechler says that children can invent underwater scenes with fun Hanukkah connections that make for a decorative display — one that can be changed each night! With a trident hanukkiyah, jelly (donut) fish, dreidel bubbles and more, “Little Mermaid” fans especially will look at this stuff … and think, “isn’t it neat!”
Where to buy: Under the Sea Hanukkah Habitat stickers ($16, Midrash Manicures)
7. Use clothespins as flameless candles
Both decorative and practical, this DIY menorah craft from Creative Jewish Mom requires cardstock or cardboard, either washi or fabric tape, and — of course — small clothespins to replicate the nine candles. The menorah base can be designed as ornately (this one depicts stones that symbolize the temple where the Hanukkah miracle took place) or simply as families choose. What’s most important is that the cardstock or cardboard serves as a sturdy base to hold the decorated clothespins so children can open the correct number each night and insert the paper flames.
8. Decorate plain wooden dreidels
For an easy craft that children can both make and use, try painting wooden dreidels (there are a number of brands and sizes to choose from). Children can decorate dreidels to keep or gift and choose any kind of paint. Even watercolors work for the preschool set, as my son still loves the one he made to celebrate the holiday in his pre-K class! For an extra touch, families can also add the appropriate Hebrew letter stickers to each side (or use as stencils) so that the dreidels can be used in an actual game.
Where to buy: 3” Unfinished Natural Wood Dreidels, 4-Pack ($7, Amazon)
9. Make Star of David snowflakes
Turn your ordinary snowflake craft into one that reflects the winter Jewish holiday with this Star of David snowflake page from Marni, the surface pattern designer behind Jewish Together. This set of Hanukkah Printable Coloring Pages includes a snowflake pattern that displays the Jewish symbol at the center (along with detailed instructions) so all you have to do is fold and cut along the lines, as she does here. Plus, you’ll receive seven other coloring pages to keep children busy leading up to and during the festivities.
Where to buy: Hanukkah Printable Coloring & Activity Pages, 2021 Set ($5, Jewish Together/Etsy)
10. Construct origami dreidels
For more folding fun, grab some origami paper (or any lightweight paper or gift wrap) and head on over to Creative Jewish Mom for an origami dreidel-making tutorial for Chanukah. The dreidels, which can be either solid-colored or adorably adorned with cut-out designs from paper scraps, can be used for place cards or gift cards or even strung together as a garland. (And, yes, Hanukkah — or Chanukah — has more than one spelling.)
11. Bead and exchange intention word bracelets
Choose a message of intent you’d like to carry with you beyond the holiday, and follow these instructions to make alphabet bead bracelets — designed to, as Jennifer Cohen of Our Happy Tribe writes, remember “all the light and love that filled our homes and hearts during the Festival of Lights.” The process of exchanging these bracelets with family and friends in a small gift swap can become a tradition that adds extra meaning to the relatively new custom of gift-giving on Hanukkah. (Of course, between the small beads and tools, this craft is probably best suited for older children and up or with a ton of grown-up help and supervision.) Can’t decide on an intention word to choose? Follow Our Happy Tribe’s example and string together the Hebrew words “or ve ahavah,” which translates to “love and light.”
12. Build a LEGO dreidel
Nope, you don’t need yet another LEGO set for kiddos to create a LEGO dreidel. Simply help them follow the instructions found here from Bible Belt Balabusta to create this DIY build. In fact, all they’ll need are seven specific pieces (that they can hopefully find in their LEGO stash) and ideas for writing the Hebrew letters on each side. Dot stickers and aleph-bet rubber stamps on the stickers work if you don’t want to write directly on the LEGOs, although rubbing alcohol apparently works wonders to wipe Sharpie off the plastic. There are other dreidel build ideas on the site, should your kids want more models.
13. Design gelt that gives meaning to the holiday
The presence of Hanukkah gelt (or chocolate coins) during the holiday has several traditional explanations, but this inspirational paper token craft from Make It Jewish will certainly turn your dreidel game (which often uses gelt as game pieces) into a work of heart. The Hanukkah craft starts with a printable PDF of circles and ends with symbolic gelt adorned with affirmations to help children dig deeper into Jewish values and the true lessons of the holiday — lessons that include bravery, repairing the world through tikkun olam, giving back to one’s community through mitzvot (or an obligation to doing good) and being the light you want to see in the world, especially when the world seems so very dark. Phrases like, “You are brave like a Maccabee,” “You can fix what is broken,” “Illuminate the world with mitzvot” and “Shine your light” will hopefully make an impact on children — and grown-ups alike — well-beyond the holiday’s eight nights.
