When it's time to celebrate the Festival of Lights, these easy Hanukkah crafts will help you get through eight days of festivities!
Sitting down with kids to make dreidels or menorahs is a nice opportunity to slow down during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Kids will love to see their homemade Star of David, and other handiwork decorating the windows, and little ones will cherish the opportunity to "light" their own flameless menorah.
Peruse the dreidel, menorah and Star of David crafts below and pick out the craft ideas that are perfect for your family Hanukkah celebration.
Dreidel Crafts
When you're thinking about what simple Hanukkah crafts you want to make, you've got to include at least one dreidel craft!
Don't already have a million dreidels? Or, even if you do, we made this easy dreidel craft that will get you singing in no time. All you need is a square piece of cardboard and a pencil! And yes, it totally works.
Kids love to win chocolate and coins when they play the dreidel game. However, if they've managed to eat all the chocolate, have them make their own gelt! Get the details for making your own gelt here on our blog.
You may not be able to spin these dancing dreidel characters but they might be my all time favorite Hanukkah craft!! The little dreidel people can move their legs like puppets with the help of a few well placed brads.(via Creative Jewish Mom)
Making paper chains and paper dolls are both popular, classic crafts. For Hanukkah, blend the two ideas to make these dreidel paper doll garlands out of recycled paper. So cute! (via Bringing Chesed Home)
Speaking of recycled paper, when you have a plethora of child-made art that you don't know what to do with, upcycle it into this gorgeous dreidel wall art. (via Meri Cherry)
Menorah Crafts
We found some of the easiest and best menorah crafts that don't involve real flames. They are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers to "light" so little ones don't feel left out.
What's more fun that building with LEGO? Kids can practice their engineering and invention skills using block they already have, and make this LEGO menorah.
A clothespin and paper plate menorah craft is going to need to be totally flameless! Putting it together and "lighting" it will even help kids practice their fine motor skills. (via The Pleasantest Thing)
Obviously we here at What Do We Do All Day? think the best part of Hanukkah is reading Hanukkah picture books. After you've read the classic, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel, get inspired to make this delightful Menorah window. All you'll need is some construction paper and a glue stick! (via Three Dinosaurs)
MORE: Our favorite Hanukkah books
Traditionally, we light the menorah at sunset, but don't let the daylight hours prevent you from basking in candle light. Make a stained glass menorah out of tissue paper or cellophane that you light up with sunshine.(via Upper West Side Mom)
This LEGO mini figure menorah is truly hilarious (via Bible Belt Balabusta)
Star of David Crafts
Festoon your home with charming Star of Davids, crafted by your kids!
You should absolutely make this easy and pretty Star of David suncatcher. (via Nurture Store.)
I adore this spinning Star of David mobile made from three differently-sized cut outs. Don't worry about getting your measurements exactly right, because NurtureStore has a free, printable template!
Who can resist this classic Star of David craft using popsicle sticks (via Happy Hooligans)
Tweens will have great fun crafting these origami Star of Davids that only take 3 minutes to make! (via Creative Jewish Mom)
However you celebrate, make sure do find time for these very easy Hanukkah crafts!
stephanie says
Thanks for sharing our post!
Kate Mitchell says
Love everything about your blog, it's been so helpful to keep my big time reader reading! We are also an interfaith family...my sons teacher asked me to come in next week for about an hour to read a book about Hanukkah and I already offered to bring dreidels and gelt for all. This is a gifted first grade class but he is the only Jewish kid in there so I was looking for a fun, easy book and craft or printable....any thoughts?
Erica MomandKiddo says
I like the book Daddy Christmas and Hanukkah Mama by Selina Alko. It doesn't have a lot about the specifics of why Hanukkah is celebrated, but is a great story about an interfaith celebration. One of the reasons I've never done a Hanukkah book list is that I haven't found many books that I really love. You can check out the PJ Library's Hanukkah book list, though. http://pjlibrary.org/parents-and-families/reading-tips-and-resources/jewish-holidays/hanukkah/hanukkah-books.aspx I like The Golem's Latkes, and Eric Kimmel's other books, but they tend to be more on the folktale side, rather than explanations about the reason for Hanukkah. It might be fun if they made their own dreidels, maybe? That would give them a chance to write Hebrew letters! Good luck with your class visit!
Kate says
thanks SO much!!!
JULIE KIRKWOOD says
Thanks for featuring our wash tape menorahs, Erica. Off to share. 🙂