Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) is an eight-day Jewish festival that begins on the 25th day of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar. Because the Hebrew calendar is lunar-based, the dates change every year, typically falling between late November and late December.
The Historical Significance
The holiday celebrates the victory of the Maccabees, a small band of Jewish fighters led by Judah Maccabee, over the Syrian-Greek empire in the 2nd century BCE. The Greeks had outlawed Jewish practices and defiled the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Against all odds, the Maccabees reclaimed the Temple.
The Miracle of the Oil
When the Jewish people went to rededicate their Temple, they found only enough sacred olive oil to light the Menorah (a seven-branched candelabra) for one day. Miraculously, that tiny jar of oil burned for eight full days—exactly long enough for new oil to be prepared. This is why we celebrate for eight nights and why fried foods like latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly donuts) are staples of the holiday.
20 Heartwarming Hanukkah Crafts for Kids
From toddlers to pre-teens, these DIY projects range from simple paper-plate designs to “eco-friendly” recycled art.
1. The Classic Paper Plate Menorah
This is a staple for preschoolers. By folding a paper plate in half, you create a sturdy base. Kids can paint the plate blue or silver and glue nine “candles” made from craft sticks or construction paper strips.
- The Shamash: Ensure the center candle is slightly higher than the rest!
2. Watercolor Dreidel Art
Dreidels (spinning tops) are iconic symbols of the holiday. Cut out dreidel shapes from heavy watercolor paper. Let kids experiment with “wet-on-wet” watercolor techniques to create vibrant, bleeding patterns. Once dry, these make beautiful window decorations.
3. Popsicle Stick Star of David
The Magen David (Shield of David) is a six-pointed star made of two interlocking triangles. Use six blue or silver popsicle sticks to form the triangles, glue them together, and let the kids go wild with glitter, sequins, and beads.
4. Recycled Toilet Paper Roll Candles
Collect eight small cardboard tubes and one long paper towel tube for the shamash. Paint them festive colors and “light” them each night by stuffing a piece of yellow or orange tissue paper into the top.
5. Stained Glass Dreidels
Using black construction paper, cut out the silhouette of a dreidel with the center removed. Tape pieces of colorful tissue paper across the opening. When hung in a sunny window, they look like real stained glass.
6. Handprint Menorah Keepsake
This is a favorite for infants and toddlers. Paint a child’s palms and fingers (excluding the thumbs) and press them onto paper with the palms overlapping. The eight fingers become the candles, and you can paint a taller shamash in the middle using a thumbprint.
7. DIY Hanukkah Gelt Bags
Hanukkah gelt (money or chocolate coins) is a traditional gift. Kids can decorate small drawstring canvas bags or paper lunch bags with stamps of dreidels and stars to hold their holiday winnings.
8. Puffy Paint “Sufganiyot” (Donuts)
Mix equal parts shaving cream and white glue, then add a drop of red food coloring for “jam.” Kids can “frost” cardboard circles to look like delicious jelly-filled donuts.
9. Clothespin Menorah
Paint nine clothespins to look like candles. Attach them to a sturdy piece of cardboard or a long wooden ruler. This is an interactive craft—kids can clip on one new “candle” each night of the festival.
10. Washi Tape Menorah
For a mess-free option, use various patterns of blue and silver Washi tape to “build” a menorah directly onto a piece of cardstock. It’s excellent for developing fine motor skills in younger children.
11. Beaded Pipe Cleaner Dreidels
Bending pipe cleaners into the four-sided shape of a dreidel is a great engineering challenge. Kids can string blue and white beads onto the pipe cleaner before closing the shape to create a shimmering ornament.
12. “8 Days of Kindness” Paper Chain
Create a blue and white paper chain with eight links. On the inside of each link, write a simple act of kindness (like “Help clear the table” or “Call Grandma”). Tear off one link each night and perform the task.
13. Suncatcher Star of David
Using a clear plastic lid (like from a takeout container), glue down pieces of blue tissue paper or transparent beads. Once dry, cut the plastic into a star shape and hang it up to catch the winter light.
14. LEGO Menorah
Challenge your older kids to build a functional (non-lighting) or decorative menorah using only blue, white, and yellow LEGO bricks. It’s a fantastic way to teach symmetry and balance.
15. Macaroni Menorah
A classic “noodle art” project! Glue different shapes of pasta onto a cardboard base to form the branches of a menorah. Once the glue dries, spray paint the whole thing gold or silver for a metallic finish.
16. Felt Dreidel Garland
Cut dreidel shapes out of stiff felt and punch two holes in the top of each. Let kids “sew” a piece of yarn through the holes to create a festive garland for the mantle.
17. Fingerprint Star of David
Draw a light outline of the Star of David. Have kids use blue ink pads or paint to fill in the shape using only their fingerprints. It creates a beautiful, textured pointillism effect.
18. Tin Foil “Embossed” Menorah
Wrap a piece of cardboard in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Use a dull pencil or a craft stick to “etch” designs of menorahs and dreidels into the foil. The result looks like expensive hammered silver.
19. Hanukkah Sensory Bin
While not a single craft, creating a bin filled with blue-dyed rice, plastic dreidels, “gold” coins, and Hanukkah candles provides hours of tactile play for toddlers.
20. DIY Hanukkah Cards
Encourage children to make cards for family and friends. Use “pop-up” techniques to make a menorah stand up when the card is opened, symbolizing the spreading of light.
Tips for a Meaningful Crafting Session
- Explain the Symbols: As you craft, talk about what the Dreidel letters mean (Nun, Gimmel, Hey, Shin stand for “A Great Miracle Happened There”).
- The Nine Candles: Explain that while the Temple menorah had seven branches, the Hanukkah menorah (the Hanukkiah) has nine—one for each night and the “helper” candle (shamash).
- Safe Lighting: If using real candles, always supervise children closely. Many of these crafts (like the clothespin or paper tube versions) are meant to be “flameless” alternatives for play.
