Hanukkah Activities for the Classroom

📝 This post, Hanukkah Activities, was originally published in 20112 and has been updated with new information and resources.

Hanukkah is one of those holidays that brings so much joy and wonder to the classroom. Over the years, I’ve collected some of my favorite Hanukkah activities, including books, crafts, math games, writing activities, and free printables to use with my students. Whether you’re looking for one activity to add to your holiday centers or enough Hanukkah activities for an entire week of learning, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here!

What is Hanukkah?

Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is the Jewish Festival of Lights celebrated for eight nights. It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days. It is a wonderful opportunity to introduce students to a rich cultural tradition through books, games, crafts, and hands-on learning activities.

Hanukkah Vocabulary Anchor Charts

Before diving into activities, it helps to build some background knowledge! These five vocabulary anchor charts introduce key Hanukkah words and symbols—Hanukkah, Menorah, Gelt, Latkes, and Dreidels. They’re perfect for a classroom display or whole-group discussion at the start of your unit.

💚 Grab Hanukkah Vocabulary Anchor Charts on TpT.

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  Hanukkah Activities and Crafts

Edible Menorah

This one is always a huge hit! Kids love building their own menorah, and it’s a wonderful way to talk about the meaning behind each candle.

Materials Needed

✔️ 9 large marshmallows per child

✔️ Vanilla frosting

✔️ 9 small pretzel sticks

✔️ Cardboard strip covered in aluminum foil

✔️ Child-friendly knife for spreading

Directions

Line eight marshmallows side by side on the cardboard, using a dab of frosting to hold them in place. Stack one marshmallow on top of another to create the shamash. Press a pretzel stick into each marshmallow to create the candles. Simple, festive, and delicious!

Fun Hanukkah Activities

Need a few quick activities? Try these classroom favorites!

Menorah, Menorah, Dreidel — a Hanukkah version of Duck, Duck, Goose.

Be a Dancing Dreidel — students spin like dreidels until they gently fall down.

Dreidel Jump — place the Hebrew dreidel letters around the room and have students jump to the letter you call.

Dreidel or Gelt Hunt — hide dreidels or chocolate gelt around the classroom for students to find.

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Five Little Dreidels

This simple fingerplay is perfect for circle time, transitions, or a quick brain break during your Hanukkah celebration. Kids love acting out the spinning dreidels!

Five little dreidels spinning in a row,
The first one spun, oh, so slow.
The second one went round and round,
The third one fell down on the ground.
The fourth one spun like a happy top,
The fifth one said, “I’ll never stop!
Five little dreidels—look and see,
Spinning during Hanukkah for you and me.

💚 Grab the FREE 5 Little Dreidels Printable here.

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Spiders Dreidel’s: A Hanukkah Counting Book

This sweet Hanukkah counting book is a classroom favorite! Children practice colors and counting to eight by stamping or sticking dreidels on each page. It is hands-on, festive, and perfect for little learner

💡 Teacher Tip: Make your own dreidel stamps using a large rubber eraser and a craft knife. They are easy to make and fun to use year after year.

💚 Grab Spider’s Dreidels on TpT.

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The Magic Dreidel Writing Activity

After reading The Magic Dreidels, students imagine what magical item their own dreidel would spin out just for them. Then they write and illustrate their ideas using the included template. My first graders always came up with the funniest and most creative responses!

💚 Grab The Magic Dreidel Writing Activity on TpT.

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Hanukkah Math Activities Pack

This collection includes seven Hanukkah-themed math activities that make holiday learning both fun and meaningful. Students practice a variety of important math skills through engaging activities like Gelt Math, Menorah Ordinal Numbers, the traditional Dreidel Game, Spin, Tally, and Graph, Hanukkah Word Problems, an Addition Bump Game, and a festive Hanukkah Word Search. Whether you’re planning math centers, small-group instruction, or independent practice, this pack makes it easy to bring a little Hanukkah fun into your math block.

💚 Grab Hanukkah Math Activities on TpT.

Hanukkah Dreidel Spin, Tally, and Graph

Students spin a dreidel, tally the results, and create a bar graph using their data. This no-prep activity is perfect for math centers, small groups, or independent practice.

💚 Grab Hanukkah Dreidel Spin, Tally, and Graph on TpT.

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FREE Hanukkah Activities

FREE Hanukkah Addition Bump Game

Practice addition facts with this fast-paced partner game featuring a Hanukkah theme. It’s perfect for math centers and completely free!

💚 Grab the FREE Hanukkah Addition Bump Game.

FREE Hanukkah Word Search

A festive word search that’s perfect for early finishers, holiday centers, or a quick brain break.

💚 Grab the FREE Hanukkah Word Search.

FREE Hanukkah Memory Game Cards

These adorable Hanukkah-themed memory game cards are perfect for math warm-ups, centers, and small-group fun..

💚 Download the FREE Hanukkah Subitizing Cards.

FREE Printable Dreidel Math Game

Students choose two number cards, write them in the first two dreidels, solve the problem, and write the answer in the final dreidel. It works for addition, subtraction, or multiplication and can be played independently or with a partner.

💡 Teacher Tip: Print the pages double-sided for even more math practice!

💚 Download the FREE Printable Dreidel Math Game.

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Favorite Hanukkah Picture Books

Complete your Hanukkah celebration with a great read-aloud! Whether you’re introducing Hanukkah for the first time or adding to an existing holiday unit, these picture books are wonderful additions to your classroom library.

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric A. Kimmel

My absolute favorite Hanukkah story! Hershel arrives in a village where goblins have taken over the synagogue and won’t let anyone light the menorah. He volunteers to spend all eight nights there to break the spell. My students were completely captivated every single time!

✏️ Extension Idea: Have students imagine how they would outsmart one of the goblin.

The Magic Dreidels by Eric A. Kimmel

Jacob drops his beloved dreidel into a well and discovers a magical goblin living below who gives him a dreidel that spins out latkes—but the neighborhood busybody keeps stealing it! A wonderfully silly story kids love hearing again and again.

Simon and the Bear by Eric A. Kimmel

After his ship sinks, Simon spends Hanukkah stranded on an ice floe—with a polar bear for company! A beautiful story about hope, friendship, and celebrating even in difficult circumstances.

✏️ Extension Idea: Write about a time kindness made a difficult situation better.

Latkes and Applesauce by Fran Manushkin

A blizzard threatens to ruin Hanukkah until a stray cat and dog unexpectedly come to the rescue. A sweet story about kindness, family, and holiday traditions.

✏️ Extension Idea: What is your favorite family tradition?

The Runaway Dreidel by Lesléa Newman

A brand-new dreidel starts spinning…and just won’t stop! Follow its exciting adventure through the city in this fun rhyming story.

✏️ Extension Idea: Write your own adventure for the runaway dreidel.

More Great Hanukkah Picture Books

Looking for even more Hanukkah stories? Here are a few additional picture books that make wonderful classroom read-alouds.

Golem’s Latkes by Eric A. Kimmel

Sammy Spider’s First Hanukkah by Sylvia Rouss

Hanukkah Moon by Deborah Da Costa

A Confused Hanukkah by Jon Koons

Hanukkah Bear by Eric A. Kimmel

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re teaching a full Hanukkah unit or simply adding a few festive Hanukkah activities to your week, I hope these resources bring a little Festival of Lights magic to your classroom!

💚 Which Hanukkah activity or picture book is your favorite? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!