Hanukkah is such a joyful time of year, and it’s the perfect opportunity to bring light, creativity, and hands-on learning into the preschool classroom. From spinning dreidels to lighting the menorah, this holiday is filled with meaningful traditions that young children can explore in playful, age-appropriate ways. In this post, I’m sharing simple Hanukkah activities and crafts that build fine motor skills, spark curiosity, and help little learners connect with the beauty of this celebration. Whether you’re planning a classroom unit or adding a few festive centers, these ideas will make the season bright and fun for your preschoolers!
Hanukkah Books
Here are some great Hanukkah children’s books for read alouds:
How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague– A playful, humorous story that shows dinosaurs learning to make good choices during Chanukah celebrations. Kids love the silly “wrong way/right way” moments, making it a fun read-aloud for teaching kindness, patience, and holiday traditions.
Hanukkah Bear by Eric A. Kimmel – A sweet, imaginative story about a bear waking from hibernation to discover Hanukkah celebrations. Great for preschoolers and early elementary kids; includes holiday traditions and even a latke recipe — perfect for a read-aloud or to spark a cooking or food-culture activity.
Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights (Little Golden Book) – A classic, simple introduction to Hanukkah traditions (lighting the menorah, dreidels, latkes, etc.) and the basic story behind the holiday. The bright illustrations and clear text make it ideal for younger kids and classroom settings.
Happy Hanukkah, Corduroy – Features the beloved bear character Corduroy celebrating Hanukkah. Familiar characters can make holiday stories more relatable for little ones, and this book gently introduces traditions and festivities.
Latke, the Lucky Dog – Told from the perspective of a shelter-adopted dog named Latke, adorable and fun, with a gentle message about family, belonging, and holiday tradition. Great for young children and especially effective as a read-aloud in a group or classroom.
Dino‑Hanukkah by Lisa Wheeler – A whimsical, playful take on the holiday: dinosaurs preparing for Hanukkah, playing dreidel, eating latkes, a fun way to engage kids who love dinosaurs and could spark imaginative play or a themed sensory bin.
The Eight Knights of Hanukkah – A more adventurous, story-driven picture book that weaves in Hanukkah themes with a fun, fantasy-style storyline. Could be a great read-aloud for slightly older children (early elementary) or to pair with dramatic-play or art activities.
Puppy for Hanukkah (Disney Little Golden Book) – A sweet, simple story good for early readers or toddlers, especially those familiar with Disney characters. Gentle introduction to celebrations, kindness, and holiday routines.
A Wild, Wild Hanukkah – A fun, imaginative take on the holiday featuring animals and a lively party atmosphere. Great for capturing kids’ interest and combining holiday reading with creative discussion or art activities.
Menorah Activities
Playdough Menorah
Roll “candles” out of playdough and place them on a playdough menorah mat. Add small toothpicks or birthday candles for extra fine motor work.
Q-Tip or Finger-Painted Flames
Give kids a printed menorah and have them add flames using paint, dot markers, fingerprints, or Q-tips. Great for one-to-one correspondence as they “light” each night.
Craft Stick Menorah
Use popsicle sticks to create a simple menorah shape. Children glue on yellow tissue paper flames. Super cute for a display!
Tear-Paper Menorah
Have students tear small pieces of yellow and orange paper to make flames and blue paper for the menorah. Perfect for strengthening hand muscles.
Menorah Counting Mats
Use mats showing 1–9 candles and have children add small items (pom poms, beads, buttons, mini dreidels) to match the number shown.
Clothespin Candle Counting
Clip clothespins (as candles) onto a cardstock menorah. Add tissue paper flames to the top of each clip. Excellent for fine motor + counting.
Menorah Light Sequencing
Create cards for nights 1–8 and have children place the correct number of flames in order, building early sequencing skills.
Fork-Painted Menorah
Dip the end of a fork into gold or blue paint and press onto paper to make the menorah branches. Add thumbprint flames on top.
Felt Board Menorah
Use felt pieces for the menorah and felt “flames.” Kids can add a flame each day to retell the holiday sequence.
Menorah Loose Parts Tray
Set out gems, wooden sticks, glass stones, and yellow felt circles. Invite kids to build their own menorah with loose parts.
Candle Making Play Tray
Provide straws or pipe cleaners as “candles” and a paper menorah. Kids insert candles and remove them as part of a pretend-play lighting routine.
Menorah Shape Craft
Use rectangles, ovals, and circles to build a menorah while practicing shape and spatial vocabulary.
Watercolor Resist Menorah
Draw a menorah with white crayon on watercolor paper. Kids paint over it and watch the menorah appear like magic!
Dreidel Activities
Have fun spinning mini dreidels! They’re such a simple, engaging activity and a great way to build fine motor skills. You can also use them for counting, sorting, or as playful pieces in small-group games. I especially love pairing them with this dreidel dice game for extra hands-on practice. Click the picture below to grab this FREE activity!
Here are some fun, kid-friendly ways to use mini dreidels in your classroom, perfect for fine motor, math, literacy, and sensory play:
More Ways to Use Mini Dreidels
- Counting practice – Have students count dreidels into cups, muffin tins, or ten-frames.
- Color sorting – Sort by color or size into small bowls or trays.
- Pattern building – Create AB, ABC, or ABB patterns using different colors of dreidels.
- Sensory bin filler – Add them to rice, beans, or kinetic sand for scooping, pouring, and hiding.
- Tweezers transfer – Use kid tweezers to move dreidels from one container to another for fine motor work.
- Spin-off challenge – Kids guess how long each dreidel will spin, then compare times.
- Roll & Grab game – Roll a die and grab that number of dreidels; first to fill their cup wins.
- Matching mats – Match dreidels to number cards or simple ten-frame cards.
- Letter sound activity – Hide small picture cards (like /d/ for dreidel) under dreidels and have kids lift and name.
- Graphing – Use different colors or sizes to create a simple bar graph.
- Race track spins – Spin dreidels on a taped “track” and see which one goes the farthest.
- Sensory bottle – Add a few dreidels to a clear bottle with glitter water or rice for a holiday-themed calm-down tool.
Star of David Popsicle Stick Craft
Create a simple Star of David by gluing together two overlapping triangles made from popsicle sticks. Children can paint or decorate the sticks with markers, glitter, or sequins to make them festive. This hands-on craft is great for strengthening fine motor skills, exploring shapes, and creating a beautiful Hanukkah decoration to take home or display in the classroom.
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