Celebrate Hanukkah with Crafts

There are so many great Hanukkah crafts for kids (and I have shared a bunch of Hanukkah crafts before) and it’s a great way to teach kids about Hanukkah and the symbols of the season, even if they aren’t Jewish.

Menorahs are probably the most well-known symbol of the season because they mark the days of the celebration and honor the light of the temple staying lit for nine days. This yarn wrapped menorah from Happy Toddler Playtime is easy to make with craft sticks and gives kids fine-motor skill practice.

Using clothespins as your candles is another fun way to incorporate fine-motor practice, and you can use a variety of things for the base. Happy Hooligans uses a piece of cardboard for the base with clothespin candles. And while the original instructions don’t seem to exist any more, there’s a picture of a paper plate menorah (originally from Pleasantest Thing) in this roundup of menorah crafts from Our Potluck Family that looks like fun.

If you’re making a classroom menorah, try this paper chain version from Bible Belt Balabusta. Hers was made for the school entrance but you could scale it down a bit to hang on the wall in a classroom if you’d rather.

Speaking of classroom crafts, these Hanukkah suncatchers from Jewish Moms and Crafters would be cute if you have a window in your classroom, or to use at home. Download the free templates and use sticky paper and bits of tissue paper to make a stained glass effect.

Dreidels are another common symbol of the season and a fun shape to craft with. NurtureStore has a fun printmaking activity that uses the dreidel shape and found objects to make a repeating pattern. You could do this same idea with any shape you like as the base.

Last month I shared a collection of beach crafts that used items from the beach like seashells and sand. This month’s collection is all about beach animals and things you might see at the beach that don’t require beachy materials to make. In fact you’ve probably got what you need to make most of these beach crafts in your house already.

How about paper plates? With a paper plate you can make this cute watercolor seashell from The Educator’s Spin on It, or an adorable seagull like this one from Glued to My Crafts.

Add some white beans and you can make paper plate sand dollars like Crafts by Amanda. Or use a paper plate as a frame for a sweet beach scene like this crab and turtle one from Artsy Craftsy Mom, which includes a downloadable template and instructions to make it super easy.

Or grab a paper plate and some bubble wrap to make a jellyfish like this one from Happy Toddler Playtime. If you have paper bowls instead of plates, you can also make a jellyfish from one of those, like Natural Beach Living did.

Use your stash of craft sticks and googly eyes to make crabs, fish, sharks and more with this craft idea from The Keeper of the Cheerios.

I love this little crab made with a cardboard tube from Hunny I’m Home. With this same idea I’ll bet you could make lots of different creatures.

Grab some construction paper to make the loopy tentacles on this watercolor jellyfish from Craftsy Hacks. Or make a stained glass jellyfish like this one from Life Anchored.

Make easy puffy paint to make these fun fluffy starfish from I Heart Crafty Things, or use cupcake liners to make cute little crabs (also from I Heart Crafty Things).

Turn an old pool noodle into some super cute fish with this tutorial from Happy Toddler Playtime.

And if you’ve got some leftover yarn lying around, make pompoms and turn them into turtles like these from Craftsy Hacks. (And check out my post on different ways to make pompoms if you need a refresher!)

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