Hanukkah Crafts for Kids

Hanukkah is family time, and it’s a great time to do some crafting together. From star of David crafts to menorahs and dreidels, here are some fun options for Hanukkah crafts for kids.

If you want to make your own little dreidel out of clay, you can with these instructions from Moms and Crafters. They’re so cute, and the post is full of great tips to make a usable dreidel (and a link to the song because I know you’re singing it now, right?).

She also has some cute printable dreidel boxes, which aren’t for playing with, but they’re big enough to hold a little treat or be a decoration for your Hanukkah gatherings. How about a sweet garland of dreidels? I feel like I’ve shared this one before but she also has a super cute pipe cleaner menorah for kids to play with and “light.”

And while you’re playing dreidel, you’re going to need some gelt. Make your own out of paper with this simple idea from What We Do All Day. They have another take on the homemade dreidel using cardboard and a pencil, which is great because you don’t need any special supplies.

You could also try making a dreidel out of Legos, with instructions from the Legoland Discovery Center.

Get out your craft sticks and glitter to make this pretty (and easy for younger kids) Star of David ornament from 2 Paws Designs. Or make a three-dimensional star out of paper with the instructions from NurtureStore, which shows how to draw a six-pointed star with help from a compass and ruler, making this a sly little STEM project for older kids.

NurtureStore also has a cute paper plate menorah craft with printable candles. Or make a paper menorah with these instructions from No Time for Flash Cards. You can also make a Lego menorah (What We Do All Day) or make one out of an egg carton decorated by the kids (Kids Activities Blog).

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Hanukkah Learning Activities for Kids

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important throughout Mexico and other parts of the world. Her feast day is Dec. 12, and the celebrations honoring her appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 begin a few days before that.

Whether you celebrate yourself or just want to share about the celebration at home or in your classroom, Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good place to start. The book, by Ernesto Joel Vega Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, with illustrations by Dana Sanmar, tells the story of a family’s celebration of the feast day in both English and Spanish.

They prepare with a novena, which is nine days of prayers and preparations. The children, Lucia and Pablo, are given special outfits made by their grandmother that look like what Juan Diego might have worn when he saw Our Lady. The book describes the prayers that are made each day, such as a prayer for respect for life, for families and for the indigenous people of the Americas, to name a few.

As told in the book, Juan Diego was a native Mexican born near modern day Mexico City. His given name was Cuaauhtlatoatzin, which means “He who speaks like an eagle.” When he converted to Christianity his name was changed to Juan Diego, and as he walked to church he passed a hill called Tepeyac. One day he heard the birds singing especially beautifully and a voice called him to go to the top of the hill.

There he saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a chapel built in her name at the foot of the hill. The bishop asked for a sign that Juan Diego really saw her, and later she had him collect flowers that she blessed and take them to the bishop. When Juan Diego dropped the flowers, an image of Our Lady could be seen on his cloak, which is still on display in her basilica to this day.

The feast day is celebrated as mañanitas, which includes singing, indigenous music and dancing, and children presenting flowers to Our Lady. Juan Diego is remembered today as being humble, brave and faithful, and was the first indigenous American made a saint.

The book is colorful and tells the story in a clear way, and it’s fun to have it both in English and Spanish if you teach Spanish or speak Spanish at home or in the classroom. It’s a great way to learn the basics of the celebration and the story of Juan Diego and why he is still remembered today.

About the book: 40 pages, paperback, published 2024 by Loyola Press. Suggested retail price $14.99.

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Have you read?

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