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 Unit Studies for Kids

Human brains are pretty amazing, allowing us to think, feel, create, communicate, move and more. But humans aren’t the only animals with cool brains, as Crab Museum explains in the book The No-Brainer Brain Explainer (illustrated by Bruno Valasse).

This book, aimed at kids in grades 1-4, is colorful and silly but also educational about how brains actually work, with billions of neurons sending electrical and chemical signals around the body.

“Everything we think, feel and experience comes from an electrical relay race, with neurons passing chemical batons to each other,” the book says. “The constant chatter of billions of brain cells creates your entire world.”

The book compares the brains of mammals to those of crabs (the book is “written” by a crab after all) and notes that crabs have fewer neurons and of course are much smaller, but they have separate parts of their brains that control their eyes and their legs. Crabs are also capable of remembering things, using tools and solving puzzles.

Some animals’ brains allow them to know more about their world in different ways from humans, such as spiders being sensitive to vibrations in their webs and catfish having an amazing sense of taste, with taste sensors all over their bodies.

It notes that 95 percent of brain activity goes toward things we do unconsciously, like breathing, walking and catching a ball flying toward us. It also talks about dreams, memory, how our emotions try to predict the future, where brains came from and fun facts about brains. For example, did you know a sperm whale is believed to have the biggest brain of any creature that’s even lived? Their brains weigh 18 pounds, compared to just 2.5 pounds for humans.

Information on what creatures have the smallest brains, the toughest brains, the most brains and those who actually eat their own brains will delight kids (and maybe gross them out a little bit). They’ll also enjoy learning about the mycelium network of fungi, which is like a brain without a body, and slime molds, which are like a brain without a brain.

It ends talking about why human brains are so special because we’ve found ways to work together, communicate and build communities on a scale bigger than any other animal.

Kids and adults alike will enjoy this colorful, silly and informational book about brains!

About the book: 64 pages, hardcover. Published 2026 by Wide Eyed Editions. Suggested retail price $19.99.

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