Hanukkah Sensory Activities

We’ve covered Hanukkah learning activities and Hanukkah crafts, so let’s add some Hanukkah sensory activities to the mix! After all, you’ve got eight days to fill with fun so you’re going to need lots of ideas.

Slime is a classic sensory recipe for any occasion, and this Hanukkah slime from Little Bins for Little Hands is blue and white, so it would be fun to use throughout the winter for various sensory themes. I like the addition of sequins into the slime for a different textural experience and a bit of extra shine.

Play dough is another classic for little kids to play with, and of course you can use purchased Play-Doh or make your own. If you already have a favorite play dough recipe you can make it with blue food coloring or Kool-Aid to make it blue. Use the free printable Hanukkah themed play dough mats from With Love, Ima to bring more holiday fun. Welcome to Mommyhood also has a printbale menorah play dough mat kids will enjoy (and they can use different colors for the candles and “flames”).

With Love, Ima also has a Hanukkah I-spy bottle that’s fun and easy to make. She used colored rocks as the filler and various Hanukkah symbols for kids to find inside the bottle.

Fantastic Fun and Learning has a few fun sensory activities to try with littles. I love the dreidel spin art and the salt tray for practicing writing the Hebrew letters that can be found on the dreidel.

And don’t forget a sensory bin while you’re at it. Jewish Moms and Crafters has a Hanukkah sensory bin that uses sensory foam as the base, but you could use crinkle paper, or dye rice or pasta blue, just to give a few ideas. The bins is filled with Hanukkah candles, cookie cutters, little dreidels and gelt.

Are you looking for the best sensory toys and activities for your child? Explore our comprehensive resources to enhance your child’s sensory play and development. Check out our curated Amazon Idea List featuring top-rated sensory toys and items, and don’t miss our expertly written articles on sensory activities. Start creating fun and educational sensory experiences today!

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Easy Sensory Activities for Valentine's Day

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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