"Sometimes I’m at a loss for ways to keep my toddler busy and entertained. She bounces from one activity to the next in a matter of minutes, and suddenly, I’m out of ideas. I love spending time with my toddler, but the minutes can sometimes feel like hours when we don’t have an engaging activity to do. And this is where holiday-themed crafts come in! If I’m ever out of ideas for ways to occupy our time, I think about whatever holiday or season is coming up next and focus our plans around that. I’ve recently been brainstorming Hanukkah crafts and activities as we head into the winter holiday season.
While I’m used to seeing tons of Christmas crafts to choose from, it takes a bit more effort to find ones for Hanukkah. But once you start searching, you’ll quickly see that there are so many fun crafts to do with your kids to celebrate the festival of lights. There are lots of cute ideas—like creating your own menorahs, dreidels, and stars—that range from easy to challenging.
Whether or not you celebrate Hanukkah, grab your glue and washable markers and settle in for some fun Hanukkah crafting with your little ones. Below are 30+ adorable Hanukkah crafts to do with toddlers and kids this holiday season.
1. Felt Hanukkah Garland
Have your kids practice their fine motor skills by making a Hanukkah garland. With your help, use a blunt needle to thread through the pom-poms. Hang your beautiful shades of blue on a mantle or use it as a centerpiece for your tablescape.
2. Paper Plate Menorah Craft
Crafts that you can do with items you already have in your home are the best. This paper plate Menorah is a simple, festive Hanukkah craft you can have on display all season.
3. Light-Up Menorah Project
Custom decorate your own candles that illuminate with KiwiCo’s STEAM-themed project. Your kids will be in awe of the creativity they put in and the work they did to bring this craft to light.
4. Hanukkah Stained Glass Patterns
Download the free patterns of a dreidel, a menorah, a star of David, and the word ‘Chanukah’ in Hebrew to make a stained glass gallery in your own home. It’s a craft you will want to keep and bring out every year.
5. Hanukkah Sensory Bin
Bring together a medley of all-things Hanukkah in an engaging sensory bin that will entertain your little one with interesting textures, joyful colors, curious shapes… and even an edible piece of shiny chocolate gelt here and there if you so choose! For the full instructions on how to create this sensory bin, click here—and follow Jewish Moms & Crafters on IG for more great activity ideas!
6. Printable Hanukkah Word Search
We love a fun activity that can also be educational, and this word search is the perfect way to get them excited about the holiday.
7. Hanukkah Card
Make a pop-up menorah card to celebrate with family and friends. Add a little pizazz and use red and yellow tissue paper for the flames.
8. DIY Dreidel Piñata
How cute is this dreidel piñata? We’ll be using this as Hanukkah decor instead of hitting it with a stick.
9. Star Suncatcher Craft
This craft is as simple as it is adorable. Your little ones will love spending an afternoon crafting something magical.
10. Dreidel Snowflake
Use a dreidel pattern to make this oh-so-adorable snowflake. Decorate it with shades of blue and make as many as you please.
11. 8 Days of Hanukkah Kindness Activities
Crafting meets compassion in this project that transforms a regular paper chain into a garland that includes different kind-hearted activities to engage in with your kiddos this Hanukkah season.
12. Handprint Menorah Craft
Our favorite crafts are the extra special ones we’ll want to hang onto forever. That’s why we love this handprint Menorah craft that is a memory and activity all in one.
13. DIY Hanukkah Bracelet Kit
Friendship bracelets are always worth sharing. Why not make these cute Hanukkah themed bracelets for all your friends and family?
14. Puffy Dreidel Craft
A delightful tissue paper crafting adventure that pairs perfectly with some festive holiday music or Hanukkah storytime. While it might take littler ones some tries to bunch up the small pieces of tissue paper, it’s a great project to practice diligence and motor skills.
15. DIY Driedel Garland
This DIY garland is the perfect way to reuse those grocery bags that keep piling up. Plus, your little ones will love personalizing each piece.
16. Sensory Hanukkah Craft
Recycle your own Sprout pouches this year and use them as a sensory craft to make your own menorah. With the rate of how fast these go in my household, I’ll have enough menorahs for the whole neighborhood to make. It’s fun, cute, and eco-friendly.
17. DIY Hanukkah Slime
If your home has also been taken over by slime, why not give into the chaos as at least make it festive? Your kids will love making and playing with this craft and it offers the perfect time to give a lesson on the holiday they’re celebrating. And if the slime craft gets a little out of hand, check out our hack to get slime out of clothes.
18. Paper Glasses for Hanukkah
Eight crafted paper glasses to count you and your family down to Hanukkah. The patterns included are a dreidel, a star of David, a menorah, latkes, donuts, a jug of oil, a shield that says ‘Maccabi’ in Hebrew and English, and a candle. Wear them all day long—it will surely be a sight to see!
19. Clothespin Menorah Craft
With safety in mind, a clothespin menorah allows your little ones to ‘light’ their own candles. Each clothespin becomes a candle they get to add each day. Moms and Crafters provides a digital download that you can start decorating right away.
20. Shimmering Star of David Craft
This craft turns out so good that we know it will become a regular part of your holiday decorating year after year.
21. Nature-Inspired DIY Menorah
Combine a love of nature with Hanukkah’s enchanting display of candlelight by creating this special menorah. With some natural supplies alongside colorful paints and craft glue, your kiddo will have a unique and earthy centerpiece to contribute to this year’s Festival of Lights.
22. DIY Dreidel Wall Hanging
This craft is fun for the whole family! Spend an afternoon together crafting a gorgeous dreidel wall hanging piece and keep your hard work on display for the rest of the season.
23. Cardboard Tubes Menorah Craft
Don’t recycle all of that cardboard just yet! Instead, use it for this fun, festive, and simply adorable craft.
24. DIY Penny Spinners
Grab your lucky coins and turn them into penny spinners. You will need cardboard, printer paper, blue pens or markers, a penny, scissors, a glue stick, a small paper plate, and a pencil for tracing. Your kids will be entertained with this simple craft!
25. LEGO Menorah for Hanukkah
Got a little one who adores LEGOs? Skip the pre-created sets and head straight to the Pick a Brick section and have them try their hands at this crafter’s clever menorah-building challenge!
26. Hanukkah Tissue Paper Suncatchers
In just a few simple steps, you can have some of the most adorable holiday decorations made by your little ones.
27. Cereal Menorah
A craft and snack all in one? Sounds like the perfect activity to us!
28. Hanukkah Bingo
Few things are more enjoyable than a family game night, and you can make your night extra festive for the holiday with these printable Hanukkah Bingo cards.
29. Hanukkah Pillow
A fun and easy craft that doubles as a pillow to sleep on every night. The templates include a dreidel and a star of David. You can make different sizes with different patterns to fit each person in your family just right. I love the idea of making eight pillows to represent each day.
30. Chagall Stained Glass Printable
Perhaps the prettiest craft we’ve seen is this stained glass coloring page. We know this one will be frame-worthy once your little one is finished.
Amanda Shapin Michelson, Former Editor
Amanda is a writer specializing in health, wellness, and motherhood. She recently wrote the book Pregnancy Hacks, sharing tips to comfortably get through the major ups and downs of pregnancy. She currently works for Babylist and lives in Maryland with her husband, kids Millie, Ezra, and Sloane, and pup Ollie.
Katherine Ballesta-Rosen, Editorial Intern
Besides being an avid reader and writer since girlhood, Katherine decided to kick her literacy-laden background up a notch by receiving her Master’s in teaching, and went on to teach English Language Arts to high schoolers for several years. As an intern at The Everymom, Katherine writes about topics such as maternal wellness, sex and relationships, and more.