Hanukkah Crafts for Preschoolers

Hanukkah crafts and ideas for your preschool children or preschool classroom! There are so many to choose from! Most take items that you most likely already have or can access easily!

Star of David Decoration or Frame

Materials needed: Craft sticks, markers, crayons, glitter, glue, ribbon

Have the children decorate 6 craft sticks.
Help them to use 3 to make a triangle. Hot glue the ends together.
Now help them to the same to the other 3.
Invert one of the triangles and hot glue them together to make the Star of David.
Have them place a piece of ribbon through it. Tie it off. They can not hang it up in the classroom or at home.

VARIATION: Once done, glue a picture of each child onto a piece of construction paper and glue the paper to the center of the star.

Dreidel Painting

Materials needed: Box cover or shallow tray; variety of paint colors (each watered down a bit), dreidels, white paper, pipette or spoon

The children place the paper in the cover or tray.
They use a pipette to squeeze a few different colors of paint on the paper.
They spin the dreidel on the paper to move the paint around.
If they can not spin the dreidels, encourage them to shake the cover from left to right and back and forth to move the dreidel around in the tray.

(Same concept as marble painting).

OPTION 2 of this: The children dip the tip of the dreidel into a color of paint and then spin it on the paper.

Hanukkah Frames

Materials needed: Colored foam (comes in sheets at craft stores); dreidel stencil; a photo of each child; paint, sequins, glitter, glue.

Trace and cut out the foam into dreidel shapes using a stencil.
The children decorate it with the materials you provide.
Glue their picture in the middle when they are done.*

*If you print their pictures on regular print paper from your computer, wait until their dreidel shape is dry. If not, the ink will bleed once it meets glue. Use a stapler or glue stick to attach.

VARIATION: Hot glue a sturdy magnet to the back to make this into a refrierator magnet.

You could also hot glue a pinch type clothespin and on the back. Then hot glue a sturdy magnet to the back of the clothespin.

The parents can then use the magnet on the refrigerator and the clothespin will hold a piece of art work!

Dreidel Paint Wash

Materials needed: Large dreidel shaped stencil (cut a few out of manila folders); scissors; white crayons; white construction paper; watercolor paint

Have the children trace and cut out a dreidel shape on white paper.
Have them color and make designs using white crayons.
Give them watercolor paint to paint their entire dreidel.
The paint won't stick to the crayon, leaving some awesome designs!

Hannukah Wreath

Materials Needed: paper towel tubes (cut in half), paint, craft sticks, glue, glitter, poster board

Each child paints a tube half.
Help the children make a Star of David out of craft sticks (or make one for each child in advance).
The children brush glue on the star and sprinkle glitter on it.
When the tubes are dry, have the children help arrange them in a circular wreath pattern on poster board.
Hot glue in place.
Then hot glue their stars on the tubes.
Hang in your classroom!

Gelt Bank

Gelt (pronounced with a hard "g" sound) is Yiddish for money.

In advance, collect small containers that have plastic covers such as mini-Pringles cans or frosting cans.
In advance, measure and cut out strips of construction paper that will fit around the can.
In advance, cut a slit in the plastic cover that goes with the can.
Have the children decorate the paper with a variety of materials such as glitter and glue, stickers, paint
Help them to glue the paper around the can when dry.
Place the cover on.
The children take it home and place gelt in it throughout the week of Hanukkah.
The money goes into the Gelt Bank. At the end of the holiday, the children donate the money to a charity.

It would be great if the families can provide jobs for the children to do to earn that money.

Menorah

Materials needed: egg cartons; paper towel tubes cut in half; glue; red, yellow and orange tissue paper; paint, brushes, hot glue gun.

In advance, hot glue 9 of the egg compartments from the egg cartons together. The middle candle should be taller than the others. Make one for each child.
The children then paint their carton. They glue on a paper towel tube half on each egg section for the candles. (I hot glue them on).
The children then decorate the candles. They can paint, use stickers, glue and glitter, etc.
The children crumple up a small square of red, yellow and orange tissue paper and place in each candle to look like a flame.