Hanukkah is a special time to celebrate with family, but when kids are included, it’s even more fun! For the Eight Days of Hanukkah, below are eight fun and engaging activities to celebrate the festival of lights with your little latkes. 

  1. Play Dreidel (traditionally and with a spin)

Playing dreidel is a traditional Hanukkah game that will definitely bring the family together. But watch out, it can get competitive, especially when gelt is involved. Who wouldn’t want to win all the chocolate! But if your kids are too little to play, a different spin to the game is playing Hide and Seek Dreidel. Hide a dreidel around the house and whoever finds it first wins a piece of gelt. Just a warning though, if your kids are as obsessed with hide and seek as much as mine are, this game may never end. 

  1. Paint and Create together

With a little help from a few crafts found at Target, your kids can build their own menorah, paint their own dreidels (which can be used for activity #1 – bonus point!), and create beautiful Hanukkah themed suncatchers for the home. These easy pre-made crafts will keep your little ones busy for at least an hour (though one can only hope!)

  1. Go on a Donut Tour of Austin

To commemorate the miracle associated with the Temple oil, it’s customary to eat fried foods during Hanukkah. There’s no better way to celebrate than touring some of the city’s favorite donut spots. To get your tour started, check out our compiled list of the best donut shops in Austin. Plus, hit up some of my favorites including Voodoo Doughnut, Gati, Wheatsville, and Fat Cats Organic Coffee & Desserts.

  1. Handprint Menorah

This is an easy craft to cherish your little one’s handprints, year after year. Simply paint your kid’s hands and have them make two handprints on a piece of paper with their thumbs overlapping symbolizing the Shamash. Then dip their fingertips in yellow or orange paint to make the flames for each candle. I’m sure their Bubbe and Zayde would love to receive this as a gift too!

  1. Bake Hanukkah treats together

Spending time and getting your little ones involved in the kitchen making something sweet is a great activity to do together. It’s also a great opportunity for kids to learn how to measure out ingredients and use their fine motor skills to mix everything together. Use Hanukkah themed cookie cutters or baking molds to tie in the holiday spirit. Plus, eating all the delicious desserts you bake together is an activity in itself!

  1. Read Hanukkah stories

Visit your local library and have your little ones pick out their favorite Hanukkah-themed stories to bring home and read together. This is a special way to celebrate and learn more about the holiday. Another favorite way to receive books is signing up with PJ Library. PJ Library is a free subscription that sends award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture straight to your door.

  1. Find lights, everywhere!

As the festival of lights, this is an easy activity to get everyone out of the house. Walk or drive around Austin and try to spot as many lights as you can find. Then visit the grand finale – Austin Trail of Lights!

  1. Make Lakes

Traditionally, lakes are fried in oil on the stovetop, but when little hands are involved this can be downright meshuggeneh! But fret not, these Oven-Fried Potato Latkes from Once Upon a Chef are an easy solution to involve your kids in this holiday staple, and bonus points – they’re half the mess! No oil splattering with this version. Nosh away my friends!

Leigh Weitzen
After spending most of her life in the greater New York City area, almost seven years ago, Leigh moved to Austin with the love of her life, Justin, to embark on a new adventure. As a former marketing project manager now turned stay-at-home mom, Leigh enjoys exploring new places with her daughter Hazel (July 2019) and eating her way through the ATX vegan scene. Prior to the pandemic, Leigh ran the food blog @aroundtownvegan, where she promoted how easy it is to eat vegan at restaurants around Austin. After spending most of her days venturing to new playgrounds with her daughter, and spending less time eating out, she shifted gears from the foodie scene by recently launching @austinplaygrounds. When she’s not busy trying to squeeze down the ridiculously tall slides the newer playgrounds have to offer, you can find her hiking with her family and loveable dog, Juno, testing out new vegan + gluten-free dessert recipes, and prepping for baby #2 on the way in September.

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