top of page
Chiara Hoyt

Five Hanukkah Activities For Preschoolers

Learning about or celebrating Hanukkah at home or in the classroom? Looking to pair learning and fun this Hanukkah season? You're in the right place! Here is a collection of tried and true play-based learning Hanukkah activities for preschoolers that will keep kids engaged and learning all season long!


Hanukkah Activities For Preschoolers #1: Playdough Book-Based Play

The book The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol lays flat next on a white sensory table background with yellow playdough, a dreidel cookie cutter, and number and letter playdough stamps.

One of our favorite Hanukkah books is The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol by Arthur A. Levine. The illustrations by Kevin Hawkes are, as the title indicates, truly magical, and every page sparkles with joy and wonder. This book can be paired with so many Hanukkah activities for preschoolers and young children, and pictured here is a playdough stamping setup that focuses on recognizing

numbers (1-8), Jewish and Hanukkah symbols, and spelling the word "light." I love this simple setup because you can easily adapt it to fit the needs of your children and students!


Hanukkah Activities For Preschoolers #2: Duplo Menorah Number Match

A menorah made of of white, blue, and yellow Duplo blocks with matching numbered yellow Duplo blocks laid out along a white sensory table background.

Use Duplo Blocks or Legos to create a DIY menorah, and label each of the candle spots with numbers 1-8 for a perfect foundational math Hanukkah activity for preschoolers! Number matching is a great way to encourage counting, number recongition, cardinality, and foundational math vocabulary, all within a fun and seasonal theme! Plus, dry erase markers wipe off fairly easily and enable you to use and reuse this setup in any way that works best for you and your kids!


Hanukkah Activities For Preschoolers #3: Hanukkah Sensory Play

A sensory bin featuring yellow dyed chick peas, sensory tools, and a cardboard painted menorah.

There are so many options for Hanukkah sensory play, and this setup is simple and versatile! Using uncooked chick peas dyed yellow, painted cardboard to create a menorah, Hanukkah cookie cutters, and some sensory bin tools, preschool children can scoop, pour, count, fill, and play all Hanukkah season long! This setup encourages investigation of capacity, Hanukkah-related vocabulary, 1:1 correspondence, fine motor skills, imaginative play, color recongition, counting, and more!


Hanukkah Activities For Preschoolers #4: Dreidel Book-Based Sensory Play

A sensory bin with white marshmallows, Sesame Street figurines, a blue book featuring Elmo's Dreidel, and a dreidel game set.

Marshmallows make a great sensory base, and Sesame Street books and characters are always a hit with preschool learners! Colorful, inclusive, and fun, pairing this simple sensory setup with Elmo's Little Dreidel and a dreidel game set offers endless options for play based learning! Whether they engage in the math concepts afforded through playing Dreidel (all, half, none, one), the literacy skills offered through the book, or the sensory and imaginative play opportunities presented in the bin, this multi-faceted Hanukkah activity for preschoolers gives new meaning to open-ended play!


Hanukkah Activities For Preschoolers #5: Kinetic Sand Hanukkah Cookies

A white sensory bin with brown kinetic sand, Hanukkah-themed gold cookie cutters, a rolling pin, cutting board, measuring spoons, and muffin tin.

Hanukkah-themed cookie cutters, baking tools, and kinetic sand make for endless imaginative play opportunities while strengthing the fine motor skills and small hand muscles of preschoolers! This sensory play setup is super low-prep, great for an independent station or center, and perfect for a Hanukkah play based learning activity, as it encourages vocabulary and language development related to the holiday! Perfect for home or in the classroom!


 

Want to make sure you are the first to know about sales, news, resources, and inspiration at Love And Excellence?! Stay in the loop by joining the email list at the bottom of the homepage and following the Love And Excellence TpT Shop, and don't miss a thing!

 

Looking for more fun and engaging resources?!


Want more seasonal fun for preschoolers and school-aged children? Check out these resources from Love And Excellence and see what inspires you and your kids!




Comments


bottom of page