Hanukkah, hanuka, chanuka, hanouka -- You'll see this traditional Jewish holiday spelled many ways. However, regardless of spelling choice, you'll find common symbols representing the Festival of Lights holiday and its history.
Coloring pages and crafts featuring these symbols, such as the menorah, are an easy way to engage and open dialogue with young children about Chanukah traditions. My motivation for doing so comes from having children with Jewish heritage. I wanted to begin introducing some relevant history and traditions to my children as I discover more about Hanukkah and Jewish traditions.
Chanukah Coloring Pages
With these printable coloring pages, your kids can decorate menorahs, dreidels, Hannukah crowns, and other Chanukah symbols.
- Menorah. The nine-branched candelabrum used in the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah. The ninth candle is used to light the other eight candles.
- Dreidel. Each side of the dreidel, a spinning top used in a gambling game, is marked with an acronym letter for "a great miracle happened there."
- Star of David. Also known as the Shield of David, this hexagram star is a symbol of Jewish identity.
- Torah Scrolls. A handwritten copy of the Torah, the holiest book in Judaism, used during Torah reading rituals.
Hanukkah Activity Sheets and Crafts
Use these resources to make Menorah cupcakes, dreidel paper crafts, cards, coloring pages, and other Chanukah crafts.
- A folded paper Hanukkah six-pointed star card craft for kids.
- Kaboose's Chanukah kids' crafts, printables, and clipart include candles and candle holders, egg carton menorahs, and cupcake menorahs, as well as activity sheets and clip art.
- DLTK's Hanukkah crafts for kids include coloring pages, menorah paper crafts, cone baskets, Hanukkah crowns, and dreidel game crafts.
Learn More About Hanukkah Traditions
What do Hannukkah and Christmas have in common? Leah Abramovitz talks about growing up as the only Jewish kid in an Albuquerque neighborhood where every other house had a Christmas tree until the year her Orthodox grandfather came from Rumania...
Robert Sodaro shares a delightful Chanukah fable for the modern era in the form of an illustrated children's book about the deeper meaning of the holiday.
In a blended family like mine, coloring pages and crafts have been a useful and valuable way to combine traditions and discover what's similar, what's different, and how traditions can complement one another.
You might also enjoy:
- A Timeline of Famous Historical Events in December
- How to Make 3D Snowflakes from Gift Wrap
- Winter Nature Study
Sara McGrath - Sara is a veteran homeschool mom of three, Usborne consultant, and the author of Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning.
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