Hanukkah / Paper Dreidel Spinning Game
Paper Dreidel Spinning Game
Children fold their own paper dreidels marked with the four Hebrew letters, then play the traditional Hanukkah spinning game using counters, practising turn-taking and simple counting.
How to run it
- Explain that playing dreidel is a much-loved Hanukkah game and that the four letters, nun, gimel, hei and shin, stand for words meaning 'a great miracle happened there'.
- Have children cut out and fold a printed cube template, add the four letters on the sides and push a pencil or skewer stub through the centre to spin.
- Give each player ten counters and put two in the middle.
- Take turns spinning: nun means nothing happens, gimel takes the whole pot, hei takes half and shin means put one in.
- Everyone adds one counter to the pot when it is empty and play continues.
You will need
- printed dreidel templates on card
- scissors
- sticky tape
- short pencils
- counters, buttons or dried pasta
Make it easier or harderUse a ready-made dreidel and simple 'take one, take all' rules for younger children; older children can keep a tally and work out probability.
SafetyKeep small counters away from children who still mouth objects.
My Time Our Place · Outcome 4, Outcome 2Children practise counting, fractions and fair play while learning about a Jewish festival tradition.
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