Eight Nights of Activities & Projects to Celebrate the Holiday at Home

Brought to you by the Sweet Beginnings Virtual Learning Program Invite someone to join you for candle lighting over zoom! Sing the blessings and ask each other questions, like: “What is your favorite part of ?” “How does your family celebrate?” “Do you have a story to share?”

Don’t have a hanukkiyah? Here are some ways you can make your own at home!

Floating Hanukkiyah You will need: • 9 glass cups or jars • Tea lights • Food coloring and water What to do: • Line the 9 glasses up, with the larg- est one in the middle • Fill the glasses halfway with water, and let your child color the water with food coloring Toolbox Hanukkiyah • Float one tea light in each glass You will need: • 1 piece of wood, 12” long and 1-2” wide • 10 hex nuts • Wood glue • Paint for decorating What to do: • Paint the wood • Glue 9 hex nuts in a line • Choose one to be the shamash and glue a second hex nut on top • Let dry

Light candles with the WHC Community every night at 6:45 pm. Click here for the Zoom. While the candles of the hanukkiyah are lit, we stop working, stop worrying and celebrate the holiday together. Whatever brings joy in to this moment for you, bring it out and share it with your family! Whether it means telling stories, playing games, or listening to some holiday music, for the half hour that the candles burn, celebrate!

How to Play Dreidel You will need: 10 – 15 coins (chocolate or real) for each person Hanukkah Party Play List and a dreidel or sevivon, which is a four-sided top ”Channukah Bamba” by Shira Kline with Hebrew letters on it. ”Candlelight” by the Maccabeats What to do: ”S’vivon Sof Sof Sof” from Shaboom Each round starts with everyone putting one coin ”Miracle” by in the middle “pot.” Take turns spinning the ”I Have a Little Dreidel” from Mrs. Graff dreidel then put in or take out coins based on the ”Happy Joyous Hanukkah” by Woody Guthrie Hebrew letter that shows when the dreidel stops: ”Judah Maccabee” by Rabbi Joe Black Nun – Nothing. No coins go in or out. ”Light Up the Night” by The Fountainheads

Gimmel – Get them all! Everything in the pot ”I Want a Hippopotamus for Hanukkah” by Mr. Palindrome is yours. ”Hanukkah Song Mashup” by Elliot Dvorin

Heh – Half. Take half of the pot. ”Chanukah, Oh Chanukah” from Shaboom

”Pan Fry” by the Maccabeats Shin (Peh in Israel) – Share or Put in. Put another one of your coins in to the pot. And of course…. ”A Hanukkah Song” by Adam Sandler The letters stand for “Nes gadol hayah sham,” which means “a great (gadol) miracle (nes) happened (hayah) there (sham).” In Israel, the saying is, “Nes gadol hayah poh,” – a great miracle happened here. Do you know the story of the brave Maccabees who fought to protect the Jewish people and the Temple in ? Though they were a small group, they defeated one of the greatest armies in the world! Whether you tell the story with a video, a song, or one of our favorite Hanukkah books, bring it to life with some dramatic play!

Tunnel Building Recommended Reading Did you know the Maccabees hid in tunnels and caves to escape the Greek army? They created a maze of them to hide in and the Greek soldiers with their shields and armor couldn’t climb through!

Can you build a tunnel or fort to play in and pretend to be a Maccabee? Make your own Magen (shield) Can you dress up like a Maccabee? You will need:

Can you build a Temple to protect? • A large piece of cardboard cut in a square or circle Learn more about the Jewish heroes • Duct tape and heroines of Hanukkah: • Paint or markers to decorate

What to do:

Story of Judah and • First, find a good piece of cardboard and cut the Maccabees it in to a shield shape. • Paint or color on it to decorate. What should be the symbol for the Maccabees? Story of Judith and • Have an adult help you make an arm strap using the duct tape. Tape two pieces facing Holofernes each other to make a strap and then tape either end to the underside of the shield. Make sure your arm fits inside! Judith and Holofernes by A. Gentleschi Hanukkah is a time to come together with your family and enjoy each other’s company. What better way to connect and create memories than by cooking and eating together? Here are some yummy treats you can make together to enjoy tonight!

Latke Recipe For 12 latkes, you will need: • 3 or 4 large potatoes • 1/2 a yellow onion, peeled and quartered • 1 large egg • 2 Tablespoons matzo meal or bread crumbs • Salt & Pepper • 1 cup canola oil What to do: Grate potatoes and onions. Place in cheesecloth or towel and squeeze out excess liquid. Com- bine with egg, matzo meal, salt, and pepper. Let sit for a few minutes while you heat up the oil in a frying pan. Use a quarter cup scoop to measure out each latke, form in to a patty and fry in oil at medium-high heat. Flip when a deep golden brown (4-5 min per side). When finished, place on paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve with applesauce or sour cream!

Homemade Applesauce You will need: What to do:

• 6 apples Core the apples (peel if desired) and have your young one help you cut them into small • 1/2 cup water pieces. Put in the pot, measure out the water • Juice of half a lemon and pour on top. Squeeze the juice out of half • Cinnamon and/or sugar to taste a lemon (sandwich bags can protect little hands) and add to pot. Add a couple teaspoons • A large pot of sugar or cinnamon if you want. Cover and • Food processor or potato masher simmer for 30-45 min. When slightly cooled, use a food processor or potato masher to

smush it all up! A little light in the darkness can give us all hope when we feel scared or lost. And there is always a little light to find! Take a night time walk with your family and see if you can see the stars or the lights from other peoples houses. Can you see your Hanukkiyah from outside? Does anyone else have one shining in their window?

At Home Light Play Night Light Bingo Turn off the lights and bring out a flash- What can you find? light or desk lamp to point at a blank wall. What kind of shadows can you create with your body? What kind of shadows can you make with your toys?

Try cutting shapes out of paper and see what shadows they make. For extra fun, bring in a handheld mirror and see if you can spread the light around the room!

Join the WHC community for The Great Hanukkah Hunt – a photo scavenger hunt you can do as a family. Learn more on the WHC Website. Register by 12/7! Spreading light to those around us is part of the Mitzvah of Hanukkah. How can you spread light to your community? Perhaps you donate clothes or food, or help a neighbor out. Or perhaps you spread some light and love to all those who pass by your home, with the lights of your hanukkiyah or with a beautiful message to display.

Wax Sun Catcher You will need:

• Wax Paper • Crayon shavings (use a pencil sharpener or cheese grater) • An adult with an iron to finish

What to do:

• Fold a piece of wax paper in half. • Sprinkle crayon shavings as desired. • Fold the wax paper and have an adult iron it on low with a piece of paper underneath (to absorb oils). Photo and project from artfulparent.com • Maybe once it is cool you want to draw on it as well? • Hang in the window for all to enjoy! Hanukkah is all about the strength of something small. A tiny container of oil miraculously burned for 8 days and a small group of rebels defeated a giant army to free the Jewish people. There is so much strength in small things and small people. Tonight let’s focus on them!

Small Children Can be Star of David Strong Helpers Loose Part Play Here are some things your child can do around the Loose part play is an invitation for house to build self-confidence and a sense of fun! What small items can you community ownership in the home. find outside or around your house Help prepare dinner! Mixing, measuring to play with? Pebbles, acorns, and washing or cutting fruits and paperclips, scraps of paper, and veggies! bottlecaps are all examples of Help sort the laundry or match up loose “loose parts.” socks. Sorting is a great pre-math skill to Introduce them with playdough practice. and see what kind of patterns they Put away their toys. Mark boxes with can make, or play with them by pictures so children learn where each themselves and try to make a toy goes. shape or picture. Help take care of a family pet! Feeding, Can you make the shape of the walking or petting an animal teaches Magen David – the Star of David children responsibility and empathy. below? Help clean up after snack or lunch.

Scraping off plates and rinsing dishes is a sensory experience and learning opportunity.

Have your child help sweep or vacuum. This is wonderful gross motor practice and while it may not always be so efficient, it is definitely a fun introduction to cleaning! The miracle of Hanukkah is all about a little jar of oil. When the Jewish people returned to their Temple everything had been destroyed. They wanted to clean up and light the Menorah but they needed a special oil that takes a whole week to make. The little jar they found should only have lasted for one day, but instead it miraculously burned for 8 days– giving them time to make more. A little miracle made all the difference!

Mini Drawing Space My Miracle What little thing makes a big difference for you?

Oil Sensory Jar What better way to learn about special oil than to experiment with it! You will need: • A clear jar with a lid • Baby oil • Food Coloring (one or two colors)

• Water Alternative Experiments: What to do:  Try painting on paper with baby oil and watercolors • Fill your jar halfway with baby oil. Mix the food coloring with water in small cups.  Try making cloud dough– 8 parts • Use a dropper to drop the colored water in to flour to 1 part oil the oil jar. How does it move? Does it mix?  Oil and water sink and float– what • Optional: Add in sequins, buttons or beads as objects float in each liquid? well. • Seal lid of jar with hot glue.