8 Great Chanukah Activities: Day 1 Chanukah Dramatic Play

A toy latke eating blast from Chanukahs' past... Now if only he would eat the real thing!

Chanukah is finally here! The build up in this household has been long and immense, particularly for S, who has been looking forward to Chanukah since last Chanukah! This holiday really is such a fun one for children and families. Lighting the menorah each night, frying and eating latkes and donuts, dreidel games, gelt and parties around town all invite families to spend extra time together during this darkest time of year. S was so excited for our community's Chanukah on Ice party this year. He had his mind and heart set on trying to skate, and what do you know? He did it! In very closely related news, my wonderful husband also took one for the team and tried to skate! I think I was more worried about S's ego than any bone in his body, but although he lasted only a few minutes on the crowded ice rink, he was proud of himself for trying and might even want to give it another whirl. In the meantime, he and Y can continue to enjoy our indoor skating rink...

Chanukah was probably my favorite holiday as well growing up. For one thing, my [Jewish] birthday happens to fall on the first day! And there were a lot of presents. We are not big into Chanukah presents for the kids, although there are many doting grandparents and relatives who are and it is very likely they will come to make the association as well. We did initiate the boys making each other a present last year and we did that again this year. I like the idea of doing that as a Chanukah activity when they both get to give and get something rather than on one of their birthdays when jealously already abounds. They were both so thoughtful about it this year and it was quite sweet! I took Y to Walmart with me one day while S was in school to pick out a project to make and he adamantly declared on the craft aisle he wanted to get S a water bottle. So we made our way to the kitchen supply department and picked out a metal water bottle for him to decorate with permanent markers and stickers. S initially had the idea to make Y a blanket with bumblebee printed fleece since Y really loves bees and frequently dons a bumblebee hat I knit this fall. At the last minute, seeing how much Y enjoys putting on scarves from our Skating Rink dress-up basket, he opted with my suggestion to make him a bumblebee scarf instead. We cut a strip of the fabric together and using a piece of masking tape, I marked off a square at each end for him to cut strips for fringe. Y's face upon receiving the gift pretty much says it all!

But aside from the giving and receiving of gifts, Chanukah really is a time to spend together as a family. The menorahs are lit, there's no place we need to be, so it's a great time to play together! And my gift to all of you this year is 8 Great Chanukah Activities you can enjoy as a family during the holiday, after the holiday or another year, if you wish. And since this is a blog about play, the first day's activity is all about ways to encourage Chanukah themed dramatic play at home.

Once the menorah is lit, it's off limits. Frying latkes and donuts are also activities that can be a little risky to involve kids in once the oil gets super hot. Many ritual and holiday objects are hands-off and we like to make holidays here hands-on! One way we do that is by including holiday props in their play area that they can use to play about Chanukah. Even the very young can enjoy exploring Chanukah candles, dreidels and gelt, even oil and water from the safety of a sensory bottle. (My older guys still love our Chanukah sensory bottles!) Both of the boys loved our clothespin play menorah as babies, but now they both favor using a real one with real candles (unlit) in play. Those tin menorahs are perfect for this! They are inexpensive (and often given out for free this time of year by various organizations) and the candleholders are malleable enough for little hands to maneuver candles in and out with minimal breakage. You can also make candles out of pipe cleaners, straws or crayons. 

My kids love to help in the kitchen and making latkes can be a labor intensive process. They have tried their hands at washing, peeling and cutting potatoes, even mixing latke batter. But once the pan gets hot with oil bubbling out every which way, I prefer kids to be out of the actual kitchen and in their own toy kitchen. This inviting little setup allowed them to prep, mix, flip and fry their own little latkes. I used toy eggs, potatoes and onions from our kitchen food collection. I made a bottle of "oil" using actual oil and water in a recycled bottle I sealed with hot glue and duct tape. Our latkes are actually wood circles and the accessories are a combination of dollar store kitchen supplies and toys. But even before we had accumulated these props, we had just as much fun using a Dollar Tree frying pan set and latkes cut from yellow craft foam!

Making their own dramatic play props is a great way to empower children to take ownership and pride in their play space. The boys loved making gingerbread salt dough cookies for our Chanukah themed play bakery. They smell just about good enough to eat and have been so much fun to use in play!

Want to do more? Grab some scarves, props and accessories from around the house (kids can come up with their own or craft things from cardboard, paper plates, etc.) and act out the Chanukah story. There are plenty of children's books with family friendly versions. Grab a pack of gold gift-wrap and some golden and glittery party favors from the dollar store. Wrap a set of wooden blocks or recycled boxes and rebuild the Beis Hamikdash in your own home. Older children can even help with wrapping blocks in gift-wrap. And what's Chanukah without a party? Many communities are bustling with special events this week, but even if yours is not, children love the activities involved and planning and throwing a family party. Gather some arts and crafts materials from around the house and let them have a ball decorating, making invitations, place cards, and even menu and event planning. We will be back tomorrow with another great Chanukah activity for Day 2! Until then...

Happy Chanukah and Happy Playing!