A[nother] Peek in Our Playroom: Some of Our Favorite Chanukah Things For Infants and Young Toddlers

Don't forget the baby! Got very little ones at home? They need not be left out of the holiday fun this Chanukah. We've learned through play this time of year from my son's very first Chanukah when he was just about 5 months old. Here's a peek at some baby and young toddler-friendly activities and toys you can make and/or set up inexpensively at home:

When he was just barely sitting without assistance (this Bumbo seat was his first Chanukah present!), my little one joined me in some very early fine motor fun to create this dreidel craft. I cut a blue frame from construction paper and covered it with clear contact paper. I also cut scraps of colorful wrapping paper, tissue paper and construction paper in rectangles large enough for very little hands to pick up and stick on the sticky contact paper. We laminated the whole thing afterward so he could, um, taste it all he wanted and we still hang it up each year to this day!

Here's a peek at our play area last year when my son was about 16 months old. He loved playing with this simple dreidel game set (mostly dumping and picking up the plastic gelt and laughing when I sat with him and spun the dreidel! He also loved our DIY clothespin play menorah, though at that time he couldn't yet pinch/release the clothespins independently. 

Playing with pretend latkes, spatulas and frying pans was another fun favorite. He's enjoyed this activity each year, though he doesn't shove the whole spatula in his mouth (quite as much) anymore.

By the time he was a young toddler (16 months or so here) he could help with painting activities. Here's the mess free in a ziplock bag version of painting the clothespins we used for our play menorah and the woodblocks we used for the actual menorah we made last year.

And here's the hands on version as he created the base for our menorah last year. 

We've used this interactive poster in play for the last two years. Last year, my son could scoot across the floor on his tushy and loved sitting in front of this poster hung at the bottom of a pantry door and pulling off/replacing the laminated candles (they are attached with velcro dots). He may be running and climbing by now, but he still loves this play activity!

Sensory play is so much fun at all ages. For very little ones, sensory bottles are a great way to experience the colors, shapes and sounds of Chanukah. Here are a few of our favorites made with candles, dreidels, bells, plastic "gelt," and sequins. We also always prepare one with oil and water dyed with food coloring, adding in a dreidel and/or some festive sequins, beads or glitter. Hot glue and/or duct tape can help permanently seal your sensory bottles so they can stand a good shaking from eager little hands!

Yes, we love sensory bottles SO much here that we actually put together a sensory bottle family menorah last year. My son helped with painting the wood (pictured above) and my husband helped with selecting our materials (as well as coming up with the idea). I helped with a lot of hot gluing! Now to think of how we will top last year's idea this year...

Until then, wishing friends of all ages a lot of light and fun this season and, as always, happy playing!