| Children, as well as adults, love to play the Dreidel | | | | generation," and it refers to the importance of |
| Game during Hanukkah (also spelt Chanukah), and | | | | passing down traditions and religious practices to |
| a wide range of dreidels can easily be purchased | | | | your children. Hanukkah is one of best times to |
| online at judaica shops. The selection and variation | | | | pass down your Jewish traditions to your kids |
| of styles available can be overwhelming, but the | | | | because of how many resources there are, and |
| game played with them is always the same! | | | | how much fun the holiday is. |
| A dreidel (also spelt draydel and draydle) is a | | | | Fortunately, it's easy to help your kids enjoy and |
| four-sided top or any shaped spinning item with | | | | understand the Hanukkah season, and to get |
| four Hebrew symbols on it. The symbols are each | | | | them involved in Hanukkah activities. Of course, |
| a different Hebrew letter: nun, gimel, heh, and shin. | | | | most popular is the dreidel game. If your kids |
| These four letters stand for the words: nes, | | | | don't have dreidels, buy at least one for each of |
| gadol, hayah, and sham. The translation of these | | | | them and teach them how to play. If you want |
| four words is: "A Great Miracle Happened There." | | | | to encourage their artistic side, you can get |
| In Israel, the last letter on the dreidel is peh | | | | dreidels your kids can color and decorate |
| instead of shin. This last letter stands for the | | | | themselves, or even ones that they can build |
| word poh, which changes the meaning to: "A | | | | themselves such as the new clay dreidel that can |
| Great Miracle Happened Here." | | | | be molded, dried and then painted before it is |
| To play the Dreidel Game, you start with a "pot" | | | | played with. |
| in the middle. The "pot" can be made of candy, | | | | Other activities during the Hanukkah season |
| coins, chocolate gelt, or any other small thing of | | | | include reading Hanukkah books, eating candy and |
| value, although most times children play with gelt. | | | | gelt, coloring, putting together puzzles, sending out |
| Gelt is the Yiddish word for "money," but in this | | | | Hanukkah cards, making cookies with Hanukkah |
| context, gelt often refers to chocolate coins | | | | cookie cutters, playing with Hanukkah stickers, |
| widely available during Hanukkah. Each player is | | | | and more. Kids can even get Hanukkah yo-yos |
| given a certain amount of gelt and puts one piece | | | | that play traditional songs like The Dreidel Song, |
| into the center to start the "pot." The players | | | | which begins, "I have a little dreidel." |
| then take turns spinning the dreidel, and | | | | It is common for each child in the family to have |
| whichever side faces up (or whichever Hebrew | | | | their own Hanukkah menorah to light. But if you |
| letter is pointed to) when it stops spinning | | | | have kids who are too young to light candles, |
| determines what you do: | | | | then you may want to consider some of the |
| If the letter NUN is facing up, you do NOTHING. | | | | kid-friendly menorahs available today. For instance, |
| If the letter SHIN is facing up, you PUT ONE piece | | | | there are stuffed menorahs with flames that |
| of gelt into the pot. | | | | Velcro on, and thin plastic ones that stick to the |
| If the letter HEH is facing up, you TAKE HALF the | | | | window and have separate plastic flames that can |
| gelt from the pot. | | | | be attached. |
| If the letter GIMEL is facing up, you TAKE ALL | | | | Because the Hanukkah season is so festive, there |
| the gelt from the pot. | | | | are big parties and family gatherings. Many families |
| If ever the pot is empty, each player puts one | | | | give their children a present each night of |
| piece of gelt into the center. When a player runs | | | | Chanukah and decorate their homes with blue and |
| out of gelt, he or she is out of the game! The | | | | white festive decorations and electric lights, often |
| winner is the last one left in. | | | | shaped like dreidels. Gifts run the gamut from gelt |
| Some dreidels are hollow and can be filled with | | | | to clothing, from hanukkah toys and crafts to |
| candy or chocolate. Some play music when they | | | | video games. |
| spin. And still others can be stacked on top of one | | | | Some families choose to get and fill Hanukkah |
| another as they spin. They are made from many | | | | bags for their kids so they don't feel left out |
| different materials, including plastic, wood, ceramic, | | | | when their non-Jewish friends receive gifts and |
| glass, gold, and silver. The plastic versions cost as | | | | candy in stockings. Again, all of these wonderful |
| little as ten cents, but gold and silver dreidels can | | | | items are easily available online as you shop from |
| cost in the hundreds of dollars. Even though | | | | your armchair, and you can shop to your heart's |
| dreidels are mostly enjoyed by children, no | | | | content as you plan on making this a hanukkah |
| matter how young or old, many adults collect | | | | for your kids to remember with hanukkah toys, |
| ornate and beautiful dreidels, and display them in | | | | activities, dreidels, puzzles, cookie cutters, |
| china or curio cabinets. | | | | menorahs, and more. |
| "L'dor l'dor" means "from generation to | | | | |