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