Free Hanukkah worksheets for children, with seven printable activities that use real Hanukkah words, from the menorah and dreidel to latkes and gelt. Print a word search in three levels, bingo cards, a word scramble, a “how many words can you make” page, an acrostic poem, a writing prompt and a fold-up Hanukkah card, each with an answer key where one is needed.
Hanukkah worksheets to print (PDF)
These four pages show what the Hanukkah maker prints: a medium word search with a word list, two bingo cards on a page, an acrostic poem for the letters of MENORAH, and the fold-up card that says “Happy Hanukkah!” Click a picture for the PDF.
Prefer one download? Grab the ready-made Hanukkah activity pack (PDF), which has every page in one file.
About Hanukkah: the holiday at a glance
A little background makes the words on the page mean more. Here are the basic facts that go with these Hanukkah worksheets:
| When | Eight nights, starting on the 25th of Kislev, usually in late November or December |
|---|---|
| Also called | The Festival of Lights |
| What it marks | The rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil |
| Symbols | The menorah (or hanukkiah), dreidel and candles |
| Colors | Blue and white |
| Foods | Latkes and sufganiyot, both fried in oil |
The story of Hanukkah
Hanukkah, also spelled Chanukah, is an eight-day Jewish festival that remembers the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees, a small group of Jewish fighters, won their freedom from a ruler who had banned Jewish practice. The word hanukkah means “dedication.”
According to the story, only one day’s supply of pure oil was found to relight the Temple’s menorah, but it burned for eight days. Today families light one more candle each night on a special nine-branched menorah called a hanukkiah, using the center candle, the shamash, to light the others. They play dreidel, eat foods fried in oil and often give gifts or coins of gelt.
Wikipedia’s Hanukkah article describes the story, the customs and how the festival is observed.
What is in the Hanukkah activity pack?
Every activity uses the same list of 24 Hanukkah words, so children meet each word several times in different ways. The list is the heart of these Hanukkah worksheets: the word search hides it, the scramble mixes it up, the bingo calls it out and the writing prompt asks children to use it.
Hanukkah word search: three levels
The word search comes in easy, medium and hard grids, with 10, 14 and 18 words from the list.
The longest Hanukkah words are sufganiyot and applesauce with 10 letters, and the shortest word is oil with 3.
Hanukkah vocabulary: words to talk about
Take a few minutes to talk about the words before children search for them. These eight are a good place to start:
| Word | Letters | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| menorah | 7 | A candle holder; the Hanukkah one has nine branches |
| dreidel | 7 | A four-sided spinning top used in a Hanukkah game |
| latkes | 6 | Potato pancakes fried in oil |
| gelt | 4 | Chocolate coins or money given at Hanukkah |
| shamash | 7 | The helper candle used to light the others |
| sufganiyot | 10 | Jelly-filled doughnuts eaten in Israel at Hanukkah |
| maccabees | 9 | The Jewish fighters in the Hanukkah story |
| miracle | 7 | A wonderful event that cannot be explained |
The other 16 words in the list are hanukkah, candles, oil, lights, eight, nights, blessings, family, applesauce, games, gifts, star, blue, temple, festival and jerusalem.
How people celebrate Hanukkah
- Lighting the menorah each night and saying blessings
- Playing dreidel
- Eating latkes and sufganiyot
- Giving small gifts or gelt
- Singing songs and spending time with family
Hanukkah activities for kids to do with the worksheets
Pair the printed pages with a hands-on idea, and the vocabulary sticks:
- Dreidel game: play with chocolate coins, using the four letters on the dreidel (nun, gimel, hey and shin).
- Menorah math: count how many candles are lit each night, including the shamash, and find the total for the eight nights.
- Menorah acrostic: write MENORAH down the page and add a word about light for each letter.
- Latke tasting: compare toppings of applesauce and sour cream and chart favorites.
- Eight nights writing: use the prompt to write about the lights of the menorah.
A note for families and teachers
Hanukkah is a Jewish festival, and spellings, customs and the dates of the festival vary. Families who celebrate may want to add their own traditions to these activities.
How to use these Hanukkah worksheets in five minutes
The hanukkah worksheets maker works from the 24-word Hanukkah list, so every hanukkah worksheets page you print uses the same words. Choose an activity, set the level and press Download PDF or Print, and press New puzzles for a fresh set.
Hanukkah worksheets: frequently asked questions
When is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah begins on the 25th of Kislev in the Hebrew calendar, so the date changes each year, falling in late November or December.
How many candles do you light on Hanukkah?
One on the first night, two on the second and so on up to eight, plus the shamash each night, so there are 44 candles in all across the eight nights.
How do you spell Hanukkah?
There are many spellings, including Hanukkah and Chanukah, because the Hebrew word is written in a different alphabet. All are correct.
Hanukkah printables: find the right page
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