Hanukkah is actually starting the day before Thanksgiving this year - a little earlier than usual! So it's time to get prepared if you want to teach your children a little about Hanukkah.
Head over to Wendy Thomas Russell's great blog to learn more about the history and meaning of Hanukkah.
Books about Hanukkah:
We were able to find a couple of books at our library that explained the story of Hanukkah without being too wordy (and, therefore, boring) for my 5 and 4-year-old.
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| http://amzn.com/0823425479 |
"The Story of Hanukkah" by David Adler was a great book, and one that my 5-year-old had already discovered on the Reading Rainbow app for iPad. It's pictures are colorful and engaging, and the story line was accurate yet not overly simplified for kids.
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| http://amzn.com/157505583X |
Our library didn't have a lot of fantastic options for Hanukkah books, but I'm so glad I found this one! This book, called "Hanukkah" by Cathy Goldberg Fishman, is a great one for early readers and young children. It simplifies the information in a way that is very easily to understand (and remember!), while really providing a LOT of good information about the history and traditions of Hanukkah. Don't pass this one up!
Activities:
Instead of buying a menorah, I think that the girls and I are going to try to make one. I found several options on Pinterest, but the one I liked the most was this one - made from toilet paper rolls - at Creative Jewish Mom.
We're going to be making some traditional latkes, but we're tweaking the recipe just a bit since we are experimenting with some gluten-free changes to our diet right now. I found a great recipe from Jamie at Joy of Kosher that adds some rice and rice flour to the mix.
We're also going to be playing some dreidel if I can find one in Japan! ;)
Again, Wendy Thomas Russell has a great how-to post on three different Hanukkah traditions, so check that out if you need dreidel rules or information on lighting a menorah.
Do you have any other resources or activities that you use to educate your children about Hanukkah?
