Below are some ideas to make Hanukkah special this year for you and yours. Enjoy, and chag sameach!

Light the candles and sing the blessing. Then, tell a different Jewish story each night. These can be Hanukkah stories, of course, but they don’t have to be. Let the children choose the stories or, even better, tell them while the candles are burning low. (Just google “Jewish Stories” and I promise, you’ll get lots of hits…).

Hanukah Hunt: Have the children search for Hanukkah things you’ve hidden in various rooms in the house – perhaps eight items for our eight days. Gelt, a menorah, a Hanukkah candle, a dreidel, and a little flask of wine? How about a piece of paper rolled up and tied with a ribbon, a scroll written by Judah Maccabee?

Research: Have the kids learn about a Jewish symbol and present what he or she has discovered each night. Where did the Star of David come from? How about the seven-branched menorah?