Chanukah with toddlers

amother

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 6:43 pm

How do you create a chanukah feel in your homes? What do you do for chinuch and to make chanukah feel beautiful and kadosh?

amother

Aconite

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 7:20 pm

Playing dreidel, chocolate coins and presents, making Chanukah theme projects to hang up around the house. Letting them light or giving them a toy menorah to pretend

amother

Bottlebrush

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 7:55 pm

In addition to all of the above,
Special chanuka decorations special chanuka dinners, chanuka music and dancing.
Even from a super young age

lucky14

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 8:39 pm

Talk about it the weeks before. Read books. Chanukah music. Decorate the house with projects they have made (you can also buy some but definitely try to have some they have made. It makes them so happy to have their artwork hanging up). Latkes and doughnuts and Chanukah plates.
Sing sing sing.
Dreidel and chocolate gelt.
Just lighting the menorah is super cool for them to watch (my toddler gets majorly excited watching me light Shabbos candles every week. Menorahs are even more exciting).
Really just get excited about the holiday. They will see and feel your excitement.

amother

Crimson

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 8:47 pm

I thought you were going to say how to keep menorah safe around toddlers..

Tao

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 9:10 pm

My kids are not quite toddlers but still very young. I plan to make donuts with them this year and latkes, they're so excited (hey, which kid doesn't like food amiright?) we've been talking about it for a while now. We normally get a treat every day, will probably do pancakes for dinner one night.
They also have their own menorahs and I've told them I'm going to learn maoz tzur on the guitar so we can sing it together (you just reminded me about this lol, I better google the chords)

amother

Violet

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 9:39 pm

Make chanukah cookies and I have edible markers or they can paint it with edible paint
Peanut chew dreidels

amother

Oleander

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 9:49 pm

It really doesn't take much to make it special for toddlers. Sing songs, make or buy latkes, get one of those singing light up dreidels- & of course Light the menorah with singing etc.

Tao

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 10:01 pm

amother Oleander wrote:

It really doesn't take much to make it special for toddlers. Sing songs, make or buy latkes, get one of those singing light up dreidels- & of course Light the menorah with singing etc.

My kids are slightly older, but I have to say I found menorah lighting hard when they were toddlers. Fire just looks so enticing and it's hard to keep them a safe distance

amother

Firebrick

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 10:08 pm

Tao wrote:

My kids are slightly older, but I have to say I found menorah lighting hard when they were toddlers. Fire just looks so enticing and it's hard to keep them a safe distance

There are lots of fake candle menorahs you can buy or make for toddlers, so they think they are "lighting" their own menorah.

Tao

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 10:11 pm

amother Firebrick wrote:

There are lots of fake candle menorahs you can buy or make for toddlers, so they think they are "lighting" their own menorah.

Yes, I'm talking about when your husband actually lights the menorah Smile

it looks so exciting, of course they want to touch it!

goforit

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 10:35 pm

amother Violet wrote:

Make chanukah cookies and I have edible markers or they can paint it with edible paint
Peanut chew dreidels

How do you make editable paint?

amother

Violet

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 10:37 pm

goforit wrote:

How do you make editable paint?

Mix food coloring with vodka. the alcohol will evaporate when baking

scintilla

Sat, Dec 02 2023, 10:48 pm

We make a big deal out of opening the chanukah box, taking out the dreidels and chanukah books and toy menorah. You can also buy the cheap tin menorahs and a box of colored candles and they can play with it putting the candles in and out. Put on chanukah music and dance, sing the preschool chanukah songs, hang up decorations a little more each day, talk about the exciting things you'll do on chanukah and the Chanukah story!