All tagged Kislev

Hanukkah Round-up

There’s so much to love about Hanukkah! This eight-day festival is filled with candle light, miracles, spinning dreidels, donuts (sufganiyot) and dreams too! They’re so many ways to celebrate, and we share some of our favorite recipes, activities and DIYs, especially for families with young children!

Winter Round-up

As we say goodbye to Hanukkah, we welcome the arrival of a new season and the month of Tevet, which is known as the darkest month of the year. We created all kinds of warm and cozy DIYs and activities (all with a Jewish connection) to celebrate all month long. We hope these activities and the glow from all the candles lit during Hanukkah will keep you filled with light, warmth and love all winter long.

DIY: Intention word bracelets

On this last day of Hanukkah, we are making intention word bracelets with alphabet beads as a personal promise to ourselves to shine bright like the Hanukkah lights. You can choose any word that is meaningful for you. We chose the Hebrew words “or ve ahavah” which translates to “light and love” in English. See the steps to make your own bracelets.

DIY: Have a family mitzvah day

During this time of year, it’s so wonderful when children have the opportunity to be the light for someone else by participating in an act of kindness. Today we’re sharing a wonderful family mitzvah - children making stuffed animals for other children in the hospital. Your invited to join us at our family mitzvah day and create your own tradition of an acts of kindness day too!

DIY: Donut decorating party

We’re celebrating Hanukkah in the most delicious way - with a donut decorating party! We made a batch of chocolate and vanilla donuts in a newly gifted donut baking pan and decorated them with homemade icings and delicious toppings! This is a wonderful party to set up for adults and children alike. Let the decorating begin!

DIY: Coffee speckled clay menorah

We’re deep diving into Hanukkah celebrations with some wonderful new DIYs, like this speckled clay menorah in a simple design. I make a lot of projects with littles in mind, but this menorah is a wonderful project for adults (it involves coffee and wine)! So let’s go make a menorah for the Festival of Lights.

DIY: Dreidel necklace

To spread smiles and happiness this Hanukkah, we’re making colorful dreidel necklaces to share with some of our favorite friends. We use paint chips from our local home improvement store to make these cuties, and string the necklaces with beads in different shapes and sizes. This is the happiest (and easiest) dreidel necklace for littles, so let’s go make one!

DIY: Paint chip dreidel garland

One of our favorite traditions is to decorate our home as a family for Hanukkah! My most-loved decorations are handmade, like these festive dreidel garlands and mobiles - all from a collection of paint chips. This is a wonderful collaborative project to do with littles, and we show you all the steps to make your own!

DIY: Apple "donuts"

We’re in the kitchen today making “apple donuts,” a healthy twist on the traditional Hanukkah sufganiyot (donut)! These adorable donuts are apple slices, spread with yogurt “frosting” and topped with colorful sprinkles! They’re so yummy and refreshing that you’ll feel good about snacking on them for all eight days of Hanukkah!

DIY: Puffy dreidel necklace

We’re starting to get a little topsy turvy around here! On Hanukkah, we spin tops called dreidels, and they’re just so many fun and creative ways to include them in our Hanukkah celebrations - like with this cute puffy dreidel necklace. You only need a few materials to make your own, and they’re the perfect accessory for littles to wear while singing the dreidel song! So let’s go make a puffy dreidel necklace!

DIY: Edible dreidel

One of our favorite Hanukkah traditions is to not only play the dreidel game, but to also make yummy edible dreidels! These sweet treats are extra special because they’re the first food craft I ever did with my girls. You only need four ingredients to make your own. So let’s go make some edible dreidels!