So you’ve decided to throw a Hanukkah party for your kid(s) and their friends. Congratulations! You are an awesome and brave parent!
Now, to the task ahead. Throwing a Hanukkah party for kids may seem daunting but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s a checklist and some easy hacks to make your party as successful and stress-free as can be:
Decide who to invite: How much can you handle? There’s no right or wrong, so it’s up to you if you want a small party with a few choice friends, or you welcome your child’s entire class. You can send online invitations or you can have your kid hand out these adorable Hanukkah invitations.
Get supplies: Make sure you have enough dreidels and gelt for everyone. Plan to have at least two latkes per child. Depending on the age of the children and number of guests, you may want each kid to have their own menorah — alternatively, kids can to take turn lighting candles if they are old enough. If you’re worried about fire safety and properly supervising the kids, consider getting an electrical menorah.
Get to decorating: You can make some DIY decorations with (or without!) your kids, or buy a few fun decorations from Amazon. Or, you know, throw some gelt on the table and call it a day. We won’t judge.
Prepare your latkes and treats ahead of time: It’s better not to spend your kid’s whole party in the kitchen frying up latkes. Free yourself by making these oven-baked latkes ahead of time, or better yet, buy them ready-made from Trader Joe’s, Costco or the local Jewish deli if you’re lucky enough to have one. If you’re still in the mood to fry, here’s are some fun, kid-friendly recipes to consider, or use this easy latke hack! If you want extra points, you can make sufganiyot, fried donuts that are an Israeli Hanukkah tradition. A fun kid activity is to help fill the sufganiyot with jelly and put sugar on them. You can also make these Hanukkah cookies or jelly-filled Hanukkah cupcakes. YUM! Worried about all that fried food? Here are some healthy Hanukkah recipe alternatives.
Get a playlist ready: These are our favorite songs — and here’s a handy Spotify playlist. If that’s not enough, here are some fun YouTube playlists below. Now you’re set with all the Hanukkah songs you need. You’re welcome!
Find a fun way to explain the Hanukkah story: We have a fun article explaining the story, but you can also watch a video together (yay screen time!).
Say the blessings, light some candles: You can find all the Hanukkah blessings here. Don’t forget to light those candles from right to left!
Play dreidel: Playing dreidel is easy so much fun! You can find the rules here — just explain them and then get those kids spinning! Make sure you have enough gelt, or any other treats, so the kids can keep playing.
Prepare crafts ahead of time: There are so many fun Hanukkah crafts out there! From making edible dreidels to flame free menorahs, here are a few Hanukkah crafts ideas that are great for a party.
Don’t forget to be safe: Don’t leave your menorahs unattended. Here are some other fire safety rules you should follow.
