The Menorah is out…
The candles are set…
The presents are almost wrapped…
and the activities begin!
For eight days, all things point to Hanukkah!
Is it as shimmery as Christmas? Heck Yes! Eight burning candles seems pretty shimmery to me!
Here are some books that Farrah gets to play with on Hanukkah! (And any other time she feels like reading them)
Hanukkah Lights by David Marlin
I like this book as it gives the little one all of the information that can handle in one tiny little book. While it does not give the story of Hanukkah, it does allude to the traditions that we hope to set forth in our household, many of which we celebrated at my parents house when I was younger. This year we may get to eat latkes! YUM!
My First Menorah by Salina Yoon
This book gives some of the history and some traditions associated with Hanukkah, while giving the child a visual of lighting the menorah for each night. While I find the book a bit wordy for the toddler to grasp, it is pretty easy for mom and dad to simplify! The Menorah is really the best part, especially for those toddlers and 2’s that LOVE turning pages!
A Chanukah Present For: Me! (Scholastic)
The cover has sparkles! Need I really say more? This book is a nice way to work with children’simaginations and questions… For each tradition or item associated with Hanukkah, the author asks a question. While we, as parents, know these are rhetorical in nature, the children just LOVE to answer them in truth! What is also pretty neat is that the book itself looks and feels like a present, all boxed up!
Where is Baby’s Dreidel? by Karen Katz
What would a holiday be without Karen Katz? This adorable lift the flap book helps baby find her dreidel as it hides somewhere in the house. Where the baby looks has no connection to Hanukkah at all, which is funny in itself, but what baby finds UNDER each flap has Hanukkah written all over it. Simple words and simple pictures and easy flaps make this book a MUST HAVE for Jewish Toddlers (Or anyone interested in Hanukkah!) It’s also a nice way to talk about each of the items associated with Hanukkah with your toddler as he/she finds them underneath the flaps.