Hanukkah Gift Ideas

As a former teacher, aunt and gift giver, I think presents for children should do more than entertain. I like gifting something educational—often books—along with something that provides an experience that has the potential to inspire a lifelong interest.

Here are some ideas for giving this Hanukkah:

The Shabbat Princess
Rosie likes queens, but she really loves princesses! One Shabbat eve, she persuades her parents to invite the Shabbat Princess to their home. As the family prepares for their royal visitor, they are reminded that adding beauty to a mitzvah only increases its worth.

Give the book along with some cheerful, kid-friendly Shabbat candlesticks or crafting supplies to make candlesticks and inspire a life-long awareness of hiddur mitzvah!


Jodie’s Hanukkah Dig
When Jodie begs her dad to take her on an archaeological dig, he agrees to take her to Modi’in, the ancient home of the Maccabees. And when she volunteers to explore an underground cave, she learns that she and the Maccabees, the heroes of the Hanukkah story, have something in common.

Develop a sense of curiosity and adventure with the gift of a children’s metal detector along with a copy of the book, and if you can, spend time together treasure hunting in the backyard.

Harvest of Light

The olive harvest in Israel is a special time. See how the tiny spring flowers blossom into green fruit, then ripen into shiny black olives. Watch the olives as they’re gathered, sorted, and pressed into oil. Then celebrate Hanukkah with an Israeli family, as they use the oil to light their Hanukkah menorah. Come and enjoy the harvest of light.

A fun gift for a family, share this book and a few special bottles of olive oil, and maybe a beautiful loaf of bread for dipping. Inspire Ahavat Yisrael with this book from Kar-Ben’s Nature in Israel series.

Browse all of Kar-Ben's books.

Afikomen Presents - A Top 5 List

Does your family have a tradition of Afikomen gifts? Whether you give to the winner who “ransoms” the Afikomen or to all who look, here are ideas for kids of all ages. Finding the Afikomen is so much fun, that we even have a book about it--Afikomen Mambo!

5. Cookbooks – Matzah Meals and Tasty Bible Stories are two terrific titles for children who are inclined towards cooking. A bonus gift would be hosting the budding cook in your kitchen one day to try out a couple recipes.

4. Jewish Sports Stars is a great read for kids 10 and up, especially reluctant readers who happen to like sports.

3. You can’t forget the wee ones, even if you think they’ll be asleep by the time to look for the Afikomen. Board Books are the perfect gift, and a perennial favorite is The Colors of My Jewish Year.

2. For kids who like to move, the Alef-Bet Yoga for Kids book is really fun. It teaches yoga poses and the Hebrew alphabet! Add the poster, too!

1. The ultimate, maybe extravagant, but definitely packed with educational value and Jewish learning gift: The Sammy Spider Complete Book Set, which includes 12 different Sammy Spider books!

Sammy Spider plush toys make great gifts, especially at each child’s place setting with a Sammy Spider Haggadah! What a special kids' table that would be!

What is the Afikomen present tradition in your family?

Great Gifts from Grandparents

Whether Grandma, Babba, Bubbe, Savta, Oma, Saba, Grandpa, Zeidy, Zayde, or Opa, as the line from the book A Grandma Like Yours reminds, whether you call them by their English, Yiddish, or Hebrew names, [grandparents] can be counted on to make each Jewish holiday a special occasion for their grandchildren.” 

One of the ways to make a holiday special is to make a memory together. Sharing a story is a fun way to do that, even if you are far away. You can read a story by telephone or Skype, or you can record yourself reading a book and send the recording and the book—a great help for beginning readers!

Great Gifts to Give this Hanukkah:

A Grandma Like Yours/A Grandpa Like Yours

A whimsical collection of animal grandparents illustrate the characteristics of Jewish grandparents. Read about grandmas, bubbes and savtas from the front of the book, then flip it over to read about grandpas, zaydes and sabas from the other side.

Papa Jethro

Why can’t you be Jewish like me? Why can’t I be Christian like you? a young Jewish girl asks her non-Jewish grandfather.

In answer, her grandfather tells her the biblical story of Jethro, Moses’ non-Jewish father-in-law, whose relationship with his grandson Gershom is a model of love and respect.

With warm watercolor artwork and a gentle storyline, Papa Jethro sensitively looks at the issue of interfaith families and reminds us that the Bible has timely lessons for every generation.

  

Feivel’s Flying Horses

Feivel the woodcarver leaves his family in the Old Country and comes to America to make a new life. As an apprentice to a carousel maker, he lovingly crafts a set of carousel horses in the spirit of his wife and children, dreaming of the day when they will be reunited in America. Based on the true story of Jewish immigrant woodcarvers whose carousel horses have delighted generations of children.

 

Always an Olivia

An elderly black grandmother passes on the story of the family’s Jewish origins to her young granddaughter, Carol Olivia. As family members flee the Spanish Inquisition, are kidnapped by pirates and eventually sail to America, one daughter in each generation is given the name Olivia, from the Hebrew Shulamit meaning “peace,” to honor the Jewish part of their ancestry.

 
 

Sammy Spider Books

In writing the Sammy Spider books, Rouss said she intends for Jewish children to “see the beauty of the Jewish holidays and appreciate our celebrations.” According to Rouss, Jewish people have to “look to ourselves and see what we have in our religion that we can cherish—our holidays.” Sammy Spider is “an outsider that wants to be a part of our holidays. Sammy sees the beauty of it.”

Rouss said Jewish people are “very lucky” because we have a yearly cycle of celebrations that serve to reaffirm our Jewishness almost every month. In writing books for Jewish children, she hopes to instill them with a sense of excitement about being Jewish. Wouldn't you love to share this with your grandchild?