Eight nights, one fun game
Hanukkah bingo is a lovely activity for a family evening between candle lightings, a Hebrew school class or a classroom learning about winter celebrations. The 20 words include menorah, shamash, dreidel, gelt, latkes, sufganiyot, Maccabees and the Star of David, so the game also gently reviews the story and traditions of the festival.
Why a 4 × 4 card
There are fewer Hanukkah words than Christmas or winter words, so this set uses 4 × 4 cards with 16 squares each. That keeps every card different from its neighbours while still making a game of a good length. You can add your own words (family recipes, songs you sing, the names of relatives) and switch to a 5 × 5 card once the list has 25 words or more.
Ideas for the game
- Use chocolate gelt coins as markers and let the winner keep theirs.
- Play one round each night of Hanukkah and keep score across all eight nights.
- When a word is called, ask a child to explain what it means before everyone marks it.
Printing
The blue border and candle free space match the Hanukkah theme of the rest of the site, and they print clearly in greyscale. Print 24 cards for a class, or set the number to the size of your family. Two cards per page is a good choice for smaller hands, and the caller sheet comes last.