How to Play Dreidel
After lighting the Chanukah menorah, play this traditional Chanukah game with your family. Playing dreidel is a fun way to celebrate the holiday, create family memories, and strengthen your children’s Jewish identities.
Difficulty Level: easy Time Required: Average playing time is 20-40 minutes.
Here's How:
- All players get an equal amount of pennies, chocolate coins (gelt), candies, raisins, or tokens.
- All players put one token in the pot in the center.
- The dreidel is a four sided spinning top with a different Hebrew letter on each side. Players take turns spinning the dreidel.
- The player acts according to the letter which is facing up when the dreidel stops spinning.
nun: player does nothing 
gimel: player takes all the tokens in
the pot 
hay: player takes half of the tokens in
the pot 
shin: player must put one token into the
pot - The winner is the one with the most tokens.
Tips:
- Remember that this 2000+ year old game was originally a way for Jews to hide their studying at a time when Torah study was prohibited. Remind your children that Chanukah is a celebration of religious freedom.
- Include all family members. Two year olds and grandparents can spin and yell "gimel, gimel, gimel."
- Video the game. This is an opportunity to capture on film the whole family sharing a
special time together.
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