How to Play Dreidel Printable

There is no better way to celebrate and share Hanukkah than by playing dreidel (and noshing on latkes). This How to Play Dreidel Printable is perfect for adding to a school lesson on Hanukkah, party gift bags, or just a reminders of how to play around the kitchen table.

What is a dreidel?

A dreidel is a four-sided top used in a game played during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Each side has a Hebrew letter: nun, gimel, hey, and shin.

What do the letters on the dreidel mean?

The letters stand for the phrase “nes gadol haya sham“. It means “a great miracle happened there”. It is a reminder of the Chanukah miracles of the military victory by Macabees and the one day of Temple oil that lasted eight nights. In Israel the last letter of the dreidel is “pay” instead of “shin”, to represent the phrase “a great miracle happened here“.

How do you play dreidel?

You will need one dreidel to share or one per person and a collection of small pieces to play with. They can be pennies, chocolate coins, M&M’s, etc. Divide them evenly among the players. Have each player put one piece back into the center to create the “pot”.

Take turns spinning the dreidel and follow the instructions based on how it lands.

How do you win?

If you run out of pieces, you’re out of the game. Last player standing wins.

If you’d like to keep players from being eliminated too quickly, replenish the pot with extra pieces as you go.

How to Play Dreidel Printable

These printable instructions will help anyone new to playing dreidel and will make a great addition to an elementary school lesson plan.

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Where to Buy Dreidels?

Bulk Wooden Dreidels – These dreidels are beautiful and classic. Offered in 10, 30, and 100.

Bulk Plastic Dreidels – I feel like these colorful plastic dreidels might actually be the real classic. I feel like everyone had these in their house growing up. Again, they’re offered in bulk amounts 10, 30, and 100.

Chocolate Hanukkah Gelt (Coins) – Hanukkah gelt is foil covered chocolate coins. You can use them for playing dreidel and then snack on them after.

Flat Glass Marbles – These are my favorite non-edible pieces to play dreidel with. I fill jars with these marbles and dreidels and leave them on the table during Hanukkah. I’ll often find the kids playing all on their own.

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Now that you’ve learned to how to play dreidel, don’t forget to learn more about Hanukkah: The Basics. Also check out my Easy Sufganiyot Recipe, Hanukkah TV Episodes for Kids, Where to Buy Hanukkah Pajamas, and Hanukkah Gifts from Small Businesses.

I put out informational videos all year long in my series Jewish Kids from Scratch, including the basics on Rosh Hashanah, The Days of Awe, Torah, and more.

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How to Play Dreidel Infographic