Gelt Belt

Need: Empty can with a plastic lid, paper, glue, markers, and other collage materials.

Directions: Select an empty can with straight sides and a plastic lid, such as a nut can or a frosting can. Cut a piece of paper to fit around the can and let your child decorate it as desired. Glue or tape the paper around the outside of the can, and cut a slit in the plastic lid. Over the eight days of Hanukkah, let your child drop spare change into the bank. At the end of the holiday, donate the money to a favorite charity.

Yarn Art Star

Need: flexible dinner sized paper plate, yam, crayons, tape, hole punch

Directions: Punch evenly spaced holes about 1" from the outside edge of the plate. Cut 6 slits about 3" in toward the center. Put slits halfway between holes. To make the small start you'll connect the slits. Begin by taping one end of a long piece of yarn to the back of the plate. String the yarn through a slit and across the plate to the next slit. When the star is complete, tape the back of the slits. You'll connect the holes to from the large Star of David. Finish by taping the other end of the yam to the plate's back and make a hanger.

Hanukkah Chains

Need: Blue and White paper, scissors, glue or tape

Directions: Cut out or have the children cut 8 rectangular paper pieces, 4 blue and 4

white. Then connect them to make a paper chain and the idea is to have them remove one link on each day

so they know how many days are left.

Marshmallow Menorahs

Need: Marshmallows, tagboard, birthday candles, frosting

Directions: Let children make a menorah using frosting and marshmallows. Give each child a piece of tagboard 11" x 4" (28cm x 10cm), ten marshmallows, and nine candles. Have the children spread some white frosting on the bottom of each marshmallow and then put them onto the tagboard. With the Frosting, "glue" a second marshmallow on top of the middle marshmallow to create the shammash or "servant." Poke birthday candles into each marshmallow to create a menorah.

Cardboard Tube Menorah

Need: 9 cardboard tubes, tape, markers, long piece of cardboard, red - orange and yellow tissue paper

Directions: Cut 1/2 inch off of 8 of the tubes. Either cover the 9 tubes with construction paper, paint them, or color with markers. Feel free to decorate tubes with glitter and markers, you can also draw a Star of David on the center tube. Try to use blues and silver to decorate the tubes. Now, place the taller tube in the middle and 4 shorter ones on each side. Tape together and glue to the long piece of cardboard (you can also stick them into a piece of foam). Decorate the base to match. Tear apart the tissue paper and insert various colors (red, orange, yellow) into the top of each tube to represent the flame of a candle.