How to make a dreidel

Supplies needed:

Wooden cubes ● Sections of dowel 2 ½” long ● Glue ● Toothpicks ● Sand paper ● Small paper

plates or lids to hold glue ● Permanent Markers ● Hammers ● Snack size plastic zipper bags ●

Beans ● Blocks of plywood with ¼” hole in center

Step #1 ● Sand the corners of the block to slightly round the corners. Wipe the wood dust from

the cube.

Step #2 ● On the sides of the cube without a hole, write one letter per side: N, G, H, Sh.

Step #3 ● Place a small amount of glue on a toothpick and put the glue in the hole on the top of

the cube.

Step #4 ● Push the dowel into the hole on the top of the cube. Place the cube over the block of

plywood with a ¼” hole in it, centering the hole in the cube over the hole in the block. Gently

tap the dowel with the hammer until it goes through the cube and sticks out about ½” on the

bottom.

Step #5 ● Give each child a zipper bag with 30 beans and directions for playing the game.

To Play the Game:

Each player should have the same number of beans (30). Each player puts 10 beans (or 4 or 5 if

playing with several children) in the center pot. A player spins the dreidel. The letter that turns

up signifies what the player does, either puts a bean in the pot, shares, or takes from it. If a

player runs out of beans, they are out. The player to collect the most beans is the winner.

Divide the beans evenly and play again.

Nun = N = nothing

Gi-mel = G = take all

Hay = H = take half (If there is an odd number of beans in the pot, take the next number. ex. If

there are 3 beans and take 2.)

Shin = Sh = add one to the pot

Background information:

A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side. It is used during

Hanukkah to play a popular children's game. Dreidel is a Yiddish word that comes from the

German word "drehen," which means “to turn.” In Hebrew the dreidel is called a "sevivon,"

which comes from the root "savov" and also means "to turn."

A dreidel has one Hebrew letter on each side. Outside of Israel, those letters are: נ (Nun), ג

(Gimmel), ה (Hay) and ש (Shin), which stand for the Hebrew phrase "Nes Gadol Haya Sham."

This phrase means "A great miracle happened there [in Israel]." The miracle referred to in both

versions of the Hebrew phrase is the miracle of the Hanukkah oil, which lasted for eight days

instead of one.

You may write the Hebrew letters on a poster to show the children. There is an example on the

next page. A page of instructions for playing the game is also attached. This page may be

copied and a sheet of instructions placed in each child’s bag along with their dreidel and 30

beans.

N = nothing = (Nun) נ

G= take all= (Gimmel) ג

H= take half = (Hay) ה

Sh =add one = (Shin) ש

These letters stand for the phrase,

"Nes Gadol Haya Sham."

“A great miracle happened there.”

To Play the Game: Each player should have the same number of beans (30). Each player puts 10 beans (or 4 or 5 if playing with

several children) in the center pot. A player spins the dreidel. The letter that turns up signifies what the player

does, either puts a bean in the pot, shares, or takes from it. When a player runs out of beans, they are out. The

player to collect the most beans is the winner. Divide the beans evenly and play again.

Nun = N = nothing

Gi-mel = G = take all Hay = H = take half (If there is an odd number of beans in the pot, take the next number. ex. If there are 3

beans and take 2.)

Shin = Sh = add one to the pot

To Play the Game: Each player should have the same number of beans (30). Each player puts 10 beans (or 4 or 5 if playing with

several children) in the center pot. A player spins the dreidel. The letter that turns up signifies what the player

does, either puts a bean in the pot, shares, or takes from it. When a player runs out of beans, they are out. The

player to collect the most beans is the winner. Divide the beans evenly and play again.

Nun = N = nothing

Gi-mel = G = take all Hay = H = take half (If there is an odd number of beans in the pot, take the next number. ex. If there are 3

beans and take 2.)

Shin = Sh = add one to the pot

To Play the Game: Each player should have the same number of beans (30). Each player puts 10 beans (or 4 or 5 if playing with

several children) in the center pot. A player spins the dreidel. The letter that turns up signifies what the player

does, either puts a bean in the pot, shares, or takes from it. When a player runs out of beans, they are out. The

player to collect the most beans is the winner. Divide the beans evenly and play again.

Nun = N = nothing

Gi-mel = G = take all Hay = H = take half (If there is an odd number of beans in the pot, take the next number. ex. If there are 3

beans and take 2.)

Shin = Sh = add one to the pot

To Play the Game: Each player should have the same number of beans (30). Each player puts 10 beans (or 4 or 5 if playing with

several children) in the center pot. A player spins the dreidel. The letter that turns up signifies what the player

does, either puts a bean in the pot, shares, or takes from it. When a player runs out of beans, they are out. The

player to collect the most beans is the winner. Divide the beans evenly and play again.

Nun = N = nothing

Gi-mel = G = take all Hay = H = take half (If there is an odd number of beans in the pot, take the next number. ex. If there are 3

beans and take 2.)

Shin = Sh = add one to the pot