Build a Menorah

A menorah consists of nine candles, one for each day of Hanukkah, and one, called the shammash, used to light the other candles.

• 9 empty thread spools
• Playdough
• Large birthday candles
• Aluminum foil (optional)

Directions

1. Make a Hanukkah menorah using nine empty thread spools to hold the candles.
2. If the candles are a little loose, use some playdough to make them fit snugly.
3. If you want to make the menorah more festive, cover the spools with aluminum foil.
4. Since a menorah can be any shape or size, use your imagination. Your preschooler can insert candles into playdough or modeling clay that he has shaped into a pleasing design.
5. Try standing candles in a shoe box lid filled with sand, or drill holes for the candles in a tree branch or an interesting piece of driftwood.
6. Traditionally, you should light your menorah every day and use new candles each time. You will need forty-four candles in total for each menorah you light. Special packages of Hanukkah candles are available during this time of year.

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Copyright © 1998 by Patricia Kuffner. Excerpted from The Preschooler's Busy Book with permission of its publisher, Meadowbrook Press.

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