12 Hanukkah Activities, Games and Ideas for Work

You found our list of the best Hanukkah activities for work.

Hanukkah activities are fun ways for employees to play, party, and create memories during the Jewish Festival of Lights. Examples include Spin and Pass, Drink If, and Build a Menorah. These activities aim to educate teammates about the Hanukkah holiday, foster team bonding, and encourage teammates to have fun and celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights.

These ideas are a subset of holiday team building activities and diversity activities. You can include these activities in your company holiday party.

This list includes:

• Hanukkah team building activities
• Hanukkah games for groups
• Hanukkah event ideas
• ways to celebrate Hannukkah at work
• Chanukah party ideas

Let’s get to it!

List of Hanukkah activities

From Hanukkah Scavenger Hunt to The Tzedakah Box to Drink If, here is a list of Hanukkah-themed activities and games for work.

1. Drink If

Drink If is one of the best Hanukkah games for groups because it gives teammates and coworkers a chance to socialize and know each other better.

To play:

1. Every player gets a drink. For example, “drink if you have ever gotten a speeding ticket.”
2. The first player will say, “Drink if…” followed by a prompt.
3. After that, all other players will drink if they have previously experienced or participated in the prompt.
4. The game will continue this way until all the players are out or have finished their drinks.

Some fun holiday Drink If prompts include:

• drink if you have ever overeaten during Hanukkah
• drink if you celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas
• drink if you have ever made a Challah pun
• drink if you have ever eaten the last latke
• drink if you have ever used birthday candles in your Menorah

Celebrating Hanukkah with alcohol, preferably wine, is customary as it symbolizes joy and happiness. This game will cause loud bouts of laughter and allows teammates to bond over shared experiences.

For similar ideas, check out never have I ever.

2. Spin and Pass

Spin and Pass is a fun game that teammates can play during the Hanukkah holidays. This game is an excellent way for teammates to appreciate each other and share thoughtful gifts.

To play:

1. Prepare a large package and wrap it with several layers of gift wrapping.
2. Slip in small gifts between each layer of gift wrapping.
3. Ensure that the gifts are gender-neutral and are small enough to fit in between layers of wrapping. Examples of gifts include coupons, gift cards, keychains, chocolates, or sweets.
4. The players will sit in a circle and play in a clockwise fashion.
5. Each player will spin a dreidel before unwrapping a layer of the packaging.
6. Each player who unveils a gift will have to hand it to the teammate on their left with a kind message. For example, “This is my Hanukkah gift to you because you are patient and friendly.”
7. You can play this game with several wrapped packages until each player goes home with several gifts.

This game allows teammates to form good work relationships and build strong bonds.

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3. Hanukkah Bingo

Hanukkah Bingo is one of the most exciting ways to celebrate Hannukkah at work because this activity is simple to carry out and does not require too much experience to play. In this game, each of the teammates will get a scorecard with a set of prompts. The first teammate to cross off all the prompts on their card wins the game.

Examples of prompts for Hanukkah Bingo include:

This activity is an exciting game that small groups can play at work during the Hanukkah holidays. You can also encourage employees to play in teams to make the game even more fun.

For more cards, check out icebreaker Bingo.

4. Build a Menorah

Menorah is a Jewish word for a lamp. During the Hanukkah holiday, it is customary to light a nine-branched menorah. The lamp has a “handle” called the shamash, which is used to light the remaining eight candles. On each day of Hanukkah, one more candle is lit than the previous day. For example, on day two of the holiday, you light only two candles.

To organize this activity:

1. Split the teammates into groups of three to five participants.
2. Each group will get items like cardboard, scissors, glue, beads, or stones to build a menorah from scratch.
3. The teams have 30 minutes to make the Menorah from scratch.
4. The team with the best Menorah wins the game.

This activity helps the teammates understand the Hanukkah tradition and encourages team building. It is important to note that the helper candle is lit and then used to light the other candles. If the players intend to use the Menorah built during this activity, they must understand the significance.

5. Hanukkah Scavenger Hunt

Hanukkah scavenger hunts are one of the most spirited Hanukkah team building activities. For this game, have players hunt for Hanukkah-themed items or complete holiday-themed clues and challenges. A moderator will hide the items, and the teammates must find them within an allocated time. Or, players can find the items within their personal possessions or the event space.

Some Hanukkah Scavenger hunt prompts include:

• something blue
• something to light a candle with
• a tzedakah box
• a “happy Hannukah” message
• Hebrew writing
• a menorah
• a string of white lights
• a dreidel
• a plate of latkes
• a plate of sufganiyot
• a shawl with a menorah designed on it

This activity gives teammates in-depth knowledge of the holiday they are celebrating. The game teaches teammates to work together to achieve a common goal.

Check out more scavenger hunt ideas for adults.

6. Pin the Candle on the Menorah

Pin the Candle on the Menorah is a simple and fun game that all team members can enjoy. This game is a variation of the childhood game “pin the tail on the donkey.”

To play:

1. The teammates will draw a large nine-branched menorah on cardboard.
2. The players will also draw candles onto the Menorah. The number of candles drawn on the Menorah will depend on the day of the Hanukkah holiday. For example, on day two of the Hanukkah celebration, the players will only draw two candles.
3. The players may draw on the helper candle but ensure it is not “lit.”
4. The players will draw candles on separate cardboard and cut them out.
   Put some tape on the cutout candles.
5. Blindfold the players and spin them around for a minute to disorient them, then hand them a taped candle.
6. The players will take turns trying to pin the candles onto the Menorah.
7. The players must pin the candles onto the Menorah as accurately as possible.
8. The player to complete the task wins the game.

You can also encourage the players to work in teams for this activity. The players may work in groups and choose a representative. The representative will try to pin the candle while blindfolded and other teammates will yell out instructions to guide the player.

This game will cause loud bouts of laughter and foster colleagues’ friendships. You may also share beverages and snacks during this activity.

7. The Tzedakah Box

The Tzedakah Box is a Hanukkah holiday tradition where folks collect small amounts of money or coins into a box called a Tzedakah Box. The teammates can then share the box with family members, friends, or others who urgently need these funds.

To organize this activity;

1. Split the teammates into groups of four to five.
2. Each group will craft a seven-by-ten box with a removable lid. The teams can make this box with cardboard or a carton.
3. The teammates will spray this box with metallic paint or any color they prefer.
4. The employees will then contribute some coins and put them into the box.
5. The players will then take these boxes to a charity organization during the Hanukkah holidays.

This activity teaches teammates compassion and empathy. This activity is also a creative and fun way to share love and kindness during the Hanukkah holidays.

Check out more charity team building ideas.

8. Five Seconds Rule

Five Seconds Rule is a fun and easy game that teammates can play at work. For this activity, teammates will need a stack of index cards.

To play:

1. The teammates will need a timer and a stack of index cards with different categories related to the Hanukkah holiday. For example, wine, snacks, and food.
2. Each player will pick a card and give at least three items under the given categories within five seconds.
3. Any player who fails to give answers within the allocated time will get out of the game.
4. The game will continue in this fashion until only one player remains.
5. The last player standing wins the game.

This activity is an easy way for teammates to have fun, bond, and develop good work relationships.

9. Spin the Dreidel

Spin the Dreidel is a traditional game that workers can play during the Hanukkah celebrations. The game is quite simple and involves the use of four Hebrew letters. The letters determine the outcome of the game.

The rules are:

• Nun-the players do not receive or lose game pieces
• Gimel-the player takes all the pieces in the pot
• Hey-the player takes only half of the pieces in the pot
• Shin-the player puts a piece into the pot

To play:

1. Each player gets 10 to 15 game pieces. The teammates can improvise and use peanuts, beads, or stones as game pieces.
2. Each player will put a game piece into the center pot during the first round. The center pot can be any glass bowl or plate.
3. The players will spin the dreidel. Where the dreidel lands will determine the outcome of the player’s move. For example, if a player spins and the dreidel lands on “Gimel”, the player takes all the pieces the teammates put into the pot.
4. Whenever the pot becomes empty or has only one game piece in it, each teammate will drop one game piece in it.
5. The game will continue in this fashion until one player wins all the pieces in the pot.
6. Any player who loses their game pieces before the end of the game is out.
7. If a player is out of game pieces, they may ask a teammate for one. The teammates are not obligated to give. The players have the choice to refuse.

This game is fun and exciting because spinning the dreidel is a game of chance. Teammates cannot predict the game’s outcome, and as such, the game becomes even more thrilling. This activity also fosters good relationships and friendships among coworkers.

10. Hanukkah Buffet

Hanukkah Buffet is one of the best event ideas because it allows teammates to explore and enjoy a variety of local Jewish dishes, snacks, and beverages.

To organize this event;

1. Find a local restaurant that can make several platters of traditional Jewish meals for Hanukkah, like sufganiyot, gelt, Hanukkah cookies, and latkes.
2. Ensure that the meals do not contain shellfish or pork.
3. Set a large table with these dishes along with some wine.
4. Play background music so the teammates may interact and dance as they choose from various meals.

This activity encourages teammates to appreciate diverse cultures and cuisines and fosters good relationships between coworkers.

11. Hanukkah Dance Fest

Hanukkah Dance Fest is a fun activity where teammates get to show off their best dance moves, engage in dance competitions, and enjoy themselves. This activity is easy to organize and requires good music and willing participants.

To organize this activity:

1. Play music over a set of loudspeakers.
2. Encourage the teammates to dance in pairs of groups to make the event even more fun.
3. The teammates can also compete against each other for a prize.
4. The best dancer wins the competition.

This activity is a fun way to ease stress, promote cheer in the work environment and encourage teammates to interact with each other.

12. The Ugly Sweater Competition

The Hanukkah celebration comes before Christmas, and as such, teammates will have the opportunity to wear their favorite sweaters. Employees can turn this into The Ugly Sweater Competition by customizing their sweaters for Hanukkah.

This activity is fun and will cause loud bouts of laughter as teammates try their best to outmatch each other in this competition. When choosing a winner for this competition, some factors include odd color combinations, crazy images, and captions or furry sweaters. Finding a winner may be even funnier than the competition itself.

Here is how to host a virtual ugly sweater party.

Conclusion

The Hanukkah holiday is a time for folks to get together, have fun, and be merry. Teammates can use this opportunity to get to know each other better and build strong connections. There are various games like Hanukkah Scavenger Hunt, Drink If, and Ugly Sweater Competitions that employees can use to get into the holiday spirit. These activities aim to foster team spirit and friendships among employees.

Next, check out Christmas icebreakers and Jewish Heritage Month ideas.