Spin Your Own Dreidel

What you need

• Paper, 1 sheet card stock (or a small square box)
• Paper, 1 printed cube template (optional)
• Pencil, 1
• Painter's tape
• Crayons or markers, markers
• Counters, 10 per player (buttons, coins or paper squares)

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Gather a sheet of card stock (or a small square box), a pencil, tape, markers and about 10 counters per player. Use paper squares instead of buttons or coins if anyone under 3 is around, and be ready to start the pencil hole with the sharp point.

1. Fold your card into a cube, or grab a small square box.
2. Tape the cube closed on every edge.
3. Draw nun, gimel, hey and shin on four sides.
4. Push the pencil straight through the middle of the cube. Ask for help if you need it
5. Give everyone ten counters, then each player adds one to the pot.
6. Take a test spin and call out the letter on top.
   Ask: Which letter do you think it will land on?
7. Take turns spinning and follow what your letter says.
8. Landed on hey? Split the pot and take half.
   Ask: If the pot has 8 counters, how many do you get?
9. Keep playing until one player has every counter or time runs out.
10. Now teach a friend, or make more dreidels! Who will spin the longest?
    Ask: What would you draw on your next dreidel to make it extra special?

Play it again

• Spin off: everyone spins at once and the last dreidel still turning wins a counter.
• Snack pot: play with raisins or crackers as counters and eat your winnings at the end.
• Lefty round: spin only with your other hand and see if the letters change your luck.