How to play dreidel with printable dreidel spinning top

Learn how to play dreidel and use this printable dreidel template to make your own spinning top.

 

 

How to play dreidel with printable dreidel spinning top

Dreidel is a spinning top game that is traditionally played by families at Hanukkah. Spin the dreidel and see how much you can win!

Materials Needed:

:: dreidel template from the Hanukkah Unit

:: scissors

:: craft knife

:: marker pen

:: drinking straw

:: glue or stick tape

:: playing pieces with such as pennies, chocolate coins/gelt, candies, matchsticks or raisins

 

 

How to make a dreidel spinning top

Start by making you spinner.

You can print out the dreidel spinning top template from the Hanukkah Unit or draw out your own.

 

 

Add draw one of the four traditional symbols in each box:

:: Nun נ‬ which means nisht or nothing.

:: Gimel ג‬ which means gantz or everything.

:: Hey ה‬ which means halb or half.

:: Shin ש which means shtel or put in. (Players in Israel may use Peh פ which also means put in.)

 

 

Cut out your dreidel, including the hole for the handle, and fold it up to make a spinning top. You might like to score the sides with a craft knife to get neat creases.

 

 

Use glue or sticky tape to fix the tabs in place. Insert a drinking straw as the handle.

 

If you run out of playing pieces you’re out, or you can ask another player for a loan.

When one player has won everything, that round of the game is over.
 

 

 

 

How to play dreidel

Any number of players can play. Everyone needs around 10-15 playing pieces to begin with.

At the beginning of each round, everyone places a piece of their playing pieces in the central ‘pot’. Any time the pot is empty or only has one piece left in it during the game, everyone must also add in one playing piece.

Take it in turns to spin the dreidel. Whichever side is facing up when it lands determines what action you have to take.

:: Nun נ means do nothing.

:: Gimel ג‬ means you win everything in the pot.

:: Hey ה means you get half of what is in the pot. If there is an odd number of playing pieces in the pot you get half plus on extra.

::Shin ש (or peh h ) means you must put one playing piece in the pot.

 

If you run out of playing pieces you’re out, or you can ask another player for a loan.

When one player has won everything, that round of the game is over.