Hanukkah Vocabulary word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

Hanukkah Vocabulary word search, scramble and crossword puzzle

I made this Hanukkah vocabulary puzzle set for my 2nd and 3rd graders during our winter holidays unit. The kids had heard of Hanukkah but had no idea what words like menorah, dreidel, or latke meant when we learned about different winter celebrations. So I put together a word search, a word scramble, and a crossword using words like Hanukkah, menorah, candle, dreidel, latke, sufganiyah, gelt, eight, night, miracle, oil, temple, Jewish, family, tradition, and light. Nothing fancy — just puzzles to help the Hanukkah vocabulary finally stick.

The PDF is four pages. Three puzzles plus one answer key page. The word search works well for quiet time after recess or indoor recess. The scramble gets them talking because they argue about whether a dreidel is a game or a toy. The crossword I use for partners or as a review. I added a couple simple menorah, dreidel, and candle drawings but nothing too busy.

Works for 2nd through 4th grade. Print and go. Sometimes I have early finishers draw a dreidel on the back. The kids actually ask for these now.