Holidays & seasons
Hanukkah Word Search (Large Print)
Eight nights of light provide the setting for this Hanukkah word search. Candles, a spinning dreidel, and foods cooked in oil appear alongside words about family gatherings and the festival itself. This is a vocabulary activity for people who celebrate Hanukkah and for curious readers learning about it. It is not a substitute for a religious lesson, and no Hebrew reading is required to find the English-letter entries.
Hanukkah Word Search: Easy
10 × 10 grid. Find 10 words. Look across to the right and down.
Words to find
- GAME
- GELT
- GIFT
- LIGHT
- NIGHT
- OIL
- SONG
- SPIN
- WAX
- WICK
US Letter, one puzzle page and one answer page. Easy level.
Hanukkah Word Search: Medium
12 × 12 grid. Find 15 words. Look right, down, and diagonally downward.
Words to find
- CANDLE
- EIGHT
- FRIED
- GAME
- GELT
- GIFT
- LATKE
- LIGHT
- NIGHT
- OIL
- OLIVE
- SONG
- SPIN
- WAX
- WICK
US Letter, one puzzle page and one answer page. Medium level.
Hanukkah Word Search: Hard
14 × 14 grid. Find 20 words in all eight directions, including backward.
Words to find
- CANDLE
- DREIDEL
- EIGHT
- FAMILY
- FRIED
- GAME
- GELT
- GIFT
- LATKE
- LIGHT
- MENORAH
- NIGHT
- OIL
- OLIVE
- POTATO
- SONG
- SPIN
- TEMPLE
- WAX
- WICK
US Letter, one puzzle page and one answer page. Hard level.
Playing tips and a fun fact
Read unfamiliar words aloud together before searching. SHAMASH names the helper candle used to light the others on a Hanukkah menorah. Knowing what an entry refers to often makes the printed word feel less unfamiliar. Short words such as OIL and WAX offer an inviting start, while longer terms give experienced solvers more to inspect.
A Hanukkah menorah has places for eight festival lights and the helper light. A group could draw those spaces on paper after completing the puzzle. When discussing foods or customs, invite people to describe their own practices rather than assuming that every household celebrates in the same way.
Ideas to extend the activity
- Draw eight lights and a helper light.
- Describe a food cooked in oil.
- Try a simple spinning-top activity.
Not sure which level to pick? Read how the easy, medium and hard levels differ, or see how to print large-print puzzles so the letters come out dark and clear.
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