Play dreidel
Play the dreidel game with friends or family, learn rules, spin a four-sided top, practice taking turns and counting gelt.
Step-by-step guide to play the dreidel game
How to Play Dreidel / Hanukkah Dreidel Game Instructions
Step 1
Gather all materials into your playing area so the dreidel and pot are in the middle of the table or floor.
Step 2
Sit in a circle around the pot so everyone can reach it easily.
Step 3
Give each player the same number of gelt pieces and place them in front of each player.
Step 4
Have every player put one piece of gelt into the pot to start the game.
Step 5
Learn the dreidel symbols and what each one means: Nun means do nothing; Gimel means take all the pot; Hei means take half the pot (round up if the number is odd); Shin or Peh means put one piece into the pot.
Step 6
Choose who goes first by picking the youngest player to start the turns.
Step 7
Practice taking turns by having each player spin the dreidel once and follow the symbol's rule for that spin.
Step 8
On your real turn spin the dreidel once and carry out the action shown on the top.
Step 9
If the pot ever becomes empty ask every player to put one piece of gelt into the pot to refill it.
Step 10
Keep taking turns and counting gelt until one player has all the gelt or you decide to finish the game.
Step 11
Share your finished dreidel game and a photo or story about how it went on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we can't find chocolate gelt for the pot and player pieces?
If you don't have chocolate gelt, substitute with pennies, cereal pieces (like Cheerios), buttons, or small toys and use them exactly as 'gelt pieces' for giving each player the same number, placing one in the pot to start, and adding one when the dreidel shows Shin/Peh.
What should we do if the dreidel keeps tipping over or won't spin on a turn?
If the dreidel keeps falling or won't spin, move the game to a flat hard surface, have the spinner hold the dreidel between thumb and index finger at the top, and practice the 'spin the dreidel once' step before taking your real turn so everyone can follow the symbol's rule.
How can we change the game to suit younger or older children?
For younger kids, give fewer gelt pieces, simplify symbols by explaining Nun means keep going and skip Shin/Peh consequences, and refill the pot together when empty, while older kids can use more gelt, keep score across rounds, or require two spins per turn for extra strategy using the same 'give each player the same number of gelt pieces' and turn-taking steps.
How can we make the dreidel game more creative or competitive after we learn the basic rules?
To enhance the activity decorate or make your own dreidel, personalize the pot, add a house rule like 'Gimel twice wins a bonus' or track wins until one player has all the gelt, and then share your finished dreidel game photo or story on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to play the dreidel game
How To Play Dreidel
3 Videos
How To Play Dreidel
How Do You Play Dreidel With Kids For Hanukkah? - Raising Jewish Children
How Do You Play The Dreidel Game?
Facts about Hanukkah traditions
👪 Dreidel is a popular Hanukkah tradition played with family and friends that teaches sharing, taking turns, and simple math.
🔄 Dreidels are four-sided spinning tops, and spinning tops similar to dreidels have been found in ancient archaeological sites.
🍫 Gelt — often chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil — is the usual prize kids play for in dreidel games.
🎯 In the game: Nun = do nothing, Gimel = take the whole pot, Hei = take half, Shin (or Pe) = put one in — perfect for practicing counting and turns.
🕎 The four dreidel letters (נ ג ה ש) stand for 'Nes Gadol Hayah Sham' — "A great miracle happened there" (in Israel some dreidels use פ for 'here').
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