How to Make a Hanukkah I Spy Bottle

Hanukkah’s almost over but last night I quickly put together a fun little activity for my youngest: a Hanukkah I Spy Bottle. It was easy and quick to make, has some traditional Hanukkah symbols so it can function as an educational reminder of the holiday, and it makes a really cool sound when you shake it. That’s right, we hit the trifecta of easy + meaningful + fun! Yay! The almost 2-year old loved it … and his big brother couldn’t keep his hands off it either!

What You’ll Need

A plastic bottle with a lid. I got mine from … that’s right, good old Dollar Tree. I actually chose a smaller bottle on purpose because I thought it would better fit in my toddler’s hand.
Colored rocks. Again, Dollar Tree was the perfect place to buy this item.
Hanukkah symbols: dreidels, gelt (yes, I used my chocolate ones since I still haven’t made it to Michaels to buy non-edible ones. But it will be ok, the bottle lid is on!), candles.
Any other items you want to add

Putting It Together

1. Add some of the rocks to the bottle, a half inch to an inch deep depending on the size of your bottle.

2. Add your Hanukkah objects.

3. Pour in the rest of the rocks until you get to about an inch from the top. A funnel may be helpful here.

4. Screw on your lid. If you have little hands that will unscrew the lid add some super glue to keep the lid tight and safe since there are choking hazards (and a mess!) if the bottle is opened. My toddler can’t yet unscrew lids so we got to skip the glue.

5. Happily give to your waiting child and listen to the shake shake shake and their excitement as they search for the Hanukkah symbols.

Finished and Loving It

So cute!

Baby Boo looking for the Hanukkah objects

Big Brother’s hands itching to have a turn

This activity took less than 5 minutes to make. And cost less than $5! Not only does baby Boo love to play with it, the big siblings can’t keep their hands off it either. It’s a total winner! It’s definitely an easy and fun craft to bring out during the holiday, but I know my kids will still have fun with it all year long. They won’t let me pack it in the Hanukkah bin!

If your little one has the patience, you can easily help them identify each of the objects you put in the bottle and review the significance those objects have to Hanukkah. Let them shake the bottle to their heart’s content–this activity is great for that sensory need. I love how much they love it, how quick and easy it was to make and that I can draw some meaningful Hanukkah connections to a fun activity.

Also … I think next year I’m going to make them as holiday favors for when we have little guests visiting! They would be totally cute as table name cards and decorations, as well as a fun and meaningful favor for your guests to take home!