8 Kids' Menorahs Your Littles Will Have Fun Lighting For Hanukkah

Want to get your mini excited about the Festival of Lights? One word: emojis. It’s no secret that kiddos go nuts for them—for whatever reason that is. So a kids’ menorah with a different emoji expression for each of the eight crazy nights is all but guaranteed to keep your little interested in more than just the presents! (It is a holiday about miracles, after all.) Made of hand-painted ceramic, this menorah fits traditional Hanukkah candles and measures 8.5 inches high—and of course, all the emoji faces are varied versions of happy! Just pour hot water into the wax to loosen and clean this playful piece. Simply put by one happy customer, “It was a fun gift for my kids and they love it.” Mission accomplished.

Found: A kids’ menorah that is all but guaranteed to delight the truck enthusiast/wannabe firefighter in your crew! This sweet little resin ceramic pick comes complete with the requisite firehouse Dalmatian, as well as a hydrant and hose—too cute! Kids are all too eager to light this one every night, according to reviewers, including one who wrote, “A fun way to celebrate the holiday with our young boys. It has held up to my 1 & 3 year old boys playing with it and they can’t wait to light it for Hanukkah!” Another raved, “Perfect for the 2 year old who loves trucks. Very well made.” You may need to hide this fun find before Hanukkah actually arrives—and maybe make sure your kiddos don’t decide to play firefighter and put out the candles themselves!

For the budding astronaut in your life: a kids’ menorah that’s, well, out of this world. This rocket ship menorah fits the standard size Hanukkah candles and actually makes a fun display piece for your little space explorer’s, er, space. Light it up during the holiday, keep it on a shelf or desktop the rest of the year. As one reviewer described it, “There’s no better available Menorah for a Hanukkah offering to your local astronaut.” Another noted how this option has potential to go the distance (pun intended), writing, “My kindergartener wanted a “big boy” menorah to replace a more babyish menorah that we had been using since he was born. This rocket ship menorah was perfect! It was cute enough that he wanted to use it as a toy, but sleek enough that I don’t think he will mind using it through middle school.”

Looking for a menorah for your dino-obsessed offspring? This campy gilded Tyrannosaurus Rex has reached Bestseller status on Etsy, which means there’s likely already a lot of happy Hanukkah revelers out there. Measuring 11″ x 5″ x 2″, the plastic dinosaur is spray-painted gold and affixed to a plastic base, and fits standard, shorter Hanukkah candles around 9mm thick. Whether you use it as a kids’ menorah or to delight your significant other, it’s almost guaranteed to be a holiday hit. According to one reviewer, “It’s solid — pretty heavy, high in quality. The color is nice and my son loved it immediately. Even better, it comes with a few ‘fun facts’ that are adorable. Highly recommended. May even purchase a second for my nephew. Holes are appropriately sized for my standard Hanukkah candles — they won’t wiggle like others do!” In other words, purchase this pick and you’re golden.

For grabby littles, a foam kids’ menorah with removable rubber candles is the ideal way to keep them engaged and out of harm’s way. Your kiddo can join in the Hanukkah fun, minus the flames—”Perfect for keeping my 3yr old son away from the real candles,” as one reviewer put it. Great for a ‘baby’s first Hanukkah’ gift, you can keep this pick well into the toddler years and even pass it down thereafter, so said a happy grandparent,”Great product, my granddaughter loved it and carried it with her everywhere! She did leave a few teeth marks on the candles but it withstood her nibbling. She was able to put the candles in and ‘light it’ while we said the prayers. We plan to have this menorah for years to come and to pass it on to her future siblings.” Another reviewer noted, “I am a children’s librarian, and this is the IDEAL prop for storytelling about Hanukkah. You can give each child a candle, even a group of toddlers, and rest easy knowing that they won’t hurt themselves or damage the toy.” Whether it’s a toy, teaching tool, unofficial teether, or all of the above, this soft menorah is ideal for little kids.

Another wooden menorah with removable “candles,” this kid-friendly find makes a great gift for family. It’s also an ideal option if you don’t like to leave an open flame! Kids can play —and pray— along safely as grown-ups light the real deal. As one grandma wrote, “Bought for my 1 yr old grandchild. Well made…She had much fun putting the candles in the menorah as we [lit] the real one. Great way to teach holiday traditions.” Measuring a petite 6 x 2 x 8 inches and weighing just over a pound, it’s easy for little ones to handle, and they may even want to play with it post-Hanukkah. So said a happy customer, “My grandchildren love this so much that they are often seen playing with it even though the holiday has passed. I purchased it for three 4 year olds.” Now that’s a successful gift.

With the look of a vintage children’s toy, this brightly-colored wooden kids menorah promises to be an instant classic. It comes complete with 9 removable “candles” that are safe for minis to “light”/place on the menorah base each night of the holiday. “Such a fun menorah [for] little ones! Our kids loved pulling out the candles and putting them in themselves. Sturdy and vibrant pieces,” wrote one reviewer, who also noted it was “perfect for little hands.” Another described it as “an adorable way to get your child in to the festive spirit. I found it really durable and easy for my two year old to use. She was really thrilled with it.” Teachers take note: This pick is also a great option for classrooms. One mama recounted,  “I first purchased this for my son’s preschool classroom. When I took my daughter to his class holiday pajama party, she ended up playing with it the entire hour. We ordered one for our house too.”

Nope, you don’t need a professional ceramic kiln — you and your kids can simply paint directly on this menorah, turning this important teaching moment about an important holiday into an arts and crafts projects. (If you want to get it glazed, just drop it off and your local ceramic shop.)