Hanukkah Bingo: Free Printable Chanukah Bingo Cards

Bingo Card Online Editorial · Reviewed by Joan Ramos · Updated November 2026 · 5 min read

Hanukkah bingo is a cozy family or classroom game with squares like menorah, shamash, dreidel, latkes, sufganiyot, chocolate gelt and the Maccabees. Below is a 30-word list that prints as unique 5x5 cards with a free center, plus a picture version for little kids. In 2026, Hanukkah begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12, so there are eight nights to play.

The button opens the generator with all 30 words loaded. Pick the Ocean (deep blues) theme for blue-and-white cards, set the number of players and print.

▶ Make these exact bingo cards

30 Hanukkah bingo words

The list is grouped so you can teach a little as you play. Read the word, add a quick sentence about it, and everyone learns while they hunt.

Quick facts to read with the calls

• Menorah: the Hanukkah menorah holds nine candles: one for each night, plus the shamash.
• Shamash: the "helper" candle that lights all the others.
• Dedication: that's what the word Hanukkah means. It remembers the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees' victory.
• Olive oil and Miracle: the story says there was only enough pure oil to light the Temple's lamp for one day, but it burned for eight.
• Latkes and sufganiyot: foods cooked in oil, to remember the oil in the story. Latkes are potato pancakes, and sufganiyot are jelly doughnuts.
• Kislev: the Hebrew month when Hanukkah starts, on the 25th.
• Nun, Gimel, Hei, Shin: the four Hebrew letters on a dreidel. They stand for "a great miracle happened there." In Israel, the last letter is often Pe, for "a great miracle happened here."

Hanukkah 2026 dates: a bingo night for every candle

Hanukkah 2026 starts at sundown on Friday, December 4. Here's the full schedule, so you can pick your bingo nights.

Hanukkah ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12. Many families who keep Shabbat light the Hanukkah candles before the Shabbat candles on Friday evenings, and wait until Shabbat ends on Saturday night, so plan Friday and Saturday games around that.

How to play Hanukkah bingo

1. Light the candles first. Bingo makes a sweet after-dinner game while the menorah glows.
2. Hand out cards and markers. Chocolate gelt makes the perfect bingo marker. Just ask everyone to wait until the round is over to eat their markers.
3. Call one word at a time. Read the word and one quick fact. Older kids can take turns being the caller.
4. First to a full row, column or diagonal calls "Bingo!" Check the card against the calls and give a tiny prize.
5. Try a menorah pattern for the last round. Mark a full middle row as the candle holder, plus the whole middle column as the shamash standing tall.

Picture Hanukkah bingo for little kids

Kids who can't read yet can play with a picture version. It's a 4x4 card with 18 pictures, so rounds are quick and every card is different.

• 🕎 Menorah, 🕯️ Candle, ✡️ Star of David, 🍩 Jelly doughnut, 🥔 Potato, 🍎 Applesauce
• 🪙 Chocolate coin, 🎁 Gift, 🌙 Night sky, 💙 Blue, 🤍 White, 🫒 Olive oil
• 🎶 Song, 👨‍👩‍👧 Family, 🔥 Flame, 🪟 Window, 📖 Story, 🌟 Bright light

Make the picture version of Hanukkah bingo (4x4, 18 pictures). For more ideas with pre-readers, see picture bingo for non-readers.

Hanukkah bingo for a classroom or library

Hanukkah bingo is a lovely way to learn about the holiday together. A few tips that keep it warm and respectful:

• Focus on the symbols, foods and story. Those are what the word list covers, and they're easy for kids to picture.
• Read a picture book about Hanukkah first, then play. The words will mean much more.
• Invite families to share, if they'd like to. A Jewish student's family might bring a menorah to show, or tell how they celebrate.
• Use it alongside other winter holidays. Christmas around the world bingo and winter bingo cards pair well for a December unit.

Fun ways to spread bingo over eight nights

• One new pattern each night. Night 1 is a single line, night 8 is a full blackout.
• Grow the card with the candles. On night 3, play to three lines. On night 4, four corners plus the center. Kids love the build-up.
• Latke night bingo. Play while the latkes fry, and the winner gets first pick from the plate.
• Grandparent caller night. Ask a grandparent to call the words and tell a short memory for a few of them. Video calls work too.
• Family game night swap. Alternate bingo with a few rounds of spinning the dreidel. The bingo for family game night page has more ideas for mixed ages.

Small prizes kids love

• A few pieces of chocolate gelt
• Choosing which song to sing after candle lighting
• Being the one to hold the shamash (with a grown-up's help)
• A blue and white sticker sheet
• Picking tomorrow night's dessert

Common mistakes

• Too short a list. If the list matches the card size, everyone wins at once. Use all 30 words for a 5x5 card.
• Calling words without context. A one-line fact turns a quick game into a little lesson about the holiday.
• Mixing up the dates. Remember the first candle is lit at sundown on the evening before the first full day.
• Eating the markers mid-game. It happens every year. Keep extra gelt on hand.

▶ Make these exact bingo cards

Frequently Asked Questions

What words go on Hanukkah bingo cards?

Good Hanukkah bingo words include menorah, shamash, dreidel, latkes, sufganiyot, chocolate gelt, eight nights, Maccabees, olive oil, miracle, Festival of Lights and the dreidel letters nun, gimel, hei and shin.

When is Hanukkah 2026?

Hanukkah 2026 begins at sundown on Friday, December 4, when the first candle is lit, and ends at nightfall on Saturday, December 12.

Is there a Chanukah bingo printable for free?

Yes. The button on this page opens the free generator with all 30 Hanukkah words loaded on 5x5 cards. Choose the Ocean theme for blue cards, set how many you need and print.

What do the letters on a dreidel mean?

Nun, gimel, hei and shin stand for the Hebrew words for "a great miracle happened there." In Israel, dreidels usually have pe instead of shin, for "a great miracle happened here."

Can young kids play Hanukkah bingo?

Yes. Use the picture version on this page, a 4x4 card with emoji like a menorah, a candle and a jelly doughnut, so kids who can't read yet can match by sight.

What can I use as Hanukkah bingo markers?

Chocolate gelt coins make perfect markers. Blue and white stickers, buttons or paper circles work well too.