Fold napkins in half, then cut in the shape of a dreidel.
Instead of exchanging gifts (which, after all, has nothing to do with the holiday), learn about, then donate to a different charity each evening.
See who can create the silliest pretend latke using items around the house. Anything is up for grabs: yellow pillows piled atop one another, string, torn-up bits of construction paper or grocery bags, banana peels.
Make paper dolls of Judah and the Maccabees and hide around the house. Whoever finds one gets a prize.
Serve latkes on a clear plastic, or glass, plate atop another plate (any kind will do here). Underneath the clear plate place hand-drawn pictures of holiday symbols. Whenever someone is done eating, he’ll see beautiful art.
Take a vote on the best English spelling for “Chanukah.”
Have each person in the family come up with six questions about the holiday. These can focus on history, religious practice, family traditions, or just fun (“What part of Chanukah do you like best?”).
Next, have each person select a different color of paper for her questions. Each question should be written on a separate strip, folded, then placed inside a hat to serve as the table centerpiece. While you’re eating, each person pulls one strip out and answers it. (Of course, if you wrote your questions on blue paper, you know not to take out a blue strip!) When everyone has had a turn, go around again and again until all the questions have been asked.