How to Play Dreidel

Start with equal piles. Use paper gelt, counters, or other age-appropriate playing pieces. Agree on a starting number, such as ten each.
Make a pot. Everyone puts one playing piece in the middle.
Take turns spinning. Look at the letter facing up when the top lands.
Follow the letter. Nun means do nothing; gimel means take the pot; hei means take half, rounding up; shin means put one in.
Refill an empty pot. Each player who can do so puts one piece in.
Choose your family’s ending. Play until one person has all the pieces, or agree to stop after a set number of rounds. For younger children, keep the game friendly by sharing pieces so everyone can stay involved.

Families have different house rules, including how many pieces to add for shin. The rules above match Jewdoff’s online game.

Try the online game →Make your own dreidel →

נ ג ה ש · Four letters to discover

נ Nun

Nothing happens.

ג Gimel

Take the whole pot.

ה Hei

Take half, rounded up.

ש Shin

Put one in.

The traditional letters stand for the Hebrew phrase “Nes gadol hayah sham”—“A great miracle happened there.” In Israel, pe (פ) replaces shin (ש), meaning “A great miracle happened here.”

In Jewdoff’s story, Grandma’s grandmother brought the family’s dreidel from far away. That is why it has shin.