Chanukah 30-Minute Hourglass Sand Timer Malchut Design #210

A half hour hourglass made for the menorah table, design number 210 in the Malchut line. Thirty minutes is the span it runs, and the sand is visible the whole way down, which is exactly what makes it work for children who otherwise have no sense of how long a shiur of time actually is.

It sits near the menorah once the lichter are lit and answers the question every child asks within four minutes of hadlaka. Instead of being told to sit down, they watch the sand fall, and the half hour that the neiros are meant to burn becomes something they can see rather than something they are told. It also quietly keeps the adults honest about staying at the menorah rather than drifting back to the kitchen.

Design 210 runs across other pieces in the Malchut range as well, including prayer booklets and tallis and tefillin bags, so the timer can be matched to something else carrying the same design. That makes it a workable gift on its own or as the small piece added to a larger set.

• Malchut design #210

Sold by Judaica Square, Lakewood NJ. Free shipping on orders over $75. Returns within 15 days.