In a previous post, Joe Offer forwards a message from someone who comments how the original Yiddish is better than the English version:

"I am glad to know there's a yiddish version,and it seems to be the original. I say this since the English is nonsenss. A clay dreydel can't be made so that it can spin with equal chance of landing on any of the four sides. To get the weight that even seems impossible. If in yiddish 'blay' means 'lead', however, I have seen such a dreydel, and it did spin well. It was two intersecting planes that made an X. They are rare in these days of plastic. Also back to the English, a dreydel has no 'legs' thick or thin; it's a top."
I notice that we have versions above saying the dreidel has "legs" and the dreidel has "a leg". The latter must be correct.

I am supposing "clay" was chosen to rhyme with "play". It is more difficult to make as suitable a rhyme with other materials. I have very quickly made up a few:

I have a little dreidel; I made it out of tin,
When I play with my dreidel, I shall surely win

I have a little dreidel; I made it out of wood
It spins and it dances, as a dreidel should

I have a little dreidel; it is made of plastic
I love to spin my dreidel; it is just fantastic

I have a little dreidel, of lead it is made,
It spins so well; it puts others in the shade