Eight Games For The Eight Days Of Chanukah

Chanukah is a great time to celebrate with friends and family (and without screen time!) Here are eight great activities for the eight days of Chanukah!

1. Pin the Candle on the Menorah

Via momfluential.net

A spin on the "pin the tail on the donkey"....players have to take their candles and make sure that they place them correctly on the menorah. For extra challenge...once one candle is in place, then there are only 8 spaces (7, 6, etc) left!

2. Hide the Chanukah Gelt!

Via ohnuts.com

Gelt - yiddish word for money - can often mean chocolate coins, covered in metallic paper, or real money! More exciting than it sounds....this can be a really fun game! Hide the coins throughout the house (or location of the party) and when the whistle blows...time to search! With a little extra planning, you can turn the game into a scavenger hunt, what a way to make cleaning fun - hide some coins under a layer of dust! Want to give the players extra incentive? Use their "money" to buy things in your little chanukah store!

3. May the Odds be in your Favor - spin the dreidel!

Via pinayworkingmom.com

A dreidel is a four-sided top. Depending on the side it lands, you can collect the whole pot, half a pot, nothing or ante up. Instead of playing just for money, how about playing "beanboozled" style! Each letter becomes a different option. Roll the "נ" and the person on the left chooses for you.....Roll "ג" and you choose for he person on your right....roll "ה" and everyone has to take....roll "ש" and you're off the hook for this turn....just make sure you have a "spit cup" handy!

4. Pass the Potato

Yup...potatoes, the staple of any great potato pancake recipe can be a perfect addition to your party! This is not your traditional early childhood game, because with some extra planning this game can be not only competitive, but can also burn some of those extra calories that you absorbed while eating your Chanukah feast. If you can, think about setting up the game in an area that is large enough to contain ten people and wide enough to run around in.

Choose one person to hold the potato first. The person with the potato has to stay in the center while everybody else has the chance to spread out within the boundaries. Shout "Go!" and begin counting down from 20.

During that countdown, the person with the potato chases everyone else, trying to tag them with a potato. If someone is tagged, that person takes the potato and chases someone else. When the 20 seconds is over, the person who has the potato in their hands is out for the game and another round is played.

When there are two people left, they will perform the classic "potato toss." The players face each other, standing arms-length apart and pass the potato. With each toss, they both take a step further away from each other tossing each time. This process continues until someone drops the potato, at which point the other person will win the prize. Now...wash that potato before you use it!

5. Connect Four - (Chess or Dominos) Chanuka Style!

Via biblebeltbalbusta.com

What's more fun than playing Connect Four? or Chess? or Dominos? Playing it with Chanukah Gelt Coins! Play any two player game with gold and silver or any other dual-color combination combination chocolate coins....don't worry about the mess - it will all get eaten!

6. Make some edible dreidels

Dreidels are much more fun, when you have made them yourself! All you need are marshmallows, a "kiss" type of chocolate and some icing for piping and gluing....salty-sweet deliciousness!

7. Chomp the Donut - Minute to Win it Style!

Via laurenmckinsey.com

Donuts - or sufganiyot - are a traditional Chanukah delicacy, another food deep fried in oil to commemorate the Chanukah miracle. In this game, you will need a donut for each person playing. Tie donuts from the ceiling, or for a variation, tie donuts on a ribbon between two chairs. Set a clock for 60 seconds. With each player underneath a donut, each player must each the entire donut — no hands allowed — without letting it fall off the ribbon. To win, the doughnut must be completely eaten from the string within 60 seconds. Now, this game is much more delicious with fresh donuts!

8. Twister!

Via Flickr: svdplou

Using the traditional twister mat, change the icons to hebrew letters, or even images from the chanukah story. Play, watch & Laugh! Happy Chanukah!