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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Chanukah
Special things you do with your kids on Chanukah
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LO




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 10:32 am
Hi all! We are baalei teshuvah and do not have many family parties to go to on Chanukah, so I am looking for ideas of special (and inexpensive) things we can do with our kids on Chanukah....Sort of new family traditions....Someone told me their family has a special fancy breakfast one day, or similar stuff....

Can you please share what special things YOU do with your family? Our girls are 11 and 5, if that helps...We are not too mobile right now because have a small baby, too, so indoor home-style ideas would be best....

Thanks in advance!
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artz




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 10:37 am
I remember as a kid every day we did something different one day we made chanukah cookies, we played dreidel, ate a fancy supper together, made donuts together, got chanukah gifts and enjoyed playing with them
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mommyla




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 10:41 am
We don't have many parties to attend and are FFB Very Happy

My kids are a little younger than yours, but not much. I buy lots of projects, which they love to do - Chanukah sand art, glitter art, sticker art, all those little kits. The first night we decorate the house together - window decorations (like those gel window stickers), banners, hanging decorations. Some nights we make donuts or latkes or Chanukah cookies. I love the idea of a special breakfast!

Really anything can be made into a special activity. Someone wrote on another thread about how she takes her kids on a menorah walk to count the menorahs in the windows. If you have a fireplace, light a fire and roast marshmallows. Make a hot chocolate party (unless the caffeine will keep kids up too long...) or an ice cream party with a sundae "bar" (toppings, different flavors, cones, fancy bowls).

I like to keep Chanukah low-key and family-oriented. Maybe make a family game night. Get Chanukah-themed paper goods. Dreidel contests. Build menorahs and dreidels out of Lego or Clics or MagnaTiles. Get a couple of Chanukah CDs and have a dance party.

I'm getting excited!
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LO




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 10:44 am
Thanks! Keep the ideas coming!
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Blessing1




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 11:20 am
We decorate the house & use Chanuka table clothes & paper goods all Chanuka. Every day we do a different activity.
Chanuka crafts, baking cookies, dounut making & decorating, latkes, play dreidel, have a little party & give gifts... we keep the atmosphere festive.
Amazing savings has loads of great crafts for very cheap. Stock up & do something every day.
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flowerpower




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 12:47 pm
We make donuts with different fillings
We make cookies and decorate them
We play games
We make our own party( cheap Chanukah paper goods) and special dishes I don't make all year round
We make latkes
We sometimes invite a family friend and make a small party with kid games etc
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amother
Ginger


 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 1:32 pm
one night gifts. one night chanuka shaped cookies. maybe we'll do draidel cupcakes. another night latkes. I like to keep it fun and intimate with just my kids and dh. since my kids are still young I do one extra chanuka theme activity each night and the kids are thrilled.
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allthingsblue




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 1:40 pm
What we like to do:
Decorate the corner where the chanukia is with Chanukah paraphernalia
Dance together after candle lighting
Make Chanukah cookies
Make special dinners
Make/buy donuts
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UnFarvosNischt




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 1:55 pm
As kids, we also didn't go to chanuka parties but what we used do:
- chanukah crafts
- donuts making
- movie night with popcorn etc.
- one night the kids organize everything: cook the dinner and prepare a "party" with a show etc.
- one night the gift is a new society game and the whole family plays with it

You can also have one night to make sushi together, it's quite easy if you cook the rice earlier! With maybe a chinese auction with small gifts?
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cm




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 2:14 pm
Songs! It helps to print out the words, and to listen to recordings of the less familiar songs. We enjoy picking out songs to sing after candlelighting and learning new ones.
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Chocomama




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 2:21 pm
We started this when my children were very small and they still look forward to it! We play hot and cold with chocolate coins. 1 gets hidden for the first night, 2 for the second night and so on. Each child gets a turn to go out of the room and then someone hides it and then the person comes in and has to find their chocolate by following the commands of hot and cold. Its always funny and ends off with chocolate so what could be bad? Smile
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amother
Jade


 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 2:34 pm
At least once a year, after we light candles, the family bundles up and walks around the neighborhood to see all the menorahs while they're burning. It's my most favorite Chanukah activity, and makes us feel so connected to the other Jewish families. It also helps them do the publicizing part of the mitzvah. We've been doing this for at least 17 years, many times with a stroller and/or a wearing a baby.

You could also drive to a popular or well-known orthodox neighborhood to see all the menorahs/ chanukiot.

I highly recommend doing it just once.
Happy Chanukah!
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amother
Crimson


 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 2:55 pm
we do lots of the above plus party games.
chanukah pass parcel (chanukah questions as forfeits) pi the flame on the candle. how many dreidal in the pot. etc
who can eat the donut without touching it or licking their lips (or both!!!)
we def make donuts and or latkes.
your 11 yr old could make/write and print a menu for a special dinner one eve.
I love the idea of a chanukah walk. how about a chanukah treasure hunt. parents could make for kids with clues and treasure cld be the chanukah pressie or choc coins.
ice cream for desert one nite if thats a treat.
just make a plan ahead list of one special thing for each night....
and mostly have fun and enjoy each other.
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lucky14




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 3:05 pm
We also didn't have extended family (or friend) chanukah parties when I was little but I still LOVED chanukah! Like others suggested: let them help you cook/bake: latkes, doughnuts, sugar cookies, or whatever you have on the menu (obv. adult should do the frying), make and/or hang decorations, playing dreidel. You can google to see if there are other games. Ask them if there's anything they want to do specifically.
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Water Stones




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 6:33 pm
allthingsblue wrote:
What we like to do:
Decorate the corner where the chanukia is with Chanukah paraphernalia
Dance together after candle lighting
Make Chanukah cookies
Make special dinners
Make/buy donuts



I love this, dancing together after candle lighting!!
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amother
Tan


 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 6:48 pm
we do a lot of the mentioned ones, but a few more are
-playing draidle! no one wrote that! we also play a variation that each letter you land on has a corresponding cup with that letter. the four cups have categorizes like "chanuka story trivia" "family chanuka memories" "act out.." etc, and when you land you pick a paper from the cup.
-we also use our imaginations to make regular food chanuka themed--like cutting sandwiches with the chunka cookie cutters, or making shnitzle in the shape of a dounut. last year we made a menorah challa for shabbos chanuka.
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amother
Dodgerblue


 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 8:54 pm
We dance each night after candle lighting and sing Chanukah songs.
I buy donuts or dreidel filled with nosh or another Chanukah treat.
I but them a present one night
(We have lots of parties too bh but I like when each night has a special feel to it)
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doctorima




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 10:09 pm
Chocomama wrote:
We started this when my children were very small and they still look forward to it! We play hot and cold with chocolate coins. 1 gets hidden for the first night, 2 for the second night and so on. Each child gets a turn to go out of the room and then someone hides it and then the person comes in and has to find their chocolate by following the commands of hot and cold. Its always funny and ends off with chocolate so what could be bad? Smile


An appropriate family tradition for a Chocomama! Smile
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allthingsblue




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Dec 06 2017, 10:11 pm
Seashells wrote:
I love this, dancing together after candle lighting!!


I saw the idea at a relative's house in Israel and lived it, and do it in our family now!
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amother
Seagreen


 

Post Thu, Dec 07 2017, 12:25 am
Find an elderly person living alone and visit with your kids, bring along nosh and play dreidel.
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