CHALYMPICS ARE BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER!!!
We have 7 amazing games this year. Our 3 standing games and four new, original, from-the-gut-laughter-inducing, family fun and extremely economical games!
Before we jump in, I just want to take a second to welcome and fill in any first time Chalympic participants!
The CHALYMPICS is an 8 day long, 7 event series we partake in every year of Chanukah. Well, actually this only our second year, but it’s definitely something we plan to grow old with!
Every night, after we light the menorah, instead of opening presents, we set up a game, using inexpensive materials that are easily purchased or that are already lying around the house, and all the kids compete.
Like the real Olympics, we start off with a torch lighting ceremony, the winners stand on appropriate leveled chairs and receive their award at the end of each night, and of course we end the games with another torch lighting ceremony.
Through out the 8 days, we keep track of the winners on a giant score card and at the end of the CHALYMPICS there is a final champion who wins the ultimate prize…BRAGGING RIGHTS!
To read the full article explaining the who, what, where and why of it all click here
To read the full article teaching you how to make the torches and scoreboard click here
To watch last years games click here to watch night 1 and then scroll through the remaining highlights to see how we do it!
Ok, now that everyone is update and were all on the same page about how awesome it is to spend Chanukah bonding and having fun instead of stressing out about what presents to buy, how many to get, which night to give what and whether we need to actually wrap them, we can get this party started!
SO…….
LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!!!
EVENT #1
OPENING CEREMONIES + LIVE MEMORY
What you will need:
The homemade torches (CLICK HERE)
12 sets of identical prizes. (2 key chains, 2 silly patty’s…)
24 aluminum 9×13 pans (or any size, you just want yto make sure that the prices fit fully underneath them)
For the opening ceremony, play Olympic music, and have the contestants line up in age order. Light the oldest ones torch and then he lights the persons next to him. Continue until all torches are lit and then take a cermonious walk around the living room.
(Blow out torches and save for closing ceremony)
How to play:
Send the children out of the room.
Arrange the prizes on a large space on the floor, separating identical prizes, in a grid like pattern.
Cover each prize with an aluminum pan.
Call the children back into the room.
Now play memory….
Give each a child a chance to uncover two prizes. If the prizes are not the same, replace the pan over the prize and it is the next Childs turn.
When someone uncovers identical prizes they keep it.
Play until all prizes have been accounted for.
We like to end this game with a prize swap. No one can keep two prizes and they must trade. Sometimes they need our help to facilitate this but usually it goes smoothly since they are all equally small, 1 shekel prizes!
EVENT #2
THE MISE EN PLACE RACE
AKA, SOMEONE ELSE IS PREPPIN’ DINNER TONIGHT!
(yes, this game is proudly borrowed from top chef)
Every year this event looks different. This is this years version.
THE FINAL DINNER WILL BE:
- Meatballs “subs” on a long challah roll
- Roasted Garlic aioli to slather on the subs
- Israeli salad (because, as much I try I can not convince myself that the wheat used to make the flour for bread should be considered a veggie.)
What you will need:
- 5 plastic cutting boards
- 5 sets of disposable latex gloves
- 1 batch challah dough
- 10 aluminum greased pan (2 for each player)
- 10 eggs (2 for each player)
- 5 plastic forks
- 5 small bowls or cups (for cracking eggs into)
- (optional: assorted challah toppings)
- 5 medium sized bowls
- 5 knives (can be plastic)
- 5 cucumbers
- 1&1/4 c cherry tomatoes
- 5 lemon halves (so 2&1/2 lemons, halved: 1/2 for each player)
- 5 small dishes of kosher salt
- 5 small dishes of coarse black pepper
- 5 small bowls
- 3 tbsp mayonaisse
- 10 roasted garlic cloves (2 for each player)
- 5 tbsp dijon mustard
- 5 bowls, each filled with 1/2 lb ground meat
- 5 small dishes with 1 clove chapped garlic
- 5 small dishes each filled with 1/4 c parsley leaves
- 5 small dishes each filled with 2 tbsp panko bread crumbs
How to play:
Cover your dining room table with plastic.
Set up five separate working stations.
Place a cutting board in the center of each one and one of each ingredient (unless otherwise directed) around the cutting board.
Place the ingredients in order of the relay clockwise starting from the bottom left corner of the cutting board.
To play the game each player has to complete each of the 4 parts of the race before moving onto the next part.
The player that completes all 4 challenges first wins.
This years challenges:
- Make 2 longer “sub style” challah rolls
- place rolls in greased pan
- crack 1 egg into cup, beat with with then egg the top of the roll
- make Israeli salad
- cut up cucumber
- cut cherry tomatoes into quarters
- squeeze halved lemon over veggies (be sure not to get any seeds in there!)
- season with a pinch of salt and pepper
- mix
- Make garlic aoili
- add 2 cloves roasted garlic to a bowl
- add a pinch of kosher salt, pepper, mustard and any remaining juice from the lemon
- once combined add mayo and mix
- Mix and shape meatballs
- add remaining beaten egg from challah (or crack and beat a new one but only add about 1/2 the egg) to the bowl with meat
- add in garlic, parsley and panko
- season with salt and pepper
- mix meat mixture and shape into golf ball size (or slightly smaller) meatballs
- place shaped meatballs into the 2nd greased 9×13 pan
Once your entire bowl of meat mixture is complete, throw your hands in the air, wiggle your fingers and scream DONE as loud as you can! Bonus points if you scream loud enough to break some windows!
*PARENTS: Bake rolls till they are golden and cooked through. For meatballs, combine all meatballs onto a greased baking sheet. Place tray in a 375f oven until they are crispy on the outside and the fat has been rendered. Add any grease from the baking sheet to a pot set over medium high heat. Sautee 1 onion for 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves chopped garlic and stir for 1 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup red wine into the pan and use a spoon to scrape up any bits. Add in 3 cups tomato sauce and all the meatballs.Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. Serve meatballs in baguettes, smeared with garlic mayo and some Israeli salad on the side! Eat and enjoy!
EVENT #3
CUP STACKING REPLICA RELAY
Object of the game: To replicate the cup tower as fast as possible.
What you will need:
How to play:
This is a timed event!
Send children out of the room for 5 minutes.
Create a tower, or series of towers using plastic cups.
Bring out children and give them each 3 minutes to replicate the tower you’ve built.
The child that does it the fastest, or gets farthest along in the given time is the winner.
*BONUS CHALLANGE: Finger numbing cup stacking.
Place a bowl of water and ice on the table. Have contestant stick their hand inside for 10 seconds. Then immediately begin the stacking clock count down!
Event # 4
POPCORN RUN
Object of the game: To fill a bowl with popcorn using only the small containers attached to your feet.
What you will need:
- 2 pint sized clear circle containers
- scissor or knife (to make two small holes)
- 2 shoelaces
- 1 large bowl
- 1 very large (think carry on luggage size), deep plastic storage bin
- LOTS OF POPCORN
HOW TO PLAY:
Make two small holes in the center of each pint sized container
Run a shoelace through both holes. (one shoe lace per container)
Attach a container to the top of each foot using the shoelace to tie it around.
Fill the large storage container with popcorn and place at one end of a long hallway or room.
Place the bowl on the other end.
Contestants must use their feet to scoop up popcorn from storage container.
They must then walk across the room, spilling as little popcorn as possible, and dump the containers into the bowl.
This process is to be repeated until the bowl is full.
The contestant to fill the bowl the fastest is the winner!
*Bonus: If contestants can then clean up spilled popcorn in 15 seconds they will receive a prize in the form of a kiss.
EVENT #5
SKI PONG BALL
Object of the game: To get as many points as possible in the two minutes allotted by getting the ping pong ball across the table and into the cups using only a straw to direct the ball.
What you will need:
- about 15- 25 plastic cups (this will depend on the size of the table and how difficult you want the game to be) (The more cups you put out the easier it is!)
- scotch tape
- painters tape…..click here to buy
- 3 ping pong bowls…..click here to buy
- Regular plastic straws
- Post it’s (for creating back boards and assigning point values)
How to play:
Use scotch tape to tape cups to the edge of the table. (see photo for reference)
Cups that are hanging down will be assigned a higher point value then cups that are sideways.
Leaving spaces between cups makes the game harder, so any cups that are farther from other cups should also be assigned more points.
Use painters tape to divide your table into 3 zones.
The zone closest to the cups, and therefore easiest will be given the lowest point value and the zone farthest will be give the highest.
Each player will be given two minutes to use their straw to blow the pingpong ball into a cup.
They can choose which zone to start from.
They must blow the ball into a cup.
The value of points they receive for a ball landing in a cup is the total of the zone they started from plus the cup it landed in!
They can keep playing and racking up points for the entire two minutes.
A referee must keep track of points during each players turn.
The contestant with the highest score at the end of the 2 minutes is the winner.
EVENT #6
SIMONIZED DANCE REVOLUTION
Object of the game: To mimic the dance moves in order, remembering each one as a new one is added.
What you will need:
- music
- a list of 20 dance moves (I will provide a basic list, however Im extremely impulsive and will most likely change things in the heat of the moment. The important thing is to remember the moves so you can make sure the contestants repeat them properly)
How to play:
Turn on the music.
Call one child into the room at a time.
Start by showing them move one.
Let them repeat it.
Then show then moves 1 and 2
Let them repeat it.
Then show moves 1, 2 and 3
Let them repeat it.
Continue this process adding one move at a time.
The child that gets furthest along in the dance routine without skipping a move is the winner.
Dance routine:
- jump 1 time
- clap 2 times
- tap your right foot in from of you
- tap your left foot in from of you
- clap your hands in the air 2 time
- wiggle your body down to the floor
- jump up 2 times
- spin around
- climb up four imaginary stairs
- open and close your legs in a jumpimg manner 2 times
- clap 4 times
- dance like a mokney
- spin around
- touch your toes
- wave your hands in the air like you just don’t care
- kick in from of you with your right foot
- kick behind you with your left foot
- do 3 jumping jacks
- wiggle your body down
- jump back up and give one final clap
Feel free to completely ignore this routine and make it up as you go along! Just be sure YOU remember the order for each player!
EVENT #7
THE BLIND TASTE TEST + CLOSING CEREMONY
Object of the game: To identify as many foods as possible by simply tasting them while blindfolded.
What you will need:
- blindfold, or scarf
- a cookie sheet (to contain any spills)
- 20 different foods that can fit into small bowls or cups
- 20 small bowls or cups
- a kitchen towel
How to play:
Send the kids out of the kitchen.
Place the cups on the cookie sheet and fill each one with as different edible product. (can be food, drink, snack, condiment, spice…)
Place a kitchen towel over the filled bowls so that no one can see whats underneath.
Call each child one at a time into the kitchen.
Cover their eyes with the blind and remove the kitchen towel.
Help them guide their hand into each bowl one at a time.
They must taste each item and identify it.
Only first answers are accepted to remind them to take their time.
The child that guesses the most right is the winner.
Examples of tasters: Ketchup, Mayo, Honey, Croutons, Salt, Chopped hard boiled egg, Chocolate chips, Captain crunch, Cut up string cheese, Butter, Cucumbers, Red sufganiya jelly, Lemon wedges, Pickles, Plain yogurt, Franks hot sauce, Soda, Peanut butter, Craisins, Pesto, Salad dressing…
CLOSING CEREMONY
TALLY UP ALL THE MEDALS ON THE SCOREBOARD. THE PERSON WOITH THE MOST GOLDS, IS THE OVERALL WINNER, THE PERSON WITH THE SECOND MOST IS THE SILVER NEDAL WINNER AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
Repeat the torch lighting ceremony only this time the overall winner goes first!
UNTIL NEXT YEAR, THE END.
*Note: You can alsoutely adjust, mix and match games from different years to suit your families. In fact you are ENCOURAGED to customize them to get the most fun out of it! Click here to see last years games for more inspo!
