This post is dedicated to Steps 1 & 2 of the CHALYMPICS.

Its really more of a DIY arts & crafts post than anything else, but it helps get everyone into the spirit.

*NOTE: Theses instructions are based on 5 children playing the games. Adjust accordingly!

THE TORCHES

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Lots of crayons (Think 1, 24 pack per child)

5 glass bottles (you can either recycle beer bottles or buy glass bottles in the shekel/dollar store)

15 long candle lighting candles (this prevents the use of matches or lighters)

5 candles to use as the actual “torch” (Think olden day 1-2 inch thick candleabra candles. You want them to sit nicely on the very top of the bottle neck.)

HOW TO MAKE THEM:

Cover the surface where the children will be working in two layers of tinfoil. (Aside from making a clean up a breeze, it will protect your table from hot candle and crayon wax drippings!)

Remove all the paper off the crayon before you start. (Paper is flamable. You don’t even want the snaps on the table while the children are working. so take a few minutes, have everyone unwrap their crayons, throw them in the garbage and then they an begin and you can have some piece of mind!)

Give each child one bottle, one long candle and their crayons. (Hold back the actual “torch” candle)

Light the long candle, and hold it in one hand. With the other hand, grab a crayon and bring both the crayon and the candle about 4-6 inches over the bottle. Allow the flame from the candle to heat the tip of the crayon. As the crayon melts it will drip down onto the bottle.

Once the crayon or the candle gets to small to use safely, replace with a new one.

Repeat the crayon melting process until the bottle is covered to your likeness!

To attach the “torch” candle, simply place the bottom of the candle over a flame for 15 seconds to very slightly warm the wax. Place on the top of the opened, decorated bottle and hold it in place for 30 seconds.

Your torches are ready!

THE SCOREBOARD

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 large silver/gray oak tag

1 pencil

1 ruler

1 black permanent marker

1 gold marker

1 pair of scissors

1 glue stick

1 stapler

regular scotch tape

1 regular paper in a verity of colors. (if you have 5 children, you need 5 different colors)

1 large foam sparkly gold sheet

1 large foam sparkly silver sheet

1 large foam sparkly bronze sheet

( I also bought pink and purple sparkly foam sheets for my little girls who I anticipate will not appreciate a gold, silver or bronze “medal”)

1 roll of double sided foam tape

2 brown paper (for the bottom of the torch)

2 pieces red tissue paper

2 pieces orange tissue paper

2 pieces yellow tissue paper

HOW TO MAKE TH SCOREBOARD:

Measure your oaktag so that you have 8, 2&1/4 inch wide boxes and 1, 1&1/2 inch boxes. (All together this comes out to 19&1/2 inches wide) The narrow 1&1/2 inch row should be placed in the 5th column this year, because shabbos is the fourth night of Chanukah. (The first row is for names)

Measure the length. The top row should be 3 inches long and each additional row should be 2 inches long. (The total measurement here will vary depending on how many people are competing.)

Use a ruler and permanent marker to create the grid.

Leave the top left box blank and the go horizontally across and number 1-8

Cut out a 2&1/2 by 2 inch piece of colored paper for each child.

Write their name on it and glue them in the first vertical row of the grid, leaving the top left corner empty.

In the narrow row, make an x in each box to show that their are no games that night.

Cut 1 inch pieces of foam tape, leaving the paper on one side, and stick them in the center if each square. (Every night, remove the paper and stick on the medal that the child received)

From each foam sheet, cut out 12, 2 by 1&3/4 inch squares and place them in a ziplock bag. (It’s good have to extras incase of ties)

To make the big torch, roll one corner of the paper in toward the center. (this will create the cone) Staple the cone to hold its shape.

Place the red tissue paper on the table, lay the orange over it and the yellow on top if both in an off centered way so that the corners don’t match up.

Place your index finger in the center of the sheets, and using the other hand grab them from underneath the red sheet sheet and lift all the corners up.

Insert it into the cone and adhere it in place with come scotch tape. (for a more realistic “fire” look, slightly circle the paper.

To make the small cone cut all the papers in half and repeat the process.

Stick the small torch into the empty top left corner of your scoreboard and the big torch anywhere on your wall!

NOW THAT YOUR TORCHES AND SCOREBOARD AS COMPLETE THE CHALYMPICS CAN BEGIN!!!!!!

Click here to learn more about what the CHALYMPICS are about.

Click here to for a list of the games and their rules.