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December 3, 2004/Kislev 20 5765, Vol. 57, No. 14
Games offer fun way to learn about holiday
STEPHANIE N. HENSCHEL
Staff Writer
With the holiday upon us, parents and grandparents are looking for ways to keep the little ones busy. Several educational games are available to do just that.
The Great Big Box of Hanukkah Fun, an Education Incorporated game, offers eight fun-filled activities for ages 4 and up.
Games like The Great Dreidel Race, a Chutes-and-Ladders-meets-Candyland-style game in which children race their dreidels to the finish line, and Light it Bright, a candle-powered card game, provide activity for children - and adults - of all ages.
For the artist in the family, the box includes Chagall in the Family, an arts activity that allows budding artists to create window stickers.
And who can forget the Looney Latke Chair Chase, the "potato-powered" version of musical chairs?
Education Incorporated also produces Schmear!, a build-a-bagel card game reminiscent of Memory. Players have to, well, build a bagel by turning over the cards to find bagels and the necessary toppings, including lox and cream cheese. But beware the non-toppings - they can really ruin a good bagel.
An online offshoot of EI, www.hanukkahfun.com, gives children a fun experience online including games, puzzles and songs from Frye, the Singing Latke.
Torah Aura Productions, a Los Angeles-based company, created the Hanukkah Board Game. The game is designed to tell the various perspectives of Chanukah, from the military stories to the traditions and customs of the holiday.
As players travel through the board, they come to various places where they are instructed to choose a story or quiz card. The story cards relate the story of Chanukah, while encouraging player involvement by requiring each player to participate, either sharing a non-Jewish custom their family has or a favorite Jewish hero or heroine. The quiz cards see if the players have remembered what they learned on the story cards.
These games double as both fun ways to spend the time as well as an educational way to get the family together. And who knows, maybe you won't hear "Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel" for the 1,000th time.
Contact the writer here
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