It's that time of year again, when us moms need to fire up the skillet and start frying up some latkes (also known as potato pancakes) and help 
our kids to get their dreidel on - a game where people take turns spinning a top and gambling for candy and chocolate coins.
Sure it's all fun and good, but this year we're going to help you to spice up your traditional Hanukkah activities with a few new and improved products. Not to worry, there's still some gambling involved!
No Limit Texas Driedel
Dreidels are as common to Hanukkah as a Christmas tree is to Christmas. Although you'll find dreidels in nearly every Jewish home around Hanukkah, you won't find many people playing dreidel. This is because the simple game isn't very interesting for anyone over the age of five.
No Limit Texas Dreidel is a new dreidel game that makes dreidel fun again for older children and adults. The game combines the traditional dreidel game with Texas Hold'em poker. The objective is for each player to create the best dreidel "hand" by combining dreidel spins.
Players combine dreidel "spins" in a shaker, which only the player sees, with other Community Spins, which will be seen by all players. Players bet in rounds using poker betting rules. The game is best played with chocolate gelt (coins), as is the traditional wager for the Dreidel Game. No Limit Texas Dreidel is an entertaining family fun for everyone ages 9 to 99.
My Own Chanukah Set with Latkes
Imaginative Play for Hanukkah! Little kids can't light the menorah but they don't have to feel left out. The 9 colorful wooden candles have removable flames so children can "light" the menorah (brilliant!). See "Views" to see a pic of me with my daughter and the set.
The set also includes:
* 1 wooden dreidel
* 6 wooden gelt
* 2 wooden potato latkes/pancakes
* Spatula
* Pan
* Storage bag
Ages three and up (flames are small parts).
The Amazing Menorah of Mazeltown
In this bright colored, picture book, Mazeltown, in the Cry-Me-a-River valley, is a dreary village on the dark, cold days leading up to Hanukkah. But everything changes when Molly and Max stumble upon an old and grimy menorah in their father’s junkshop. After a quick polish Mazeltown starts to experience some strange goings on.
Night by night, the magic of the menorah is brightening the streets, whitening the sheets, lofting the bagels, making the river glow with life and lighting up everyone’s heart. Most importantly this book will provide parents with an opportunity to open up a dialog with their children about what it means to celebrate God’s gift of light.
Each year, as children grow, parents can return to the book and explore the new and ever changing ways light continues to improve their lives, providing an opportunity to teach that light illuminates us both outside and within. Ages three and older.
Chanukah Fever
The popular singer/songwriter Mama Doni and the Mama Doni Band break the mold of traditional Jewish music, bringing a contagious blend of reggae, rock, folk, countryand klezmer woven together with Yiddish lingo and a hip Jewish sensibility.
With her new release, Chanukah Fever includes a wild mix of musical styles including "Latke Man,” a retro-swing pop song; "The Funky Gold Menorah," a kid-friendly hip-hop dance tune; "La Vida Dreidel," a Jewish twist on Latin style; and "I Say Chanukah (You Say Hanukah!)," a quirky steel drum, island-style number. All ages.
Spinagogue
Finally, the dreidel has a home! Football is played on a field, tennis is played on a court and baseball is played on a diamond. Thanks to Major League Dreidel (MLD), dreidel is now played on a Spinagogue. The Spinagogue is the official dreidel stadium for spinning, winning, gelt and glory.
Spinagogue was invented by Eric Pavony, the founder of Major League Dreidel, a popular event where people compete for the longest dreidel spin. The Spinagogue comes with six dreidels, a stopwatch called a Spinometer, and a three Spin Zones. Families can host their own spinning competitions with the Spin Zone getting smaller as spinners are eliminated. For ages 6+.
You tell us: What must-have Hanukkah items are on your list this year?
Follow RealMomsGuide on Twitter and friend RealMomsGuide on Facebook.
About the author: Melissa Chapman is a NYC-based RealMomsGuide contributing mommy blogger, who also contributes to SheKnows, writes a weekly newspaper column, blogs and contributes feature articles for a variety of media, and is a mom to the three loves of her life- her daughter, her son and her ShihTzu Mellie.
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
However, the idea of bringing in a general manager wholesale shoes and a director of sport was discussed at a meeting last Thursday by Club France - an organisation created as an advisory board by the FFF.
