Can’t afford Chanukah gifts for the kids 😢

amother

↑ Chocolate

Yesterday at 9:20 pm

Also I've found great stuff for teen at five below. Online has much more options, $7 flat fee for shipping.

Some things I've found: adorable throw pillows, cozy throw blankets, cool speakers that are waterproof or light up, ear phones, neck pillows, manicure sets, blow up chair / couch, candle making kit, gel pens and more...

Haven't checked lately what's in stock but worth looking. Your kids don't have to know it was so cheap, many of their stuff seems like it was much more expensive....

amother

↑ Grape ↓

Yesterday at 9:36 pm

amother OP wrote:

Wow! U really have such great ideas!

u want more?

I dunno if it’s helpful so I don’t want to keep posting but if you think you’ll use some of these I have another great chanukha activity game but will only work if you have a few teens because its too hard for the little ones and you need a few players. you can team up the little ones with the big ones.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 9:37 pm

amother Grape wrote:

I think I have plenty to start with. Will ask for more if I need. Tysm!!!

amother

↑ Grape ↓

Yesterday at 9:41 pm

amother OP wrote:

I think I have plenty to start with. Will ask for more if I need. Tysm!!!

k good luck!
another cute “privelege” for the auction you make them a fancy breakfast or a smoothie/açaí bowl wtvr there are into to take in the morning.

if you need more chanukah activity ideas let me know. good luck!

amother

Mistyrose

Yesterday at 9:48 pm

amother Grape wrote:

Not op but if I'd love to hear if you feel like sharing please!

amother

↑ Grape ↓

Yesterday at 10:07 pm

amother Mistyrose wrote:

Not op but if I'd love to hear if you feel like sharing please!

sure. it’s rly for bigger kids though

make a chopped competition obvs chanukah themed. can do the girls with dad on one team and boys with mom on the other team. u need an outside person for the judge so I hope you have some willing neighbors

other idea is if you have a few devices you can download the game kahoot onto all of them. free app. and it’s like a game show. create questions about the family. the free version allows you to do multiple choice or true and false questions. it keeps score of who is winning based on who answered correctly and who answered the fastest and it tells you the winner. doesn’t have to b expensive prize. everyone can be responsible to make the winner a milkshake. if you have a projector or one you can borrow and project on wall even more fun. again only works if you have a few teens bec you need to b old enough to read fast and you need a few players. we actually did this for a family chanukah party one year. but it’s a great family activity if you have a bunch of older ones. my other games were geared more towards younger kids or younger teens. she didn’t say how old her kids were so wanted to give her ideas if her teens are older.

enjoy and happy chanukah everyone!

amother

↑ Grape ↓

Yesterday at 10:24 pm

amother Mistyrose wrote:

Not op but if I'd love to hear if you feel like sharing please!

one more idea but this actually involves spending a bit of money. springbok and cobble hill both make something called family puzzles. they are 400 piece puzzles and they are one picture but made up of three different size pieces. you give the big pieces and medium size pieces to the younger ones and the smaller pieces for the older ones and everyone can complete a puzzle together. don’t forget to make hot cocoa! (also a great motzei shabbos activity for the early weeks) I own a few and we’ve done each of them a few times. I bought them years ago so im not sure they still exist but maybe a different company makes that idea too if those companies no longer manufacture it. just a cozy fun family activity tht includes everyone.

amother

Lightblue

Today at 12:36 am

There was someone that put on some WhatsApp chats that she and her sister were giving presents to parents to give to their children for people that can't afford to buy. I thought it was such an amazing chesed! I can send you her number if you want

amother

Ginger

Today at 3:06 am

I try to get a family game... I found stuff black Friday and hid it... but Amazon always has games on sale.

Even a smaller/cheaper card game works. It is one thing for everyone, which saves money and allows you to pool everyone's $5 (or whatever your budget per kid) for something better.

imaima

Today at 3:22 am

amother OP wrote:

Am I the only one? I’m feeling so bad about it. My kids are going to be so sad 😭

Do you have any money to buy something joint? Or one experience?

amother

Brass

Today at 7:37 am

Me either.
It’s my grandkids tho

Out fknancial state changed a lot this year.
But I’m trying to think of other ways to show my love and enjoy Chanukah with them

Games, small prizes, diy cookie decorating

Any ideas ?

Simple1 ↓

Today at 7:42 am

amother OP wrote:

I have teens. That’s not going to work
But thanx for the idea

Five below works and has worked for my picky teens. You can make it a game where you all go and pick out something for each other. I understand they’ may still want more than that but this could still be fun in its own right.

↑ Simple1

Today at 7:58 am

Tjmaxx and and Marshall’s has cute stuff and accessories.

amother

Viola

Today at 8:18 am

Our family thankfully, doesn't do gifts.
I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that your actually have written lists of things they want. Do they not know financally, that it is not practical to ask for things at this time??!!
Anyway, how about everyone, picks 1 name, gets to go to five below, and buy their person a gift. Tell them unfornately we cannot afford what you want. May families are going through similar struggles with the high cost of living. If they really want those things, maybe they can do odd jobs to earn them. They sound like responible children, who don't like to miss school.

amother

Geranium

Today at 8:26 am

If you’re located in boro park, met life is distributing toys at their new location. Call them to find out details. Maybe there will be a fun family game given out.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Today at 8:34 am

amother Viola wrote:

Our family thankfully, doesn't do gifts. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that they actually have written lists of things they want. Do they not know financally, that it is not practical to ask for things at this time??!!
Anyway, how about everyone, picks 1 name, gets to go to five below, and buy their person a gift. Tell them unfornately we cannot afford what you want. May families are going through similar struggles with the high cost of living. If they really want those things, maybe they can do odd jobs to earn them. They sound like responible children, who don't like to miss school.

No, they do not know and I would never tell them! There’s no reason for them to worry that we don’t have money!

wanttobehappy

Today at 8:42 am

amother Grape wrote:

ok here is a third idea. not sure how your kids would enjoy so you decide.

make a scavenger hunt for them to find their gift. I always warn my kids tht it isn’t a major gift more just like a prize but they don’t care bec it is such a blast for them. we do it after chanukah candles.
I will do a separate hunt with totally diff clues for each kid and all of them end at the same place. the rule is when u are up to ur last clue u have to wait for everyone else to all solve the last together and find the prize .

I will do either word clues where they have to solve what im saying to know where to go. you can also print pictures of things in ur house very zoomed up that they have to figure out what it is to know where to go. if you have younger kids tht would b jealous and want to b involved y can make a hunt for them too by either printing easy pics if they cannot read and obviously not too zoomed up or it’ll b hard you can also make easy word clues for younger kids or another idea u take an item and they need to go where that item goes. so u give them a diaper and they need to go to where you keep diapers and by the diapers put a snack bag there and they will realize it doesn’t go there and continue to the snack bags drawer and will find a banana. and then they go where the bananas are kept etc etc. and they clean up as they go.

at the final location can just b a small prize. if it’s teens soemthing every age appreciates and my daughter was actually asking me for is wtvr fidget the kids are into now. and those are usually pretty cheap. I know my daughter been asking me for needoh cuz supposedly thts the very best squish thing which I didn’t buy cuz I don’t think is necessary. there is another thing the kids are big into now called maybe impossible cone and there is another pretty new one my 14 year old just asked me for I can’t rem the name but if ur interested I can find out. also just a bag of chocolate coins is exciting you can do that at the end instead of a prize. and then you can all sit down to a game of dreidel! my kids favorite night of chanukah is the night we do the scavenger hunt and it literally costs no money especially if you just do a chanukah treat at the end which I very often do. young and old enjoy it in my house. kids wait for it all year long. just a suggestion….

and I saw lots of ppl mentioned privileges. I did tht one year but jazzed it up in that we made a chinese auction of privileges and made a whole to do about it. kids had a blast. you can also play a game first to earn tickets for the auction. Chanukah can b loads of fun without spending a lot. no need to spend a ton of money you don’t have just make whole lot of family fun memories. I know it’s not the same as what they wanted but if you don’t usually do this kind of stuff they may actually appreciate it as a whole new excitement.

good luck!

U have such an amazing attitude lucky lucky kids!!! So nice of u to write all that out

amother

Cyan

Today at 11:29 am

Can the gift be not an item.

I heard once that someone made a coupon book for their kids. Things could be one free pass for chores. Walk 1-on-1 with parent. Picnic alone with parent (this may need to be reserved for when the weather is warmer). Or can be privileges with a friend such as one drive to a friend at a time you wouldn't usually, a sleepover with a friend, etc. If you want to add something that costs $ you can add ice cream with parent, etc, but really optional and not necessary.

If you're creative the gift doesn't need to cost more than a few pieces of paper and some quality time.

amother

Canary

Today at 1:07 pm

I'm in the same boat been there for years.
My kids know not the expect anything. I try sometimes but b"h have a lot of kids.
Now it's my grandchildren that keep asking and they don't know my financial situation so it's very hard.
I try to give them the amount according to how old they are that is if I have the money for it. If not I give them chocolate chanukah get.

amother

Chestnut ↓

Today at 1:12 pm

amother Freesia wrote:

I feel your pain I'm in the same situation in my opinion this has to stop we brought this on ourselves unfortunately Crying

💯